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

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Kensington 1887

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]

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148
complete, while in 26 per cent. "modified vaccine pustules''
(probably a very imperfect protection) are obtained. In face
of the above statement, it is obvious that the protective
power of vaccination cannot be fully and universally
obtained, excepting by the use of lymph taken direct from
a vesicle, whether human or animal.
SANITARY WORK OF THE YEAR.
Before entering upon customary details of the work of
the Inspectors, under the Nuisances Removal and other Acts, I
shall again refer to the ''Special Report on Sanitary, Nuisances
Removal, and other cognate Acts," by the Law and Parliamentary
Committee, resulting from an enquiry, on reference by
your Yestry, "Whether the provisions of the various Acts
have been and are being enforced by the Yestry as fully as
the circumstances of the Parish demand, and if not, to advise
as to the steps it is desirable to take for their better enforcement;
and also whether any amendment of the law may appear
necessary?" The first step taken by the Committee was to
obtain reports from the Surveyor and Medical Officer of Health,
"with respect to any special matters which in their judgment
have not hitherto received, but which should receive, the
attention of the Yestry." These reports, in the result, formed
the basis of the Committee's enquiry and report, and with
that report, which was unanimously adopted by your Yestry,
were published and widely circulated. It will suffice here,
therefore, to say, for my own part in the matter, that attention
was frankly called to all of the points which appeared to
require consideration, whether regard were had to failure to
exercise existing powers or to need for additional powers. The
Committee expressed their views on each point raised and made
valuable suggestions in regard to "better enforcement" of the
law, and to the need for "amendment of the law." Their conclusions,
however, were reassuring, for they found that " the