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
Whitechapel 1887
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Whitechapel]
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Table P.—SANITARY AND OTHER WORK PERFORMED BY THE INSPECTORS.
| Classification of Work. | Quarter ending April 2nd. | Quarter ending July 2nd. | Quarter ending Oct. 1st. | Quarter ending December 31st. | Totals for the year. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Numbers of Inspections of Houses as shewn in the Official Returns | 2298 | 2587 | 2242 | 2471 | 9598 |
| Houses specially visited | 205 | 219 | 818 | 481 | 1723 |
| Houses specially re visited | 820 | 876 | 3272 | 1052 | 6020 |
| Preliminary Notices served, such Notices embracing 1412 premises | 349 | 230 | 290 | 203 | 1072 |
| Compulsory Orders issued, embracing 713 premises | 97 | 107 | 54 | 54 | 312 |
| Summonses heard at Police Court under Sanitary Act | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
| ,, ,, ,, Adulteration of Food and Drugs Ads | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
| ,, „ ,, Bakehouses Act | ... | ... | 1 | ... | 1 |
| Cellars used as dwellings, caused to be discontinued to be so used | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| Cases of overcrowding and indecent occupation abated | ... | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| Houses in which rooms or passages have been whitewashed | 118 | 185 | 187 | 109 | 599 |
| Ventilation of houses improved | ... | 1 | ... | ... | 1 |
| Rooms disinfected with sulphurous acid gas, after the occurrence of cases of infectious diseases | 37 | 41 | 118 | 62 | 258 |
| Articles consisting of beds, bedding, clothing, &c., removed to the stone-yard, and there disinfected | 789 | 1372 | 3784 | 2164 | 8109 |
| Articles burnt by consent | 21 | 24 | 85 | 36 | 166 |
| Yards of houses paved, or the paving repaired | 35 | 65 | 54 | 37 | 191 |
| Drains in houses improved | 63 | 80 | 45 | 55 | 243 |
| Dangerous structures notified to the Metropolitan Board of Works | 4 | ... | ... | 4 | |
| Roofs of houses repaired | 7 | ... | ... | ... | 7 |
| Closets limewashed, cleansed and repaired | 99 | 167 | 144 | 80 | 490 |
| Closets provided with a flushing apparatus and water supply | 28 | 159 | 75 | 65 | 327 |
| Defective water fittings to closets repaired | 13 | 15 | 45 | 6 | 79 |
| Water supply to houses improved | 8 | 13 | 16 | 37 | |
| Nuisances arising from dung and other offensive matter removed | 39 | 28 | 20 | 26 | 113 |
| Area-gratings, cellar-flaps, &c., repaired | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 15 |
| Houses closed by Magistrate's order, or by consent, as unfit for human habitation | 2 | ... | ... | ... | 2 |
| Visits to cow-houses in the District | 2 | 4 | 18 | 19 | 43 |
| ,, slaughter-houses in the District | 4 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 41 |
| ,, bakehouses in the District | 9 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 22 |
| Dust-bins provided, or improved | 5 | 58 | ... | 63 | |
| Samples under Food and Drugs Act submitted to Public Analyst | 44 | 37 | 41 | 37 | 159 |
| Cesspools abolished | 2 | 1 | ... | ... | 3 |
| Animals, &c., kept so as to constitute a nuisance, removed | 1 | ... | ... | 1 | 2 |
| Trades' nuisances abolished | 1 | ... | ... | ... | 1 |
| Obstructions in the streets abated | 4 | ... | ... | ... | 4 |