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
City of London 1920
Report of the Medical Officer of Health of the City of London for the year 1920
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REGISTERED LODGING-HOUSES.
Public Health (London) Act, 1891, Sec. 94.
The Corporation, as the Sanitary Authority in the Citv, are required, under the
provisions of Sec. 94 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, to make and enforce
Bye-laws applying to houses let in lodgings or occupied by members of more than
one family for the following purposes:—
For regulating the number of persons and separation of the sexes.
For the registration and inspection of such houses.
For enforcing drainage and promoting cleanliness and ventilation.
For the cleansing and limewashing of the premises at stated times.
For the taking of precautions in any case of infectious disease.
The Bve-laws now in force in the City for this class of property were made by
the Court of Common Council on 24th November. 1904, and confirmed by the Local
Government Board on the 20th January, 1905.
Unfurnished lodgings, when the rent is not less than 10s. a week, and furnished
lodgings when the rent is not less than 12s. 6d. a week, are exempt from the operations
of the Bve-laws.
Particulars relating to the registered Lodging-houses in the City now on the
Register are given in the accompanying table, together with the corresponding figures
for 1900:—
These houses are periodically inspected, and in April of each year the owners
are called upon to carry out a thorough cleansing of them, in accordance with the
provisions of Bve-laws. This necessitated the service of 203 Notices during 1920.