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157
1. Cleanliness.—The whole of the premises should be kept
scrupulously clean by the periodical cleansing of rooms, stairs,
passages and yards.
2. Foul Smells.—These must be removed. Very often they
arise from neglected sinks, gullies, foul w.c. pans, or accumulations
in the dust-bins. The sinks and gullies should be cleaned occasionally
with hot soda water and flushed with water regularly, the pans
must be cleaned with a little acid, and the foul dust-bins will be
emptied on application to the Town Hall, Hackney. Foul water
and slops often accumulate in defective paving. The paving should
be repaired.
3. Ventilation.—Want of ventilation gives rise to a stuffiness of
the home, which has a bad effect upon the health of the inmates,
especially infants. It is, therefore, necessary to keep the windows
of the rooms open some portion of the day. Bedrooms require
special attention. Bedclothes should be freely exposed to the air
before the beds are made up for sleeping, the windows being left
open for this purpose. Fire-places and chimneys should not be
closed or blocked up as they act as ventilators to the rooms. In
most cases one or more windows of the bedrooms should be kept
slightly open all night. There are several simple contrivances to
effect this without causing draughts. Cupboards where food is
stored should always be well lighted, ventilated, and free from bad
smells.
4. Overcrowding.—This leads to the same results as want of
ventilation, and to accidents such as overlaying when children are
compelled to sleep in the same bed with their parents. This should
never be allowed; a cot, or substitute for one, should be provided at
the side of the mother's bed for the infant, and handy for her to
attend to the child during the night.
5. Other insanitary conditions, which the tenant cannot deal
with, should be reported to the Public Health Department, Town
Hall.