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3
Observations of the Sanitary Committee of
the Lambeth Vestry.
interior walls all clean ; drainage down the back;
water supply in all cases direct from the main, and
the paving good throughout the court.
Bedford-cottages.—A damp cupboard, caused by
absence of ventilation in external wall.
Bloxam's-buildings.—Here Dr. Hamer visited
3 of 14 houses. The vestry took action months
ago. A new sewer was constructed with a manhole
for cleansing purposes. The owners were
called upon to put the premises in order, and some
had already complied with the order. Dr. Hamer
makes no mention of this in his report!
Hamilton-road.—Four houses visited out of 18;
defective water supply to w.c. in one; dirty closet
with broken pan in another; yard paving defective
in the third ; no defects in the fourth.
The above places are condemned by Dr. Hamer
as " particularly conspicuous for number of
defects," and they are fair samples of the whole
list.
The Retreat.—Three houses only visited out of
14 houses ; some of the water closets were without
water owing to trifling defects in fittings.
Comments by the Medical Officer.
were found to be without water supply. Three
houses were unprovided with a receptacle for house
refuse, and in one case the receptacle was overflowing
and house refuse was littered over the
yard. Several instances of dilapidated conditions
are noted. In No. 4 a man, his wife, and three
children under 12 years of age were living and
sleeping in the first floor back room (less than
1,000 cubic feet in capacity), and a man, his wife,
one child over 12, and three children under 12
were living and sleeping in the first floor front
room (about 1,000 cubic feet in capacity). In No.
6 a man, his wife, and two children were living and
sleeping in the ground floor front room (800 cubic
feet in capacity). I deal in detail in my report
with No. 11, because it impressed me as a house
especially wanting careful inspection and remedy
of the conditions existing therein.
Bedford-cottages.—These cottages are approached
by a four foot passage-way, and the ground floor
rooms are darkened by the wall opposite them.
My notes show that the yard paving was defective
in two of the houses, the water-closet pan in
No. 4 was in a foul condition, there was overcrowding
in three rooms which I visited, and the
ground floor room in No. 6 was very damp, so
damp that the occupier said they " could not use
it for the children to sleep in."
Bloxam's-bxiildings.— A cul de sac ; the houses
are below the level of the central path-way, and
complaint is made that the ground floor rooms are
flooded when it rains. The buildings consist of
14 two-storey cottages which are old, have damp
walls, and are very dilapidated, they have no space
at the rear, and are thus without through ventilation,
save for an opening which has been made on
the staircase. The six houses of which I made
detailed notes were taken quite at random.
No. 2 was dilapidated, and the back wall of the
ground floor room showed evidence of dampness.
No. 5. The rooms were in a very dirty and
dilapidated condition, there was a hole in the
ceiling of one of the rooms.
No. 7. The back wall damp, the roof defective,
several conditions of dilapidation.
No. 9, Ground floor room overcrowded, floor
boards defective, damp walls, roof defective.
No. 10. Roof defective—water-closet pan foul.
No. 12. Damp ground floor rooms—defective
roof.
Complaint was made of the smell caused by the
fact that three of the dust receptacles were not
provided with covers.
The Retreat.—A cul de sac containing 14 twostorey
cottages ; those on the left on entering have
small yards, those on the right have not, though
in some instances means of access to the back of
the cottages have been made by the occupiers.
The rooms of Nos. 7 and 8 were noted as being in
a particularly dirty condition ; a room in No. 3
was overcrowded. At No. 13 the dust receptacle
had no cover. Four water-closets were found to
be without a supply of water for flushing purposes.
Hamilton-road.—These houses have no through
ventilation save such as is afforded by an inlet
provided on the staircase. Those which I visited
were taken quite at random. I found them let
out in tenements, and much in need of the
systematic enforcement of by - laws regulating
houses let in lodgings. The rooms of No. 6 were
very dirty, and No. 13 was a particularly dirty and