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

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Camberwell 1856

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Camberwell, St. Giles]

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5
which were laid before the vestry, notices were served on the
owners of such premises as were seriously defective in sanitary
arrangements, requiring them to make such improvements
and such alterations, or to construct such new works, as were
deemed necessary in order to carry out the spirit of the Nuisances
Removal and Metropolis Local Management Acts. In
consequence of these proceedings 135 cesspools have been emptied
and cleansed, and 531 have been filled up; 704 closets
have been panned and trapped and connected with sewers;
895 sinks and drains have been trapped or otherwise amended ;
172 yards have been paved; 278 houses have been cleansed and.
whitewashed, and 27 have been repaired; water has been laid
on to premises in 15 instances, and in 34 water has been supplied
to closets by means of cisterns. In addition to this 13
notices have been suspended for a time, by order of the committee,
and 90 at the close of the year were still outstanding—
each notice, be it remarked, as a rule applying to more than
one house, and comprehending usually several suggested improvements.
In 116 cases the first notice was disregarded, and
a second was served: but in three instances only was it found
necessary to appeal to the magistrate in order to enforce compliance
with the orders of the vestry. All the slaughter-houses
in the parish, 48 in number, have been inspected, with the view
of ascertaining their cleanliness and their fitness for the purposes
to which they are applied, in order that, according to
their condition in these respects, their licenses might be opposed
or not at the quarter sessions held last Michaelmas. I need
not repeat the circumstances under which the efforts of the
vestry in connexion with this subject became frustrated, but I
can assure you that, in spite of these circumstances, a great
deal of benefit accrued from the movement. Several manufactories
yielding effluvia of an offensive character have been
examined, and notices have been served; and in some instances
these proceedings have been followed by a decided amelioration.
Finally, I may add, that a considerable number of nuisances,
arising from accumulations of dust, ashes, and other refuse,
have been removed, without being entered in the notice book,
through the instrumentality of the Inspectors of Nuisances, to
whose activity and zeal I take this opportunity of testifying.
The dry facts which I have laid before you, with regard to