View report page

74
Illustrative Cases. -
1.—The family, consisting of the father, mother and three
children, 8 years, 6 years and 4 years, occupied a two-roomed
tenement. The father was ill with phthisis and out of work; the
mother was a box maker before marriage, but was now a charwoman.
The children slept in the back room. The father was
unable to enter the Infirmary because the mother went out to
work at 5 p.m. and returned home at 11 p.m., so that during
these hours the children would be without supervision.
2.—A woman, a spinster, 72 years, feeble and short of breath,
suffering from phthisis, lived in a one-roomed tenement on the
top floor. The patient was exceedingly dirty and verminous, and
too weak to carry water for washing to her room—the furniture
and bedding were filthy and verminous. She paid 4s. per week
rent. She had three pennyworth of meat and some vegetables
on Sundays only : she lived on bread and butter, coffee or tea
during the rest of the week. She had no money for washing or
cleaning : she lived on her old age pension. She formerly worked
as a dressmaker—she was referred for help to one of the churches.
3.—A family consisted of the mother, boys 18, 12 and 7 years,
girls 16 and 14 years. They lived in a three-roomed tenement which
was extremely dark, necessitating the constant use of artificial
light. The boy 18, suffering from phthisis, was sent to a convalescent
home, but discharged himself at the end of two weeks,
dissatisfied with the restrictions imposed, and because he worried
about his mother. The earnings of the family were as follows :—
The mother, 6s. to 7s. per week as a charwoman; the girl 16,
4s. 6d. per week; the girl 14, 5s. per week; the husband and
three other daughters had died of phthisis.
4.—A father, mother and eight children, girls 15, 10, 8, 6,
boys 14, 12, 4 and 2 years, lived in a two^roomed tenement. The
father was phthisical and went into the infirmary. The mother,
shortly about to be confined, was making cardboard boxes at
home. She received 8s. 6d. and two loaves weekly from the
Poor Law.