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98
of its lease or likely to be acquired for the purpose of an improvement
scheme tends to a laxity in the way in which it is kept, so that repairs,
cleanliness, and general supervision are apt to be neglected. This may
account for the high mortality of St. John's Ward to a certain extent,
but not for all of it. It is sometimes assumed that the position of
St. John's Ward near the river, and built on what was originally marsh
land, is responsible for higher death-rates than other more favourably
situated districts, but the experience of the various blocks of model
buildings in the ward shows that it is not, so much the site as the
suitability of the buildings upon it and their mode of use. The state
of affairs brought out by this survey shows the pressing need there is
for better supervision of what may be called domestic hygiene as
compared with municipal hygiene. The appointment of women
inspectors for this purpose and the enforcement thereby of the by-laws
for houses let in lodgings are clearly indicated as necessary here to
obtain a more intimate knowledge of individual conditions. Notification
of cases of consumption must also prove a valuable adjunct when more
fully utilised than it is at present.

No. 23 calls for some details; of the 15 deaths, 7 occurred in
connection with Parker Street, and 4 (in 1901 and 1902) with Lewisham
Street. Parker Street consists of very old houses, which have been cut
up into small tenements, and have now reached a stage when they
should be pulled down, and it is probable that this will happen during
1904.
No. 25 contains a small common lodging-house (86 beds, 2 deaths),
now closed, and Wellington Barracks (1,197 men, 5 deaths), deducting
these gives a population of 1,149 with 7 deaths, with a rate of 161.
Six of these deaths occurred in one block of dwellings with a population
of about 600, which gives a rather high rate (333) for this class of
property.