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
Merton and Morden 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Merton & Morden]
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REPORT OF THE CHIEF SANITARY INSPECTOR.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In presenting this Annual Report 011 the activities of the Sanitary Inspectors during 1952, I think I can best indicate the general scope of the work by setting out in tabular form the main divisions and the 9,510 inspections made thereunder:—
| Food Shops, etc. | 1,198 |
| Housing—primary visits | 826 |
| ,, —reinspections | 1,137 |
| „ —overcrowding provisions | 258 |
| „ —miscellaneous | 339 |
| Drainage—chokages and repairs | 1,093 |
| Rat and Mice destruction | 777 |
| Shops—Welfare provisions | 599 |
| Infectious Disease enquiries | 439 |
| Factories and Workplaees | 418 |
| Milk Supply | 140 |
| Smoke abatement | 91 |
| Rivers and Stream pollution | 86 |
| Stables and Piggeries | 30 |
| Miscellaneous (Caravans, Hairdressers, Schools, Building Sites, etc.) | 2,079 |
| 9,510 |
The increase in total inspections is due to the fact that
this section of the Health Department was fully staffed for the
whole of the year. As a result, the survey of food premises
mentioned in the last report was extended to include all
premises in the district other than private houses. In giving
details of the number of premises in each class within your
area, I feel I must draw attention to the fact this survey
took nearly eighteen months to complete without any follow-up
procedure to see that the requirements land suggestions made
were implemented. It is desirable that most of these premises
are visited annually and some, such as foodshops, more
frequently—even quarterly—and consideration will have to be
given to the best way of achieving this object. The analysis
of these trade and industrial premises is as follows:—
32