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

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Woolwich 1952

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Woolwich]

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The total expenses in respect of cases dealt with during 1952 amounted to
£114 17s. 7d., of which £38 5s. Id. was recovered.
Mortuary Facilities.
Woolwich has its own public mortuary at Sunbury Street, which has been
little used of late owing to the centralisation in London of Coroner's Courts.
Coroner's post-mortem cases are sent to the public mortuaries at either Deptford
or Lewisham.
Cemeteries.
Three cemeteries are owned by the Borough Council and administered by
the Town Clerk's Department. The following table gives details of interments
during the last three years at these cemeteries:

Table No. 14.

Cemetery.Number of Interments.
195019511952
Woolwich416503410
Plumstead600641513
Eltham348386337

Street Cleansing.
Each main thoroughfare is cleansed daily, secondary roads twice weekly and
district roads once weekly. There are 86 road sweepers employed on the work
and, in addition, a mechanical sweeper and sprinkler is used to sweep the roads
in the shopping areas adjacent to Powis Street, Plumstead High Street, and Eltham
High Street.
House and Trade Refuse.
During the year under review 44,179 tons of refuse were collected by the
Council's vehicles and 53,592 tons disposed of at the Council's Refuse Destructor.
The difference between the two weights is largely the quantity of refuse delivered
to the Destructor from the Royal Arsenal and Army Barracks. Material salvaged
weighed 1,687 tons and was sold for £10,289. In addition, 2,861 tons of kitchen
waste were collected within the Borough and, with the kitchen waste collected
by neighbouring Authorities, was processed into pig food at the Council's Plant
at White Hart Road.
A system of house-to-house collection of kitchen waste has been instituted
in an area approximately equal to one sixth of the Borough and an extension of
the system to a further area is to be made. Attractive aluminium containers are
issued to householders and result in the removal of communal bins from the
streets and in the obtaining of an increased quantity and an improved quality of
kitchen waste.
Public Conveniences.
Fourteen conveniences for men and a similar number for women are maintained
throughout the area, hours of opening and closing varying with local
requirements. In the town centre, for example, the conveniences are open from
5.30 a.m. Normally, however, this service is available between the hours of
6.30 a.m. and 11 p.m. These were inspected regularly throughout the year. In
all the conveniences water closets are now free.
The information regarding Street Cleansing, Refuse Disposal and Public
Conveniences has been kindly supplied by the Borough Engineer.
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