London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1904

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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67
The decrease in the number of common lodging houses shown above is in part explained by the
fact that in some degree small houses are being replaced by large and in part by the inclusion in one
licence of two or more houses orginally separate, but which have had communications made between
them, practically making them into one building.
In the year 1904 proceedings before the magistrate were instituted in 15 instances, resulting
in 14 convictions, the penalties amounting to £47 18s. Id., with costs amounting to £14 83.
In addition to the number of inspections mentioned in the table, there were 1,196 day and 112
night visits to houses suspected of being used as common lodging houses.
The number of cases of notifiable infectious disease reported in common lodging houses was as
follows :—Smallpox, 45; erysipelas, 11; diphtheria, 5; scarlet fever, 4; enteric fever, 1; total, 66.
In my annual reports for the years 1902 and 1903 I have referred to the passing of the London
County Council (General Powers) Act, 1902, of which Part IX. gave power to the Council to license
common lodging houses annually. During the year 1904 the work of inspecting these houses, and reporting
upon the adequacy of means of escape in case of fire, has made considerable progress, and at the end of
the year practically every house had been dealt with and lists of requirements served upon the respective
keepers. Thes3 requirements in many instances were not completed at the time of the adjourned
licencing meeting on 13th October, 1904, and consideration of the matter was further adjourned until
January 27th, 1905, in order to give keepers the opportunity of carrying out the work.
The following table shows the total number of licensed and unlicensed common lodging houses,
and the authorised accommodation for the different classes of lodgers in the several sanitary districts
of London, other than that of the City, on December 31st, 1904.

Total number of licensed and unlicensed common lodging houses in the several sanitary districts of London on December 31st, 1904:-

Sanitary district.No. of houses.Authorise 1 accommodation.
Men.Women.Couples.Total.
Battersea91777623299
Bermondsey6889--889
Bethnal Green16737--737
Camberwell6543--543
Chelsea933952-391
Deptford7450--450
Finsbury7503--503
Fulham2GO--60
Greenwich5175--175
Hackney6397--397
Hammersmith945494471
Hampstead-----
Holborn391,965403-2,368
Islington421,175217161,424
Kensington2838326876803
Lambeth10739--739
Lewisham130--30
Paddington81953119264
Poplar111,250--1,250
St. Marylebone201,5187-1,525
St. Pancras15892144-1,036
Shoreditch12734--734
Southwark513,65842944,095
StepDey725,7006972286,853
Stoke Newington137--37
Wandsworth10164-27218
Westminster, City of211,92475-1,999
Woolwich285144225606
London-excluding the City45125,6022,45042228,896

With a view to comparing the mortality of the male inmates of common lodging houses with that
of the male population of London, the following Table I. has been prepared. For this purpose the deaths
of persons removed from common lodging houses to infirmaries and other like public institutions have
been included with those which actually occurred in these houses. The population of common lodging
houses is, however, variable, and rates calculated upon it are necessarily open to objection. Table II.
has therefore been prepared showing the proportion of deaths from several causes of mortality per 1,000
of total deaths and in common lodging houses, the corresponding figures for London being shewn for
comparative purposes.