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24
During a correspondence on this subject in The Timet,
the following letter of mine appeared: —
"The last paragraph of Dr. Poore's letter in The Times
of the 23rd inst., gives me the opportunity of pointing
out that there is a more serious danger to the health of
Londoners than any inadequate provision of By-laws
with regard to the curtilage of houses, and that is that
by the London Building Act of 1894, anyone whore-builds
a house abutting on an old street (i.e., on any street
existing in London at the time of the passing of that
Act) may cover in the whole area of the site to a height of
16 feet above the level of the adjoining pavement, that is to
say so as to include the Basement and the Ground Floor,
and perhaps a low Mezzanine Floor as well, thus making
it impossible for these floors to be adequately ventilated
and rendering nugatory several of the By-laws of the
London County Council made under the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, in order to ensure proper sanitary
arrangements in houses.
One cannot contemplate without dismay the prospect
of the closing in of all open areas, both in front of and
behind houses in London streets, and I trust it is not too
much to hope that the London Building Act may be
amended in this respect before many years are over."
In December, 1897, I submitted to you the following
Report on the admission of Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever
Patients into the wards of general hospitals:—
"I have considered the question which you have
referred to me as to whether it is desirable or not that
patients suffering from Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever,
should be admitted into the general hospitals 'not
specially constructed and conducted with a view to
isolating and treating infectious diseases.'