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 Woolwich]
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tation under Section 32 of the Housing of the Working Classes
Act, viz., 61 & 63 High Street, Woolwich, 51 & 51a Beresford
Street, 191, 193 & 199, Albert Road, North Woolwich, 2 Davey's
Place, North Woolwich, and 1 & 4 Dingley Cottages, Abbey
Wood. No notices were served under the Housing of the
Working Classes Act. For seven houses, notices were served
under the Public Health (London) Act. 61 & 63 High Street
were demolished without the service of notices, and the owner
undertook to demolish No. 2 Davey's Place, which was already
vacated. The Albert Eoad houses, and Dingley Cottages, were
very damp, and damp-proof courses and concreted sites were
put in. The Albert Eoad houses were vacated duiing the
work, but in Dingley Cottages the tenants continued occupation.
North Woohvich—Concreted Sites. I have previously
reported on the high death rates which prevail in North
Woolwich compared with other parts of the Borough. In pursuance
of enquiries as to the cause of these high death rates, I
have endeavoured to investigate the connection of the entrance
of ground water into the houses, with health.
I reported previously that, in all probability, the fact that
North Woolwich is situated on low-lying ground in which the
level of the ground water is very high, had a good deal to do
with the unhealthiness of the district. If this is the case it is
obvious that an impermeable layer of concrete on the sites of
the houses would diminish the unhealthiness of persons living
in the district.
In 1891 by-laws were made by the London County Council,
one of which required that the site of every house or building
should be covered with a layer of good concrete, at least 6 in.
thick, and smooth on the upper surface; the concrete must be
composed of clean gravel, broken hard brick properly burned,