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104
Until the year 1875, when the Sale of Food and Drugs
Act was passed, the Board was under no obligation to employ
an analyst for the detection of adulteration in articles of food
and drink. In 1878, however, it anticipated somewhat the
passing of that Act and appointed first its then Medical Officer,
Mr. Robert Bianchi, and shortly afterwards, on his resigning
the office, Dr. Albert J. Bernays, of the Chemical Laboratory,
St. Thomas's Hospital, to be the Public Analyst for the
District. In 1890, Dr. Bernays having resigned the office,
the Board appointed Mr. Richard Bodmer, F.I.C., who still
holds the appointment.
When the Board was first established there were no
railways within the district. The London, Chatham and
Dover and the Charing Cross lines were the first to be
constructed, and their number has been added to since and
numerous widenings effected. The reduction in the population
from 86,170 in 1861 to 25,865 in 1896, and in the number of
inhabited houses from 4,471 to 2,788 in 1891, shown by the
census returns, is largely due to this cause. Of course other
circumstances have contributed from time to time, e.g.—the
formation of Southwark Street necessitated the destruction of
a great number of houses, and factories and business premises
have in numberless instances usurped the place of dwellinghouses.
This process is still going on, and is likely to
continue owing to the central position of the district, its
business facilities, and its proximity to the City.
Since the passing of the Elementary Education Act, 1870,
the Board has been responsible for raising the moneys required
by the School Board for London for defraying the expenses of
that body in respect of the Parishes of St. Saviour and Christchurch,
the precepts for 1900—1901 amounting to no less a
sum than ,£20,701 8s. l1d. The constantly growing demands
of the School Board are shown in the statement of sums levied
year by year appearing on page 10, and it is to be feared that
the maximum has not yet been reached. The demand of the
School Board is now greater than was the entire expenditure of
the District Board prior to the year 1900, and it almost equals
the average gross expenditure at the present time.
Many local improvements have been effected chiefly in
connection with the pulling down and rebuilding of premises.
In 1864 the Board purchased a house at the corner of Broadwall,
and threw a portion of the site into the public way. In