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78
rooms without fireplaces were not originally built for human
habitation, but were attached to the tenements as lumber rooms
or as odd rooms.
In some places in the Borough it is found that tenements
which originally contained three rooms have been in recent years
converted into three one-roomed tenements. With this degradation
of the tenement the old-time lumber room comes to be
used as a living room and sleeping room.
It is extremely important that every room used for human
habitation should have a fireplace or means of communication
with the outer air in addition to the window frame.
Twenty-five bedrooms had dirty walls and ceilings. In 15
tenements the walls and bedding were verminous.
The kitchen.—In 219 instances, or 52 per cent, of the whole
number of cases the kitchen was being used as a living room
and a sleeping room.
This is one index of poverty, and also shows the difficulties
of accommodation which accrue in these poor households.
Sometimes the patient himself occupies the kitchen by day
and night.
The conditions found in the kitchens were as follows:—Fortysix
had dirty walls and ceilings, 16 were verminous, 6 were
damp, and in 9 houses the kitchen and feeding utensils were
extremely dirty.
The presence of dirt or vermin may be taken to connote carelessness,
and carelessness in the family of a consumptive means
increased risk of exposure for the rest of the family.
The House. —Thirteen houses in which cases occurred were
being used for the purpose of sale or manufacture of food as
follows :—Restaurants, 6 ; food preparation, 2 ; milkshops, 2;
public houses, 2 ; and sausage making one house. Three houses
were workshops.