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Report of the County Medical Officer—General. 67
Since the year 1909, when the Local Government Board issued its first Order requiring the notification
of phthisis, inquiry has been made with regard to 1,070 persons notified under the Orders and giving j
addresses at common lodging-houses licensed by the Council. Of this number 1,006 were males and ]
64 were females. The age distribution of 1,050 of these cases was as follows :—
0— 5— 10— 15— 20— 25— 35— 45— 55— 65—
1 2 1 10 26 160 279 344 184 43
As the result of inquiry information was obtained in respect of 906 of the patients as to whether
their illness began before or after they had resorted to this mode of living. Of the total (906) the
onset of illness was stated in 322 cases to date from a time prior to that when resort was made to
common lodging-houses, while in 76 other cases it was practically coincident with entry. As regards
cases developing after commencement of this mode of life, in 147 cases the illness was first manifested
before the expiration of three years; in 69 cases from three to five years ; in 134 cases in from five to
ten years; in 16 cases between ten and twenty years, and in 45 cases the illness developed after more
than twenty years of common lodging-house life.
The question as to the need of greater control being exercised over houses let in furnished rooms
to persons of the common lodging house class has been for some time under consideration. During
1912 the Council of the Royal Borough of Kensington appointed a Committee to inquire closely into
this subject with special reference to the Notting-dale area, and after investigation it was suggested
to the Local Government Board that legislation should be promoted to require keepers of such houses
to be licensed annually under conditions similar to those obtaining in the case of common lodging
houses. As a result the Board communicated with the County Council suggesting that the latter should
endeavour to deal with certain of the premises as common lodging houses which in the opinion of
the Board appeared to be used as such. The Council acted on this suggestion and selecting a group
of houses in Crescent-street, summoned the keeper for keeping a common lodging house without a
licence. The case came before the magistrate on 31st July, 1913, and was dismissed on the ground
that the premises were not used as a common lodging house, there being no community of eating or
sleeping accommodation. The Council appealed against this decision. The appeal came before
Justices Channell, Rowlatt and Atkin in the King's Bench Division on 13th December, 1913, but wras
dismissed, the magistrate's decision being upheld.
Seamen's lodging houses.
In July, 1901, the London County Council made by-laws under Section 214 of the Merchant
Shipping Act, 1894, for the inspection, sanitary condition and well ordering of seamen's lodging houses.
In 1909, after experience of their application, the by-laws were amended, a new series was issued and
came into force on 1st January, 1910. By an Order in Council dated 19th February, 1910, powers were
conferred on the County Council for the licensing of seamen's lodging houses. The first licensing
meeting was held in May of that year and since that date all such premises are annually licensed.
Phthisis in
common
lodginghouses.
Furnished
rooms.

23610
K 2