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
Shoreditch 1891
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch, Parish of St. Leonard]
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The Committee have engaged the services of Mr. John Robinson as their superintendent, who was previously very successful at Deptford in a similar position, and their full staff for the work of the whole parish consists of
| Wharf staff (287, Kingsland Road) | 4 | |
| Horsekeepers | 2 | (1 night and 1 day) |
| Wheelwrights | 1 | |
| Farriers | 2 | |
| Shoot-men | 2 | (1 night and 1 day) |
| Watering inspector | 1 | Summer months only, between 25th March and 30th Sept. |
| Scavengers | 32 | excluding extra force for footways in wet weather. |
| Gullymen | 4 | |
| Carmen | 37 | |
| ,, extra | 4 | when watering. |
| Dust carriers | 14 | |
| Boy | 1 | |
| Men at Reliance Wharf | 4 | including night watchman. |
| „ De Beauvoir | 1 | night watchman. |
| Total | 109 |
The Committee have purchased 37 horses and 37 carts and vans, 6 sweeping
machines, and 1 snow plough, which are sufficient for the whole parish.
A contract for the disposal of refuse by barge was entered into with Messrs. G. A. &
A. Fuller at 3/3 per ton which price is to be reduced to 3/- per ton if the contract
is continued for three years. The canal dues of 1/- per ton are included in this
price and make it a very heavy charge on the scheme.
During the six months between Michaelmas, 18(Jl, and Lady-day, 1892, there
has been removed from the Eastern Division:—
331) cart loads of Trade Refuse
3,957 van „ of Slops, &c.
3,138 „ ., of Dust
of which 190-tons 13-cwt. have been disposed of by rail, and 9,904 tons by barge.
An arrangement was made with the Great Eastern Railway for disposing of
dry dust and refuse at their Spitalfields depot for 2/- a ton, but as the Company
could not guarantee to take refuse as a permanent arrangement the committee could
not rely much on this means of disposal, and as shoots have been in course of
erection at the depot they have been unable to avail themselves to any great extent
of this arrangement.