View report page

47
Annual Report of the Medical Officer of health-1892.
Since there is so much overcrowding, and poverty, with its accompanying
casease, ignorance, and filth, I think no one can gainsay that this district is
???inently marked out as one where a Reception House is very urgently needed.
I know that our high poor-rate presses heavily upon the ratepayers, and it is
???ly after much careful consideration that I have determined upon making the
??esent report. I believe however, that a Reception House will ultimately prove
???e means of lowering, rather than raising, the rates by keeping people out of the
???rkhouse, and the hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylums Board It will
???rtainly prevent many deaths, and much sickness, misery, and broken health It
will facilitate the removal of mothers into hospital, and give time to the bread???inner
to provide for the care of his children.
At the commencement of the last Vestry Meeting, I was called away to a case
point. A father, with three motherless children, occupying one small room,
???ught relief (unsuccessfully) from the Parish. One child had been removed into
Hospital, with diphtheria, and I certified and removed a second one-sleeping in
the same bed with a younger sister—as suffering from the same complaint. The
???ther had been obliged to give up his work—since he was the only one to look after
???d nurse his children.
Had there been a shelter, two of the children would have entered it, and their
others (and they had no change) and bodies would have been washed and disinfected.
he father would not have been pauperised, and his second child might have escaped
???king diphtheria. Dr. Russel, a very eminent authority and Medical Officer of
???ealth for Glasgow, who has had 20 years' experience of the Refuge house System
??? there being two such houses (containing 72 beds) in Glasgow—tells me, he does
ot see how he could deal with infectious diseases, especially small-pox and
???phus, without them. It enables him to disinfect all belongings thoroughly.
Sect. 60.—(4) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891,—is perfectly explicit,
he law is not merely permissive, is is compulsory.
The Act says the Sanitary Authority shall provide shelter gratis for persons
???hile their dwelling is being disinfected.
As the outcome of this report, my practical suggestion is that a Sub-Com???ittee
be formed to consider the accommodation and capabilities of four self-con-
???ained houses with the view of one of them being utilised as a Reception House.
???ny one of them would, in my opinion, answer the purpose well.
One well-built eight-roomed house, centrally placed near the Parish Church,
hight, I believe, be acquired, on a lease, at a reasonable rental. It possesses a
???ommodious yard, and a covered brick-built shed 50 by 25 feet, with two large
???eparate entrance doors which might usefully be employed as a disinfecting station.
In conclusion I may mention, that the Local Government have cholera
???egulations ready for issue. Their Medical Officer, Dr. Thorne recently
???tated, publicly, at a conference at which I was present as a delegate, that
houses would be strictly enforced in the event of cholera visiting our shores.
The fact is suggestive-that in all previous cases where the epidemic has
???aken the northern route it has been during the second, and not the first year, that
we have suffered.
FREDK. J. WALDO, M.D., D.P. H.,
Medical Officer of Health.
St. George the Martyr,
Vestry Hall, December :20th, 1892.