Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
This page requires JavaScript
38
definition of the words " human habitation " in the Act, so that
I suppose they apply only to such structures as are used for
sleeping in, and therefore action cannot be taken in other
instances.
Clay Burning.—During the year clay has been burnt for
ballast on several pieces of ground in the district, and has been
a source of considerable annoyance to the adjacent inhabitants.
There has been much difficulty in limiting the burning to the
heap first fired, but in all cases success has attended the efforts
to prevent a continuance of the nuisance. The course taken
was the service of a notice to discontinue the burning, which
was understood to mean that no additional matter should be
placed on the heap; that already fired being allowed to burn
out. This has generally been accepted by all parties as the best
solution of the difficulty, and is probably as good terms as
would have been procured if an injunction had been applied for
and obtained, or other action taken under the Nuisances
Removal Acts. There has also been a good deal of trouble
caused by contractors depositing, on pieces of waste land,
quantities of household and other refuse, collected not only in
this but in other parishss. As there are so few available shoots,
the utmost vigilanoe has to be adopted in preventing these
deposits. At present a large amount is being shot on the
Marshes, which, however, I look upon as likely to benefit the
district, as it will assist in preventing the low lying land from
being flooded. I think although complaints have been received
concerning the deposits, that as the material has been levelled
and in some instances sown with grass seed, there is not so great
an objection to this as many persons think, although it is true
that more care should have been used whilst the deposit was
being made, in covering it immediately with an unobjectionable
material. The road sweepings collected in our own roads are
also chiefly shot in holes or on waste land in the district, and
have required greater oversight even than the house refuse, as
fish offal and other matters placed on the roads are sometimes