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violet colouring matter. These substances are added to make spirit, which is sold duty-free for purely
domestic and manufacturing purposes, unpalatable and distinctive in appearance.
"Industrial methylated spirit is colourless and consists of ethyl alcohol with only 5 per cent. wood
naptha, but it cannot be obtained by the general public without certain formalities which put it
beyond the reach of the usual addicts. With the addition of 2½ per cent. castor oil and 1 per cent.
boric acid, however, it can be freely bought from chemists under the name of Surgical spirit. This
costs little more than the violet-coloured variety and is less noxious. During a three-week period
in August, stewards at the Salvation Army Hostel collected from the dormitories, day-room and
lavatories no fewer than thirty-four bottles which had contained methylated spirit. Of these,
twenty-five were labelled "Surgical Spirit B.P.C. No. 3—Boots, Chemists."
"It is not intended to suggest that there is anything new in the conditions outlined, nor that a
menace of alarming proportions exists. Nevertheless, reports from the lodging house and observations
at the public conveniences in the Borough—more especially Barrett Street and, to a lesser extent,
Salisbury Street where frequently urinal stalls are stained violet and the odour of methylated spirit
is encountered—provide sufficient evidence to justify the conclusion that the practice of drinking
this form of spirit may be widespread in this country and is on the increase.
"Mineralised methylated spirit is so very nauseous that it may be that only the more hardened
habitues resort to it. On the other hand, the ease with which the less unpalatable surgical spirit
can be obtained would seem to foster addiction and may provide the greater potential danger. To
remedy these conditions it is suggested that legislation should be sought to restrict the sale of surgical
spirit, possibly by making it available only upon a prescription. Because of its extensive use for
legitimate domestic and other purposes, tighter control of the sale of common methylated spirit
would probably be difficult to achieve. Deliberate drinking of it might, however, be discouraged if,
without impairing its necessary qualities, further additions could be introduced during manufacture
to render it even more noxious to the taste than it is at present."
After consideration of this report, the Public Health Committee agreed that a further attempt
should be made to discourage the practice of methylated spirit drinking, and on their recommendation
the Council requested the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee to make representations
(i) to the Home Office to the effect that surgical spirit be designated a Part I poison, and (ii) to H.M.
Commissioners of Customs and Excise asking that further unpalatable additions be made to
"mineralised" methylated spirit. The Standing Joint Committee subsequently supported the views
of the Council and decided that such representations should be made.
SECTION D.—HOUSING.
Permanent Schemes.—A further 51 flats on the Church Street Estate were completed by the end
of the year, making a total of 140 flats. A further 98 of the 172 flats on the Barrow Hill Estate were
also completed during 1950, bringing the total number of occupied flats to 156. A maternity and child
welfare centre was opened in premises on the latter Estate on the 14th April, 1950. Both at the
Barrow Hill and Church Street Estates the Council have provided and equipped social rooms which
are managed by associations formed by the tenants themselves. The communal laundries are being
used by 70 per cent. of the tenants at the Church Street Estate and 33 per cent. at the Barrow Hill
Estate.
The first section of the Townshend Estate, comprising 70 flats in three blocks, is nearing completion.
A tender has been accepted, in the sum of £76,029, for building 40 flats on the second section of the
Estate. At the request of the London County Council, a site has been allocated for a nursery school
on this Estate with an area of about one-third of an acre, and this will be included in the last stage
of the scheme. The Estate, when completed, will provide 221 dwellings at an estimated cost of £580,000.
The development of the St. John's Wood Road site (Winchilsea House—23 flats) was completed
during the year at a cost of approximately £49,000.
The Council decided to proceed with a scheme for the extension of the newly-completed Church
Street Estate, and to this end purchased the Aenon Baptist Church site and a number of freeholds
formerly held by the Portman Estate. Negotiations are proceeding for the acquisition of the
outstanding interests and it is hoped to provide a further 65 flats and 10 shops on the extension site.
Steps have been taken for the acquisition of sites at Hamilton Terrace, Carlton Hill, Wellington
Road, Abercorn Place, Boundary Road, Springfield Road, Queen's Terrace and Pembroke Terrace
for the erection of further flats. Plans for development were prepared and tenders invited.
At the request of the Commissioner of Police, the Council allocated 10 dwellings in new estates
for the accommodation of police officers.