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surveyed again under the direction of the Medical Officer of Health of the
Borough and, as was to be expected, the second survey was not made easy
by the inhabitants, who naturally objected to what was considered by them
to be a useless and unnecessary second invasion of their privacy. However,
by tact and persuasion, every house has been minutely surveyed without
recourse to compulsion, although much time was wasted in the process.
The Fount Street Area is situated on the north side of Wandsworth Road,
immediately to the west of the Hemans Street Area. The ground is low lying
and waterlogged to a few feet below the surface and the subsoil consists
largely of river mud. The dwelling-houses are badly arranged in that,
although the width of the streets other than Springfield Place is adequate,
yet the site of each house is small, with the result that the houses are badly
congested and some in principle are back to back. The backyards are in
general below the standard of the London Building Act, causing a lack of
air space and ventilation at the rear of the houses as well as darkness.
There is an entire absence of horizontal damp-proof courses in the houses,
and in consequence in such a low-lying position, rising dampness in the
ground-floor rooms is prevalent. Moreover, the houses are badly arranged
inside with unventilated and unlighted passages and staircases ; the water
closets are in almost all cases approached from the house through the yard,
and are unlighted and inadequate ; the sinks are unsuitable in many instances;
there is no accommodation for personal washing, and that for the washing
and drying of clothes in many is inadequate ; the facilities for preparing
and cooking food are meagre, and there is almost an entire absence of wellventilated
stores for food. In addition, every house is infested with cimex
lectularius, the bed- or house-bug.
The brickwork is generally worn, decayed and bulged, with many settlements
and the roofs also are old and defective, with consequential penetrating
dampness. Externally and internally the woodwork in general is worn and
decayed.
The principal grounds from which the conclusion is reached that the
dwelling-houses are unfit for human habitation are:—
(1) Bad arrangement on the site.
(2) Bad internal arrangement.
(3) Sanitary defects :—
(а) Lack of air space.
(b) Lack of ventilation.
(e) Darkness.
(d) Dampness.
(e) Inadequate and not easily accessible water supply and
washing accommodation.
(f) Inadequate and defective outdoor sanitary accommodation.
(g) Absence of adequate store for food.
(h) Yard paving defective.
(4) Disrepair:—.
(a) Externally : Brickwork, woodwork, roof.
(b) Internally : Ceilings, floors, woodwork in general.
(5) The houses are infested with vermin, many seriously.