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
Woolwich 1950
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]
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Table No. 6.—Inspections.
| Complaints investigated | 4,023 | Tents and Vans | 3 |
| Complaints re-inspections | 10,218 | Factories | 419 |
| Outworkers' premises | 139 | Workplaces | 18 |
| Houses re Overcrowding | 640 | Shops Act | 383 |
| New houses re water supply | 604 | Food premises | 3,218 |
| Houses re infectious disease | 460 | Itinerant vendors | 26 |
| Houses re smallpox contacts | 19 | Complaints re Food | 116 |
| Houses re verminous cases | 2,944 | Pharmacy and Poisons | 29 |
| Houses re scabies cases | 41 | National Assistance Act | 13 |
| Houses re other diseases | 63 | Water sampling and testing | 53 |
| Houses re Housing Act | 509 | Rodent Control | 3,308 |
| House-to-house inspections | 85 | Smoke observations | 450 |
| Rent Restrictions Act | 14 | Theatres and cinemas | 13 |
| Aged and infirm persons | 1,162 | Urinals accessible to the public | 74 |
| Common Lodging Houses | 34 | Women's Lavatories | 105 |
| Hostels | 5 | Miscellaneous | 10,261 |
Table No. 7.—Nuisances Abated.
| Dirty conditions | 1,275 | Drainage defects | 1,363 |
| Damp conditions | 4,948 | Water closet defects | 1,400 |
| Dilapidations | 6,205 | Dustbins provided | 486 |
| Verminous rooms cleansed | 1,052 | Water supply defects | 214 |
| Defective lighting | 393 | Foul accumulations removed | 48 |
| Defective ventilation | 398 | Overcrowding remedied | 76 |
| Defective paving | 200 | Miscellaneous | 130 |
Complaints.
4,023 complaints of nuisance (compared with 4,703 in 1949) were received and
investigated. The necessary action was taken where defects or nuisances were
discovered.
Water Supply.
The Metropolitan Water Board is responsible for the water supply for all domestic
purposes in the Borough, all dwelling-houses being supplied direct from the public
water mains.
Wells. There are now only eight wells in use in the Borough, and these are
used chiefly for trade and kindred purposes.
One private spring in the Woolwich Borough is at Conduit Meadows, Eltham.
There are three private deep wells used for trade purposes and also deep wells at
the Council's Woolwich and Plumstead Baths and at the refuse destructor plant
at Plumstead. Another deep well, the supply from which is unfit for drinking, is
situate in the Royal Dockyard. Other wells within the Borough have been sealed
off and there is no access to them.
Drainage.
The inspection of new drains is carried out by the Borough Engineer, and
reconstruction and repair of drainage work supervised by the Health Department.
Building Licences.
During the year, 1,983 applications for building licences were received by the
Borough Engineer and licences were issued in respect of 1,246 of these applications.
Pharmacy and Poisons Act, 1933.
This Act places upon Metropolitan Borough Councils the duty of enforcing
the provisions of the Act relating to poisons in Part II of the Poisons List. At the
end of the year the number of sellers of Part II Poisons (other than registered Pharmacists)
on the list maintained by the Council was 145. This number includes 12
new registrations during the year.
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