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
Hackney 1951
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
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If in the future there are to be any deputations to the Town
Hall of residents carrying dead rats and complaining of the condition
of their houses, and letters and comments in the press, as was then
the case, it is to be hoped that the blame for the existence of such
conditions will be placed not upon officers doing their utmost to
deal with impossible situations, but upon those Councillors, since
they have it within their power to remedy the situation.
In the past, those members of the Council having the greatest
responsibility for the difficulties of the Public Health Department
have been the most vocal in criticism of the department, and it is
to be hoped that the restatement of these facts may induce in them
a change of attitude to the Public Health Department.
Inspections—1951.
The following is a summary of the principal forms of inspection and of the action taken by the sanitary inspectors during the year:—
| Houses inspected on complaint | 8,015 | ||
| ,, after infectious disease | 538 | ||
| Houses inspected under Sec. 9, Housing Act, 1936 | 165 | ||
| Special inspections and visits | 7,513 | ||
| Builders' notices | 928 | ||
| Inspections of factories and workshops | 627 | ||
| ,, ,, bakehouses | 136 | ||
| ,, ,, dairies and milkshops | 300 | ||
| ,, ,, butchers' shops and stores | 829 | ||
| ,, ,, other food premises, markets, etc. | 4,416 | ||
| Drains and sanitary fittings examined | 5,758 | ||
| ,, repaired | 542 | ||
| ,, relaid | 170 | ||
| Premises in which defects were found | all forms of inspection | 7,538 | |
| ,, ,, abated | 6,023 | ||
| Total number of re-inspections | 37,326 | ||
| Intimation notices served | 6,269 | ||
| Statutory notices served— | |||
| Public Health (London) Act, 1936 | 2,163 | ||
| Housing Act, 1936 | 97 | ||
| Byelaws and London County Council (General Powers) | |||
| Act | 555 | ||
| Prevention of Damage by Pests Act, 1949 | 17 | ||
| Summonses issued for housing defects | 184 | ||
Common Lodging-House.—There is now only one common
lodging-house in the Borough, situated at Nos. 23 and 25, Well
Street. This lodging-house, which is of a superior type and is
exceptionally well conducted, provides accommodation for 139
men only.
Water Supply.—The water supply of the Borough is under
the control of the Metropolitan Water Board. All the dwellinghouses
in the Borough are supplied from the Board's mains direct
to the houses, and no report of any form of contamination of the
water supply was received during the year.