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
Southwark 1937
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, Borough of]
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| 2,769 | |
| (2) Number of families dwelling therein | 2,769 |
| (3) Number of persons dwelling therein | 16,559 |
| 446 | |
| (c) (1) Number of cases of overcrowding relieved during the year | 1,424 |
| (2) Number of persons concerned in such cases | 8,528 |
In addition to the visits enumerated in the above table 20,000 houses
were visited by the Sanitary Inspectors for the purpose of taking measurements
under the Overcrowding Survey.
TENEMENT BUILDINGS.
At the end of 1936 there were 154 tenement buildings containing
9,014 separate dwellings. During the past year 11 blocks of tenements
have been erected containing 396 separate dwellings.
Much constructional work has been carried out during the year in
the provision of new soil pipes, sinks, and sink waste pipes.
Many of these buildings were erected between 60 and 70 years ago,
and at that time were considered to be the best method of dealing with
the housing problem. They were very substantially built, and no complaint
can be made in regard to the structure. The chief defects are:
(1) severe congestion causing dark rooms; (2) communal sanitary conveniences
causing many offensive nuisances and requiring a very large
amount of supervision: (3) obsolete brick-built dust shoots which have
become very foul internally.