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 Leyton]
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out a house-to-house survey of all houses in the area in order to
determine and record in respect of each house:—
(a) Whether it is empty;
(b) If occupied—
(1) The number of families and of persons in each family.
(2) The number of rooms occupied by each family.
The information obtained was scheduled on Form A, to which the following standards laid down in the Act were applied.
Number of Habitable Rooms. | Permitted Number. | |
---|---|---|
Actual. | Reduced. | |
1 | 2 | l½ |
2 | 3 | 2½ |
3 | 5 | 4 |
4 | 7½ | 6 |
5 | 10 | 8 |
6 | 12 | 9½ |
7 | 14 | 11 |
8 | 16 | 13 |
The above table is based on the assumption that in the ordinary
dwelling some of the rooms will be below 110 square feet in area;
and that consequently the permitted number ascertained solely
from number of rooms without regard to their size would normally
be in excess of the exact permitted number. The allowance for
this factor in the table is about one-fifth.
In cases where the number of persons in occupation was greater
than the permitted number allowed in Table I (i.e., definite overcrowding)
the particulars were transferred to Form B for further
inspection and measurement of the rooms. This procedure was
adopted also in all cases where the families, though not overcrowded
when regard is had solely to the number of rooms occupied,
would nevertheless be found to infringe the standard if based on the
assumption that some of the rooms were below 110 square feet in
area.
The preliminary survey was completed on 30th January, it
having taken just over four weeks to enumerate 26,608 houses.
Overcrowding Survey.
On 3rd January 7 survey assistants commenced duty. Their
work was to inspect all houses which had been found on the preliminary
survey to be either "definitely overcrowded" or "possibly