London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Bethnal Green 1879

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green]

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Addendum.
MORTUARY CHAPEL.
The conscnt of the Chancellor of the Consistory Court having been
obtained for the erection of a Mortuary in St. Matthew's Churchyard,
Plans and Specifications were prepared by Mr. W. H. Gathercole, the
Surveyor, under whose superintendence the whole of the works have
been carried out. £363 12s. 5d. was paid for excavating the site,
removing and re-interring the bodies, &c., while the total cost of the
building was £ 1522.
The Mortuary is now completed ; and, as regards design, workmanship,
ventilation, convenience, and thorough attention to sanitary
requirements, compares favourably with any other in the metropolis.
It must be extremely satisfactory to your Vestry to bear in mind that
the building has been erected and fitted without calling in the aid of
any other architect than your own Surveyor, Mr. W. H. Gathercole.
As will be seen from the Plan, the building contains two Mortuary
chambers; one for ordinary uses, and the other for the reception of
bodies of persons who have died from infectious disease. Each
chamber is sixteen feet square, and the height from the floor to the
apex of roof is 23 feet 6 inches. The two chambers provide accommodation
for forty bodies.
The building is of brick, with dressings of Portland stone; the
floors are finished with patent Victoria stone. The whole of the
exposed woodwork in the interior of the building is of pitch pine
stained and varnished; the interior walls are finished with Keene's
cement and painted; the shelves in the Mortuary chambers are of
thick slate slabs carried on iron cantilevers, and great care has been
taken throughout to keep everything as flat as possible, and to avoid
ledges and projecting mouldings, so as to prevent lodgment for dust
and dirt, and so that the whole of the interior can be thoroughly
cleansed without difficulty.

TABLE VII.

VACCINATION.

Supplemental Return of Births for the Year, due to the Local Government Board, 7th August , 1879.

REGISTRATION SUB-DISTRICTS COMPRISED IN THE VACCINATION OFFICER'S DISTRICT.Births.Successfully Vaccinated.Insusceptible of Vaccination.Had Small Pox.Dead, Unvaccinated.Postponed by Medical Certificate.1 Removed to Districts, the Vaccination Officer of which has been duly apprized.Removal to places unknown, or which cannot be reached; and cases not having been found.1 Default.
GREEN DISTRICT9898081..87241158..
HACKNEY ROAD DISTRICT666541....59121044..
CHURCH DISTRICT571483....519622..
TOWN DISTRICT386319....3156241
Total261221511..22850331481