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

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St Martin-in-the-Fields 1900

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Martin-in-the-Fields]

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7
The Local Government Board ordered plague to be classed
amongst the notifiable diseases, and accordingly I addressed letters
to all legally qualified Medical Practitioners in the district informing
them of their duties under this regulation.
Housing of the Working Classes.
The late Vestry of St. Martin-in-the-Fields requested me to
report upon the sanitary condition of Turner's Court, with a view
of dealing with it under the Housing of the Working Classes Act,
1890. The following is a copy of the Report:—
The Vestry of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
The Report of the Medical Officer of Health upon the sanitary
condition of Turner's Court.
To the Members of the Housing of the Working Classes Committee.
Gentlemen,
In accordance with your request that I should submit a Report
on the sanitary condition of Turner's Court, in order that action
may be taken under the Housing of the Working Classes Act,
1890, I beg to submit the following particulars:—
Turner's Court is situated on the east side of St. Martin's Lane,
and is approached from that thoroughfare by a narrow entrance of
about 4' 3" in width, extending as far as No. 4, when the Court
widens out, and eventually ends in Bedfordbury.
The Court consists of 11 houses and accommodates about 155
persons, of a very poor class, and who are very destructive and not
very cleanly in their habits.
The houses 1 to 4, situated in the narrow part of the Court, the
lower rooms of which are dark, owing to a high wall in front of
them, thus rendering light and air difficult of access. The other
houses, 7 in number, are not quite so confined.
The houses generally are old, and to keep them in anything
like a habitable condition, constant supervision is necessary.