View report page

70
Schools throughout 9
„ cloak-rooms 19
Library books 105
Cases removed to the Chingford Sanatorium 291
„ „ „ Metropolitan Asylums
Board Hospitals 6
,, „ „ London Fever Hospital 2
Overcrowding.—It will be noticed that 56 cases of overcrowding
have been met with in the course of our inspection. In some few
cases, this has been caused by some kindly disposed person affording
house room to an even poorer neighbour evicted from their home from
inability to pay rent, in other cases from sheer inability to pay more
rent than the parents were paying, and in still others from pure carelessness
and non-recognition of possible ill results. In every case the overcrowding
has been abated in the former cases by means of a liberal
allowance of time to secure better accommodation, provided the
premises were made and kept clean. Want of cleanliness is an almost
invariable accompaniment to overcrowding. I have reason to believe
that the abatement in each case has been real, and not merely a
transference to similar conditions in another house.
Dampness in House.—This condition usually arises from one or
other of two causes, viz., the non-water-tight condition of roof and
rain water pipes, or want of proper damp-proof courses to the walls,
with dampness of the sites. The latter is found in the older houses
and in 10 houses new damp-proof courses have been provided to
remedy this defect. In almost all cases the remedy proposed by the
owner is to face the wall inside with matched boarding or other material,
but I invariably refuse to accept such a method of dealing with it as the
effect is merely to hide the defect and is no remedy. In the former
cases it will be seen that 249 gutters have been repaired or renewed,
233 roofs repaired or renewed, 185 rain water pipes renewed or repaired,
14 sites concreted and 419 yards and forecourts paved and drained.
Stable Premises.—Special inspection has been made during the
year of 233 premises in which horses are known to be kept, particularly
with reference to the presence of rats which are frequently to be found
in such premises, generally due to untrapped openings in the drains.
It was satisfactory to find that only 10 places were so infested, and the
drains being found defective, were at once repaired and the evil
remedied.
A second cause of frequent complaint associated with stable premises
is the presence of flies, especially in warm weather. This is due to the
fact that accumulation of refuse, especially stables manure, form a
suitable breeding place, and the usual suggestion for remedy is to clear
the refuse away at least once a week.
It is, however, necessary that the place of deposit be so constructed
as to permit an easy cleansing on each occasion of its being emptied,