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
Willesden 1904
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Willesden]
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89
SANITARY CONDITION OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
All the public elementary schools were inspected during the
summer vacation. Tne defects found for the most part have
been remedied. A few outstanding are the subject of correspondence,
or are of such a nature that they have been deferred
pending a decision to close the schools.
The following is a list of the defects found:—
| Schools Examined. | Drains found Defective. | Insufficient W.C. Accommodation. | Insufficient Urinal Accommodation. | Defective Light. | Other Sanitary Defects. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 11 |
ADOPTION OF THE CARD SYSTEM.
All the records of the department are now kept on Cards.
The clerical work entailed in the old system of keeping books with
its duplication in the office of notes made on the spot was
seriously interfering with the work of the department. I therefore
reorganised the work, designed or adopted cards, and instituted a
complete card system for all branches of the work. After a year's
experience with the cards, I can speak confidently of the great
improvement effected in the record making and keeping which has
resulted. The supervision of the work of my staff is greatly
facilitated, the work of inspection and enquiry is systematised,
the most complete records of first-hand observations are preserved,
and are ever ready and easy of reference, while a great economy
has been effected in needless transcriptions of scrappy notes made
to be copied and then destroyed.