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
St Giles (Camden) 1899
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Giles District]
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G6
were added to the water in the vans, during the whole of the year. The cost of the work was as follows:—
| To Contractor for horses, carts, and drivers | £1,000 | 0 | 0 |
| The amount paid for water, meter hire, repairs | |||
| to stand posts, etc., was | 229 | 7 | 7 |
| For disinfectants | 75 | 17 | 6 |
| £1,305 | 5 | 1 |
Removal of Dust.
The dust and ashes were removed from the houses in
the District by contract, the contractor providing all
necessary carts, horses, and men, and performing the
whole work at a cost of £3,850. The refuse removed
amounted to 8,457 van loads, equal to over 25,000 cubic
yards.
Your Board in 27th July, 1899, having received
various complaints from time to time of offensive smells
proceeding from the accumulation of animal and vegetable
refuse in the houses of the inhabitants during the hot
weather, for so long a period as a week, resolved to have it
removed twice a week, instead of once a week as had been
the custom heretofore. Arrangements were accordingly
made with your Contractor to that effect, and the work
was commenced on the 31st July, the Board agreeing
to pay the Contractor £40 a month additional to his
contract sum for the extra labour and cartage caused by this
bi-weekly collection.
Great difficulty was experienced in carrying this out,
and many complaints were received from the inhabitants ;
the Contractor apparently did his best, but he alleged that
he had the greatest difficulty in getting workmen to perform
the work in the way required, they alleging that it took