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15
Laundries.
In the month of February our Sanitary Inspector
submitted a report on the sanitary condition of houses
where laundry work was carried on; the importance
of periodical inspection was obvious. I have instructed
the Inspector to keep a list of these premises,
and visit them regularly, and insist on proper precautions
being taken to prevent the spread of disease
of an infectious character. Laundry work is too
frequently carried on in premises totally unsuited for
the business, in ill ventilated rooms, with insanitary
surroundings, which are naturally detrimental to the
health of those employed. "The Factory Act, 1894,"
includes laundries together with the restriction on the
hours of labour. The number of laundries included
in this report was 41, employing 305 hands.
Sale of Food and Drugs Act.
The above Act has been duly enforced during the
year, and has had the effect of raising the quality of
the food sold in the District.
Forty-nine samples (thirty-two of milk and seventeen
of butter) were submitted for analysis, the total
adulteration was nine samples of butter and two of
milk; the fines and costs amounting to £37 : 5 : 0.
The Condition of the District at the end of the year.
The conditions generally in December were
satisfactory, with the exception of the continuation of
cases of scarlet fever, which indicated a marked
increase at this time, otherwise zymotic disease was
almost absent from the District, and mortality rate
was low. I append the returns of the Sanitary Inspector,
and remain, Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
FREDC C. DODSWORTH,
Medical Officer of Health.