London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Marylebone 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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9
SECTION C.—SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES.
Sanitary Inspection.—Complaints were received in respect of 1,324 premises. Details of the various
nuisances detected and remedied, to the total number of 4,857, are set out in Table 3. In 1,096 cases
a preliminary (intimation) notice was issued, and in 276 instances this was followed by the service of a
statutory notice to secure abatement of nuisances. In addition, 72 notices were served under the
London County Council Byelaws made under the Housing or Public Health Acts, and one notice under
the local byelaw with respect to the cleansing of cisterns.
Legal proceedings were instituted in 23 cases under the Public Health (London) Act, 1936, in respect
of failure to comply with statutory notices. In 9 instances penalties amounting to £23 0s. Od. were
imposed and costs awarded to the Council. Costs without the imposition of a fine were allowed in
a further 4 instances. Three cases were dismissed and in the remaining cases abatement orders were
made or the summonses were withdrawn, the necessary work having in the meantime been completed.
Legal proceedings under the County Council Byelaws were taken in two instances, in both of which
convictions were obtained and fines amounting to £3 5s. Od. imposed. Costs were awarded to the
Council in one case.
TABLE 3. — Nuisances Detected and Remedied.
| Nature of Nuisance | Districts | The Borough | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 | No. 5 | No. 6 | ||
| Houses clamp, dirty or dilapidated remedied | 51 | 94 | 225 | 160 | 143 | 295 | 968 |
| Doors, windows, floors, ceilings, sash cords, grates and flues, etc., repaired | 26 | 82 | 140 | 86 | 64 | 43 | 441 |
| Verminous dwellings disinfested | 80 | 59 | 134 | 167 | 106 | 84 | 630 |
| Verminous furniture and bedding disinfested | 69 | 40 | 55 | 42 | 22 | 88 | 316 |
| Overcrowding abated | 34 | 11 | 27 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 110 |
| Water closet defects remedied | 22 | - | 38 | 56 | 75 | 74 | 265 |
| Insufficient and unsuitable water closet accommodation remedied | - | - | 3 | 4 | 8 | 22 | 37 |
| Urinal defects remedied | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 5 | 8 |
| Drain and water closet stoppages cleared | 4 | 21 | 19 | 5 | 8 | 27 | 84 |
| Drains relaid or amended | — | 5 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 36 |
| Soilpipes and ventilating shafts repaired or renewed | 1 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 47 |
| Waste pipe defects remedied | 5 | 8 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 45 | 96 |
| Yard defects remedied | — | — | 5 | 6 | — | 6 | 17 |
| Wash-house defects remedied | 2 | 7 | 1 | 16 | — | 3 | 29 |
| Area defects remedied | — | — | — | 1 | — | 15 | 16 |
| Roofs and gutters repaired | 21 | 91 | 104 | 65 | 47 | 87 | 415 |
| Water supply to houses reinstated | 1 | — | 9 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20 |
| Water supply laid on to upper storeys | — | 9 | 12 | 5 | — | 8 | 34 |
| Water cistern defects remedied | — | 12 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 44 |
| Dung or dust receptacles repaired or renewed | 2 | — | 15 | 10 | 8 | 41 | 76 |
| Rubbish, manure, etc., accumulations removed | — | 3 | 15 | 20 | 22 | 55 | 115 |
| Animal nuisances abated | — | 2 | — | 3 | — | 3 | 8 |
| Rat and mouse infestations dealt with | 48 | 57 | 108 | 165 | 197 | 265 | 840 |
| Bakehouses cleansed | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 11 |
| Smoke nuisances abated | — | 3 | — | 1 | — | 17 | 21 |
| Shops—sanitary defects remedied | 4 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | 11 |
| Miscellaneous | 5 | 15 | 53 | 13 | 7 | 69 | 162 |
| Totals | 378 | 523 | 1,009 | 887 | 735 | 1,325 | 4,857 |
Sanitary Accommodation at Public Houses.—From time to time serious nuisance is committed in certain
parts of the Borough which would seem to have a direct connection with the absence of suitable
sanitary accommodation in nearby public houses. A survey of licensed premises revealed the existence
of the following conditions as to sanitary accommodation for the public :—
Adequate 81
Inadequate 40
Installations in hand 6
No sanitary accommodation 1
128
The general standard of accommodation was found to be satisfactory in 77 instances and
unsatisfactory in 51. The Council have no power to compel publicans to provide sanitary
accommodation for the use of the public in connection with licensed premises, but the attention of the
licensing justices was drawn to those public houses where conditions were unsatisfactory in the hope