London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Finchley 1911

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Finchley]

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123
Infectious Disease and Disinfection.
Cases of infectious disease notified 256
Number of rooms fumigated after infectious disease 297
Verminous rooms fumigated 17
Number of articles disinfected 7030
N.B.—In addition to the above work of disinfection, 29
stovings of beddings, etc. (527 articles) were carried out, and
8 patients were removed to hospital for the Friern Barnet
District Council.
House Drainage.
Existing house drains, which for some reason or other
are suspected to be in a defective condition, are subjected to
either the smoke or air teats. In cases of necessity the smoke
test is supplemented by, or used in connection with an
examination of the drains, after the ground has been opened
up under Section 41 of the Public Health Act, 1875, and a
number of the pipes exposed in different positions. During
the year, the condition of a large number of house drains were
the subject of special investigation, and, as a result, 138
were found to be more or less defective.
In several instances combined drains of an exceptionally
complicated nature were opened up and examined, and, after
some negotiation with the owners, they were entirely abolished
and new systems of drainage installed.
Section 43 of the Finchley Urban District Council Act,
1908, which requires any person who repairs a drain to give to
the Council 12 hours' previous notice in writing of his intention
to carry out such work of repair, continues to prove a
material aid in the detection of drains which are in a bad
condition or require alteration or amendment. I have some
reason to believe that persons who undertake the repairing of
drains sometimes neglect to give the necessary notice as required
by the before-mentioned Act, but as it has now been