Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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84
" Farringdon Street North.
*" Golden Lane.
" Holborn.
" Minories.
" Upper Thames Street.
" West Smithfield.
" Guildhall Buildings (not yet opened).
" Free Accommodation.
"At those marked with an asterisk free accommodation is provided
" for women only, and at Circus Place for children only.
"These conveniences are systematically inspected by your Women
"Sanitary Inspectors, and as a rule are found to be kept clean and in
"good sanitary condition.
"Marked improvement has been effected in some of them by the
"fixing of new gas stoves with suitable flues to carry off the products
" of combustion, and I understand that shortly all will be thus provided.
"Minor defects are reported to Mr. Engineer from time to time and
" dealt with by him.
"I have now to call your attention to the urgent necessity for
"increased free accommodation, and improvement in that already
"supplied.
"It is not necessary to enter into details as to the serious injury that
"may be inflicted upon women by the absence of lavatory accommodation.
"Suflice it is to state that serious and life-long trouble is at times the
"result of such absence. This has already been recognised and
"provision made wherever practicable.
"While the ill-results are far more serious in the case of women than
"of men for physiological reasons, yet with the exception of the two
"places above mentioned, no free accommodation is provided for them,
"and unfortunately, as long as payment is required, for many it is beyond
"reach.
"The largest class of woman for whom free accommodation is needed
"in the City is composed of girls who carry materials to and from the
"shops and places where the work is given out.
"The number of outworkers employed by City firms is considerable
"(already more than 7,000 have been registered), and of these only a
"very small proportion live in the City.
"These outworkers largely employ girls to carry the work to and fro,
"and these girls have frequently long distances to traverse, often carrying
"heavy weights. The nature of their employment entails upon them
"long waiting and need for haste on their return journey. For them no