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166
The Disinfecting Oven.—Your late Medical Officer had drawn your attention
to the worn out condition of the oven, which had done duty for a long period, and on
coming into office, I reported to you that the action of the oven was very ineffectual,
and presented a report on the best kind of apparatus for this purpose. The General
Purposes and Sanitary Committee, having previously inspected one form, visited St.
Pancras parish and saw the system adopted there, and decided that the apparatus used
at the latter place, manufactured by Messrs. Goddard, Massey & Co., was the most
suitable for the requirements of this parish. At the same time they saw and approved
of the vans used by the St. Pancras Vestry for the purpose of taking bedding, &c., to
and from the Disinfecting Oven, and decided to recommend that two similar ones
should be obtained for use in Shoreditch.
A Shelter.—I also pointed out the necessity under which the Vestry was placed
of providing temporary shelter for the members of any family during the time they are
compelled to leave their dwellings for the purpose of enabling such dwellings to be
disinfected, but the necessary arrangements have not yet been able to be made.
Disinfectants. —From June 22nd to October 31st, three and a half tons of
disinfecting powder were distributed at the Town Hall to 7,298 applicants.
The Public Mortuary. — 346 bodies were received into the Mortuary during
the past year, of these nine were taken there at the instance of your Inspectors.
Vaccination.—I am indebted to the Vaccination Officer, Mr. C. H. Waterer,
for the following information in respect to vaccination in the Parish during 1891.
Between the 1st of January and December 31st 4,515 births were registered ; 504 died
without being vaccinated; of the remainder, 3,451 received certificates of successful
vaccination, leaving 560 unvaccinated, about one-ninth of the total births.
HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES ACT.
Since my appointment, it has been my duty to make representations under this
Act in reference to four groups of property. In none of the cases has recourse been had
to legal proceedings, as the desired object was, or is in process of being, attained.
(l.) Batll Place, Old Street.—This court, containing 10 small houses, had
previously been brought under the notice of the Vestry by Dr. Sutton, but no steps had
been taken, partly because the property in front had been taken down, allowing access
to both light and air. I reported in November that the houses were old and much
dilapidated structures, with very small back yards. Warehouses were then being
erected on the vacant ground, on the north side of the court, and had reached the
same height as the houses, and there was only three feet of clear passage-way between
the buildings. The houses were ordered to be closed under Sec. 32 of the Act; this has
now been done by the owner, to whom also the warehouse belongs, and the courtway
closed up.