London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Chingford 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Chingford]
This page requires JavaScript
SANITARY INSPECTION OF THE AREA
Inspections on Complaint
The number of complaints received at the office and recorded
in the register was 448, as compared with 490 in the previous year
and 474 for the year 1936.
The total inspections made on complaint was 458 and the
number of defects or nuisances revealed was 398, which are analysed
in the following table. Informal notices were at once served on the
owners or occupiers of the premises concerned.
Once again it will be observed that the number of visits is in
excess of the defects found, which indicates that many visits were
paid in which no action could be taken under the Housing and
Public Health Acts.
Table 1
| Dirty premises | 10 |
| Defective eaves, gutters and roofs | 7 |
| Defective sink and waste pipes | 6 |
| Yard and W.C. drains blocked | 134 |
| Accumulations of offensive matter | 18 |
| Defective water fittings | 3 |
| Smoke nuisances | 1 |
| Dampness | 13 |
| Defective drainage | 56 |
| Insufficient flushing to W.C.s | 9 |
| Defective-dustbins | 41 |
| Defective external brickwork | 2 |
| Insufficient lighting and ventilation | 2 |
| Rat infestation | 1 |
| Burning of refuse | 3 |
| Defective floors | 3 |
| Defective firegrates and stoves | 3 |
| Offensive odours | 1 |
| Verminous premises | 4 |
| Defective yard paving | 2 |
| Defective wall and ceiling plaster | 7 |
| Defective W.C.s | 3 |
| Pollution of watercourse | 1 |
| Defective woodwork of windows and doors | 3 |
| Flooding | 2 |
| Defective washboilers | 1 |
| Breach of Byelaws | 1 |
| Miscellaneous | 9 |
| Insufficient drainage | 1 |
| Insufficient W.C. accommodation | 1 |
| 348 |