Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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1866, which prescribes a penalty of twenty shillings a day
for default. But, still, the most frequent cause of complaint
by parishioners, and the most frequent of recurring
nuisances, arises from the neglect of this obligation. Proceedings
have been taken occasionally to enforce the
regulations, but not with uniform success, the offenders
having usually been able to satisfy the Magistrates of their
inability to perform the duty required of them. The
difficulty not seldom originates with the coachman, who will
not give the refuse away, while the farmer or his carter will
not pay for it. At certain seasons, e.g., hay-making time
and harvest, there is a real difficulty in getting the receptacles
cleared, farmers being too busy to send their carts
into town, or, when they do, to allow them to stay to collect
the refuse. The refuse, nevertheless, has value, if it could
only be got on to the land without undue cost. The quantity
made in this large parish, with its 150 mews, is very great,
and of an aggregate value probably more than sufficient to pay
for collection and removal from London. It is a question,
whether your Vestry should not undertake such collection and
removal, as the law allows, "with the sanction of the owner ?"
a sanction which would be cheerfully given in many instances,
and which, probably it would not be difficult to obtain in all
cases, were it understood that the "Regulations" would be
enforced. The regulations require that the manure should
be removed "every alternate day." Twice a week in summer,
and once a week in winter, would probably suffice for
all practical requirements, in ordinary cases, if the manure
were stored in properly constructed receptacles above ground.
PUBLIC URINALS.
There are only ten public urinals in this great Parish, a very
inadequate number, and no public water closets save at the
rear of the Vestry Hall. Your Vestry's powers to provide
such "necessary accommodation" are ample, but difficulty
has been experienced in giving effect to the provisions of the