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

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Romford 1902

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Romford RDC]

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It will be seen from the subjoined table the degree in which infectious disease prevailed in the various parishes of the district, Dagenham being by far the greatest source of infectious diseases, a condition which I hope will be altered when the system of sewerage, now in course of arrangement, is completed.

Dagenham. Beacontree and Chadwell HeathsHavering.Hornchurch.Upminster, Cranham, and Corbets Tey.Great Warley.Rainham and Wennington.
Smallpox48-24--48
Scarlet Fever14-191211
Diphtheria19-10-16
Enteric Fever15-53-12
Erysipelas12173--

II.—An account of the Sanitary condition of the district
at the end of 1902.
In complying with this section of the Local Government Board's
instruction to Medical Officers of Health, I procced to give, as in
previous years, a short account of the sanitary state of the district,
under the same heads of localities as are given in the statistical tables.
Dagenham, Beacontree Heath, and Chadwell Heath.—
Villages and scattered groups of houses, all situate in the parish of
Dagenham, and occupying a very wide area, standing on gravel and
on London clay, some (part of Dagenham village and immediate
neighbourhood) on alluvium. Population, 6,250 Agricultural.
Water supply mainly from South Essex Company. The village of
Dagenham is in a bad sanitary condition, owing to the ground oeing
saturated by years' overflowing cesspools and slop-water. Most of
the cottages supplied with pail closets, emptied once a week by the
Sanitary Authority. A system of scavenging is in force. Dust-bins
are periodically emptied by the Authority. There still exists a
condition of soil sodden by sewage overflow from cesspools, and
which nothing but some system of drainage will relieve, and until this
is done the village must continue to be in a bad sanitary condition.