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 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Marylebone, Metropolitan Borough]
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of schemes for the electrification of railways in the London area, and the launching by all boroughs
of publicity campaigns directed to the reduction of atmospheric pollution. Locally, propaganda
was undertaken to encourage the use of smokeless fuels in the hope that some relief from the smoke
nuisance might be secured in the meantime. In addition, the attention of firms having boiler
installations was again drawn to the courses of instruction for stokers available at technical schools.
As regards the Council's own housing accommodation, the Committee responsible was asked to do
all in its power to encourage tenants to use smokeless fuel, and to give special consideration to
non-smoke-producing methods of heating (including central heating and the possibility of a form
of district heating) to be employed on future estates.
There appeared to be grounds for a belief that in some areas atmospheric pollution was attributable
more to the presence of sulphur gases than to grit or smoke, and in order that information on this
aspect of the problem might be studied, detecting apparatus was set up in various parts of London
on the recommendation of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, to whom the readings
from three points in St. Marylebone are sent monthly.
Poisons.— The names of sixty-eight traders were on the Council's list of persons entitled to sell poisons
included in Part II of the Poisons List (Pharmacy and Poisons Acts, 1852 to 1941) the premises
concerned numbering seventy-seven.
Factories.— As required by section 128 of the Factories Act, 1937, a report on the administration by
the Borough Council of the matters under Parts I and VIII of the Act is given in Tables 4 and 5.
TABLE 4.—Factories : Inspections for Purposes of Provisions as to Health.
| Premises | Registered | Inspections | Written notices | Occupiers prosecuted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factories without mechanical power | 310 | 368 | 97 | — |
| Factories with mechanical power | 1,440 | 1,406 | 125 | — |
| Other premises* (excluding out-workers' premises) | 110 | 355 | — | — |
| Total | 1,860 | 2,129 | 222 | — |
*Electrical stations, institutions, sites of building operations and works of engineering construction.
TABLE 5. —Factories : Defects Found.
| Defects | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Particulars | †Found | † Remedied | Referred | In respect of which prosecutions were instituted | |
| To H.M Inspector of Factories | By H.M. Inspector of Factories | ||||
| Want of cleanliness | 244 | 305 | 6 | 19 | — |
| Overcrowding | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | — |
| Unreasonable temperature | — | — | — | — | — |
| Inadequate ventilation | 6 | 23 | 1 | — | — |
| Ineffective drainage of floors | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sanitary conveniences :— | |||||
| (a) insufficient | 4 | 1 | — | 5 | — |
| (b) unsuitable or defective | 124 | 169 | — | 11 | — |
| (c) not separate for sexes | 3 | 9 | — | 1 | — |
| Other offences (excluding offences relating to outwork) | 120 | 186 | 166 | 1 | — |
| Total | 506 | 699 | 178 | 41 | — |
† It will be noted that, with one exception, the number of defects remedied exceeds the number found.
This is due to the fact that many of the defects found towards the end of 1952 were not remedied
until 1953.
The defects and unsatisfactory conditions found (506) showed a decrease on the number (870)
discovered last year, and the greater proportion related to want of cleanliness not only of workrooms
but, to a marked degree, of sanitary accommodation. Artificial lighting of such accommodation also
called for constant attention as owners were often reluctant to install electric lighting.