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36
THE PUBLIC MORTUARY.
The dead bodies received into the Public Mortuary in St. Leonard's Church-yard
during 1904 numbered 460, including the bodies of four persons removed by the Sanitary
Authority on account of infection or to prevent nuisance. The number of inquests
held was 336. The number of postmortem examinations made in the postmortem room
at the Mortuary was 251. The figures for previous years are contained in the Report
for 1903.
WATER SUPPLY.
According to the figures of the reports to the Water Examiner on the London Water
Supply by Sir W. Crooks, F.R.S., and Sir James Dewar, F.R.S.. for the year 1904, the
rainfall as measured at Oxford amounted to 22.67 inches. The mean for 35 years is
given at 25.29 inches. There was, therefore, a deficit amounting to 2.62 inches,
which means that the rainfall was 10.3 per cent. below the average for thirty-five years.
The wettest months were January, February, May and July. Least rain fell ira April
and October. Taken as a whole the purification of the London water by the combined
action of storage and filtration during the year, is stated to have been highly
satisfactory. The average microbic impurity of the supplies derived fromi the Thames,
the New River and the River Lea was much less than in 1903. No complaints were
received by the Health Department in Shoreditch either as to the quality or the quantity
of the water supplied in the Borough, and there was nothing to 'suggest the occurrence
of any water-borne disease during the year.
In accordance with the requirements of Section 49 of the Public Health (London)
Act, 1891, Communications relative to water supplies to houses being cut off were
received in respect to 27 premises on the East London District and 41 on that of the
New River. In many of these the intimations referred to empty premises.
SANITARY WORK.
Preliminary notices as to insanitary conditions were served in respect to 2,599 premises,
the Chief Inspector dealing with 285, Inspector Lear with 465, Inspector Firth
with 469, Inspector Jordan with 467, Inspector Langstone with 401, and Inspector
Clements with 512. In connection with the work carried out 886 letters were written
to owners of property, builders, and other parties concerned. Nearly 25,000 visits of
inspection were made during the year, exclusive of those made by the Medical Officer
of Health and Chief Inspector.
In the subjoined Table is contained a summary giving an idea of the nature of the
work done for the abatement of nuisances and for the improvement of the dwellings of
the inhabitants of Shoreditch which has been compiled from the abstracts of their
work prepared by the Sanitary Inspectors:—