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
Harrow 1944
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Harrow]
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| During the year, 1,387 complaints were received. These were:— | |
| Accumulations of refuse | 61 |
| Animals causing a nuisance | 41 |
| Damp condition of premises | 39 |
| Decorations | 22 |
| Drains and sewers:Blocked | 447 |
| Defective | 50 |
| Dustbins defective | 98 |
| Houses in generally defective condition | 98 |
| Houses with only small defect (roofs 31, gutters 9, walls 2, chimneys 8, stoves 12, stairs 3, floors 29, doors 3) | 97 |
| Defective waterclosets | 45 |
| Dirty premises | 27 |
| Factories—insufficient watercloset accommodation | 5 |
| Food unfit or in dirty condition | 49 |
| Gardens—flooding | 11 |
| Insect infestations | 22 |
| Overcrowding alleged | 59 |
| Plumbing defects | 87 |
| Shelters unsatisfactory (shelters dirty 1, W.C.s dirty 9, flooding 1) | 11 |
| Smoke nuisances | 3 |
| Vermin | 63 |
| Watercourses | 3 |
| Complaints of smells (chiefly smells from pigs and dead rats or mice under floor boards) | 15 |
| Other complaints (pig bins, wasps nests, mis-use of footpaths, defective fences, etc.) | 34 |
| Total | 1,387 |
During the year 1,118 informal notices were served; and 108
statutory notices, of which 75 were complied with.
Inspection of Houses.
Sixty-four surveys were carried out and certificates issued under
Section 157 of the 1936 Housing Act. The number of certificates issued
is now 10,327.
Overcrowding.
At the end of the year 65 houses were known to be statutorily overcrowded.
Of these one was crowded by 4 units, two by 3½, two by 3,
three by 2½, eleven by 2, eight by 1½, sixteen by 1, and twenty-two by
½ unit. These are learned of mostly by the tenants applying to be helped
to obtain more commodious premises. Routine inspection of houses
is no longer carried out so that the true position as regards crowding
is unknown.