HEALTH

Medical Officers.

Medical Officers were appointed under the Poor Law. They were  appointed to care for those who came within the remit  of that body . The posts were usually part-time and the duties carried out alongside their general practice.  In the early days Shardlow Union put these positions out to tender along with the butcher and the baker-a practice much deprecated by the medical practitioners of Derby who found it rather demeaning.  With the introduction of the new Sanitary Authorities provision was made, under s. 10 of the Public Health Act, 1872,  for the appointment of Medical Officers to serve the authority. Regulations detailing their extensive duties are in the London Gazette on the 15^th November 1872.[1]  Their brief, amongst other things, was to keep themselves fully up to date with health matters in the district and to take action in the case of infectious diseases. They were to advise the authority on all matters of health and to supervise the Inspector of Nuisances. The first Medical Officer appointed by the Rural Sanitary Authority was Dr. Walter MacKern.[2]  Dr. MacKern resigned in July 1876 claiming the pressure of private practice as the reason. It could also have been due to the fact that his promised salary of 200 guineas was progressively reduced to £150 per annum and then to £100 per annum.  When Rural District Councils were set up Shardlow and  Stapleford shared a Medical Officer-Mr C Harwood-and Stapleford contributed £10 towards his salary[3] whilst Shardlow contributed £75.[4]

Inspector of Nuisances

Inspectors of  Nuisances were also appointed under s. 10 of the Public Health Act, 1872. Their duties were detailed in the London Gazette of the 15^th November 1872.[5]  They worked with the Medical Officer and their duties were to keep themselves informed in respect of nuisances that required abatement under the Sanitary Acts. Since they were appointed under the Sanitary Acts their main concern was with matters affecting health. Typical of his activities were checks on the  pollution of the water supply, quality of food being sold,  offensive businesses and infectious diseases. The first Inspector of Nuisances appointed by the Rural Sanitary Authority was Mr Joseph Bullock. [6]There were 60 applications when the post was advertised.  When Rural District Councils were set up Shardlow and  Stapleford shared an Inspector of Nuisances – Mr. H Foreman-and Stapleford contributed £20 towards his salary[7] whilst Shardlow contributed £170.[8]

Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

In 1836 an Act was passed instructing the Poor Law Unions to appoint Superintendent Registrars for the registration of births, deaths and marriages. They were empowered to divide their Union into districts and to appoint Registrars for each of the districts. Stapleford was in the Stapleford District along with Dale Abbey, Stanton by Dale, Sandiacre, Bramcote, Risley, Chilwell, Toton, Long Eaton, Breaston and Sawley.  In August 1837 Joseph Wright Cade, a surgeon from Breaston, was appointed the first Registrar for the Stapleford District. Registration was not compulsory until 1875. In April 1935 the parishes of Bramcote, Stapleford, Toton  were transferred to Basford Registration District.

Vaccination

The 1840 Vaccination Act made it lawful for the Guardians of the Poor Law Union to contract with their Medical Officers to vaccinate people in their areas.[9] In 1853 vaccination became compulsory.[10] By Acts of 1898 and 1907 parents were allowed to conscientiously object to vaccination by making a declaration that they believed that vaccination was injurious to the health of their child. In 1902 the Stapleford Rural District Council passed a resolution urging the Government to remove the conscientious objection clause in the 1898 Act.[11]  In 1929 the functions of the Poor Law Unions in respect of vaccination were passed to the County Council as part of their health responsibilities. [12]

Officers of the Shardlow Rural District Council.

The Shardlow Rural Sanitary District employed four officers. These were the Clerk, the Medical Officer, the Inspector of Nuisances and the Inspector of Narrow Boats. They continued to be employed by the Districts jointly and it was agreed that each District should make the following contribution towards their salaries:-

The Clerk, Medical Officer and Inspector of Canal Boats were part time. The Inspector of Nuisances was full time.

The only waterway that is navigable in the Stapleford Rural District is the Trent as it passes south of  Toton. The Inspector’s report to Stapleford RDC always states that it is not possible to inspect boats as they pass through the Stapleford RDC but that he does it at Shardlow. The picture is conjured up of dirty, unhygienic and overloaded canal boats passing with impunity through Stapleford RDC only to meet their nemesis in the shape of the Inspector’s alter ego at Shardlow