IMPROVED HOUSES FOR THE POOR.

3

subtle reasoning, the most urgent appeals-even the positively bare-facedness of the question, will not arouse owners of house property, (whoever they may be,) to lay out a small sum, to produce, as is demonstrated, a good return in money, and what is still better, a large return in health, morality, and good conduct amongst the lodgers. Now, how is this to be done? Mr. Dickens states that it has been found to answer better in a pecuniary way, to improve old houses, than to build new ones: this may be true in many cases, but not so in all; because in many of the suburbs we may see, as in this parish, rows of small, mean houses, which no repairs would ever improve, -the rooms are too small. In the first place, these houses should be razed, and upon their site lofty piles might be erected, consisting of a series of large, wellventilated apartments, suited for the requirements of the class of people inhabiting the neighbourhood. As in the model lodging-houses, there might be common kitchens, and dining halls, for bachelors, a reading room, and other modern improvements which have been found to answer so admirably. However, this is principally addressed to owners of such houses, who can do what they like with their own, and who, if in each individual case these advantages were laid before them, might be induced to carry out such measures; but where legislation can step in-where there is any power vested in the authorities, then they should come forward and see that it is done. It is their duty; for, as I have said before, the first step to public hygiène, and not only that, but to every real improvement, political and moral, amongst the hum

bler classes, is to improve and make healthy, the habitations of all men. Let a woman have a clean, wellventilated, roomy apartment to live in; let her have a place where she can do her washing without producing the proverbial

"Row about the house
Upon the washing day,"

which is caused by want of space, and let there be decent accommodations attached to the premises, and she will take a pride in keeping the place clean and tidy; for there is an innate propensity in the female mind to order. The cottage of the farm labourer is proverbial for its cleanliness, and it may be equally so in London. If the husband of this woman finds that he has a nice room to return to after work, and that he does not by his entrance fill up the only vacant corner; that he does not fall over a wash-tub, or into a cradle, or any other of the disagreeables which may be expected by want of space; if he meets a welcome which a cleanly hearth can alone give him, and a wife contented with herself, and therefore with him, he will not wander into a public-house, as is now too often the case, and come home at any hour, drunk, perhaps to pound his wife to death, as is now apparently the every-day custom among a certain class; but will remain at home, giving his wife and children the benefit of his society, save the money he would otherwise have spent, and by rendering his children a good example, perhaps save them from ultimate ruin.

What is required to produce an apartment, or apartments, which shall answer all the requirements of a class, who can only afford to pay from two to five

shillings a week rent, and yet have the maximum of sanitary advantages?

There is little difficulty in answering this question theoretically, although there is much practically. In the first place, it is almost impossible to overcome the conflicting local interests; parties are always rising to oppose any improvements, from some narrow-minded fear that they will interfere with some petty interest: there is therefore required some compulsory central power, which can overrule any such opposition, either by compensation, or otherwise. Sir Benjamin Hall, in his recent Act, has made a very excellent step in this direction, which will doubtless be found to bear its fruits. Still, more is required, and more must be done, ere the question I have propounded can be answered, and carried out to its full extent.

To produce an apartment to pay the landlord, it must be one of many;-there must be therefore many similar. To be of varying rates of rent, some must be larger than others;-there must be classes of apartments to do this; there should be varying sizes, as they increase in height: we should therefore have the larger rooms on the basement, and decrease in size as we ascend. Say the house is three stories high,-—the basement will be 5s. per week, the first floor 4s., and so on until the top floor, or attics, 2s. per week. For 5s. and 4s. per week, two rooms might be allowed; for the other two sums, one room, of varying size.

THE SITUATION OR VENTILATION of the house must be first considered: There should be a free current of air both front and back; there should not be less than twenty feet free space before and behind

necessary.

every house intended for the habitation of human beings, and this should not be obstructed at either end by buildings, walls, &c.; that is to say, there should be a free circulating current between the lane, alley, or court in which the house is situated, and the adjoining street, or open space; this is actually The house itself should have passages running at certain intervals directly through it, so as to allow the air from one side to freely communicate with that on the other; the staircases and landings should be roomy. Having provided for the ventilation of the house, the next duty is to ventilate each apartment: the present plan is to allow the air to enter either at the door or window, and to rush up the chimney; this is only partial, and tends to create draughts, than which nothing is more fatal, causing more illness than even the want of ventilation altogether a draught of cold air upon a heated, enervated body may produce a common cold, rheumatism, pleurisy, lumbago,—in fact, almost anything, instantly, —whereas the effects of want of ventilation are slow, although not less sure to produce disease. If, as I have pointed out, the passages are properly ventilated, with a constant, flowing current, a few holes should be left all round the top of the room, communicating with the passages; the heated air will naturally flow out; the fresh air should be admitted from the top of the window, either by patent bricks, communicating with the external air, or by perforated glass window-panes. Small imperceptible currents will be constantly entering above the heads of the inhabitants, and by the law of diffusion of gases

will properly ventilate the whole room, without the least draught being observed: by this simple means, therefore, the ventilation of the rooms and of the house is provided for, and removed from the control of the inhabitants, requiring no attention, being selfacting. The lowest stories of a house we know to be the most affected, during the prevalence of infectious diseases: this is on account of the weight of the atmosphere, when loaded with moisture and malaria, which, as a fluid, will flow into underground apartments, and also to a certain height, above the level of the pavement. It has been noticed that the number and severity of cholera cases diminish according to the relative altitude of the house above low-water mark ; it is the same with all infectious diseases. A warm, moist, and still atmosphere is favourable to this class of diseases, and on these conditions the lower part of a house is sure to suffer first; and the less free ventilation there is, the more will the ova be fostered, and gladly remain in a nidus, where they flourish with the greatest luxuriance. We may assert, relative to the three forces-warmth, moisture, and a still atmosphere, that moisture attracts, and retains the ova; that a still atmosphere prevents their removal; and that heat increases their virulence, or activity of reproduction, when implanted in the nidus most suited for them, man. Therefore, on no account should cellars or underground rooms be inhabited, or rather slept in during the prevalence of any epidemic. The ingress of fresh air to rooms on the ground floor should not be from the level of the floor, but elevated a certain height; therefore the most favourable situation is the