London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Erith 1913
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Erith]
This page requires JavaScript
20
good many cases the dilapidations are due to the tenants
themselves, and houses which have been put into good
condition have become in a short time almost as bad as
before through the carelessness and dirtiness of the
tenant; soap and water are cheap enough, but in many
cases the use of them seems to be regarded as superfluous.
Nineteen houses were represented by me as unfit for human habitation, and Closing Orders were made in 14 cases.
| Houses Represented. | Whether C. O. made or not. | Result. |
|---|---|---|
| Orient Cottages, 7 Houses | C.O. made | Houses thoroughly renovated |
| 9, High Street | C.O. made | House thoroughly renovated |
| 95, 95a and 97, High Street | C.O. made | Demolition order made |
| Bedonwell Road | C.O. made | House demolished |
| Abbey Wood Marshes (2 huts) | C.O. made | |
| Albert Road (4 houses) | C.O. not made | Houses renovated by owner |
| University Place (1 house) | C.O. not made | Owner has agreed to do necessary work. |
In addition to the above houses a number of houses
which were dilapidated have been put into good repair
by the owners on their attention being called to the defects
by letter. These were not considered to be unfit for
habitation, but their condition was such as to be seriously
detrimental to the health of the tenants, or to be a
nuisance.
A table showing the Inspections made under the
Housing (Inspection of District) Regulations of the Local
Government Board is appended, which also shows the
defects found and number of notices served.
Water Supply.
In 437 houses, some defect in this was found. In
the large majority of these cases the drinking water was
obtained from a cistern which had no proper cover to
prevent the access of dust to the water; in many cases
also the cistern was found to be fixed in an unsuitable
position, such as in an outhouse communicating with a
water closet, in the floor of a bedroom, or so close to the
ceiling of a scullery that it was impossible to obtain ac-