London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Shoreditch 1931
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]
This page requires JavaScript
Other Matters.
| Class. | Number. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Matters notified to H.M. Inspector of Factories: — | |||
| Failure to affix Abstract of the Factory and Workshop Act (s. 133). | 1 | ||
| Action taken in matters referred by H.M. Inspector as remedial under the Public Health Acts, but not under the Factory and Workshops Act (s. 5). , | 39 | referring to 35 factories and 45 workshops. | |
| Reports (of action taken) sent to H.M. Inspector. | 4 | referring to 35 factories and 45 workshops. | |
| Other | 5 | ||
| Underground Bakehouses (s. 101):— | |||
| Certificates granted during the year | Nil. | ||
| In use at the end of the year | 33 | ||
The following is an abstract of the sanitary work carried out in compliance with these notices: —
| Premises cleansed throughout | 64 | Urinals cleansed, etc. | 11 |
| Premises cleansed partially | 70 | Soil and vent pipes dealt with | 2 |
| Number of rooms cleansed | 215 | Water-closets newly constructed | 23 |
| Walls, floors, sashes, etc., | Water-closets repaired, etc. | 123 | |
| repaired | 72 | Water-closets obstructions re | |
| Light and ventilation im | moved | 25 | |
| proved | 1 | Sinks, etc., cleansed and repaired | 5 |
| Roofs, guttering, etc., re | Sink traps provided | — | |
| paired | 71 | Sculleries, yards, etc., paving | |
| Overcrowding abated | — | repaired | 2 |
| Water reinstated or improved | 2 | Sculleries, yards, etc., cleansed | |
| Drains newly constructed | 1 | or limewashed | 76 |
| Drains reconstructed | 3 | Dust receptacles provided | 4 |
| Drains repaired, etc. | 8 | Foul accumulations removed | 27 |
| Drains obstructions removed | 7 |
The number of factories under observation for insanitary conditions
during the year was 83, and in connection with them some 8-3 sanitary notices
were served. The work carried out to comply with these notices included the
cleansing and repairing of water-closets in 33 instances, the removal of
obstructions from drains and water-closets in 7 instances, besides several other
matters. Limewashing of factories can only legally be dealt with by the
Factory Inspector, but defects in connection with the sanitary arrangements
in factories are matters within the province of the sanitary authority.
Home Work.
During the year 75 lists of out-workers were received from employers in
the Borough, 35 in the first and 40 in the second half-year. Those for the
first half-year are due in February, for the second in August. These lists
contained the names of 793 out-workers, of whom 589 were not residents in
Shoreditch. The addresses of those non-resident were forwarded to the sanitary
authorities of the districts to which they belonged.