Metropolitan workhouse infirmaries, &c. : Copy of the report of Dr. Edward Smith, Poor Law inspector and medical officer to the Poor Law Board, on the Metropolitan Workhouse infirmaries and sick wards / (Viscount Enfield).

  • Edward Smith
Date:
1866
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Metropolitan workhouse infirmaries, &c. : Copy of the report of Dr. Edward Smith, Poor Law inspector and medical officer to the Poor Law Board, on the Metropolitan Workhouse infirmaries and sick wards / (Viscount Enfield). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    190/218 page 190
    Appendix. Hence it appears that the usual floor space and cubical space in the wards for adults in ..j p the infirmary are 40 to 45 superficial feet, and 457 to 648 cubic feet, and in the body of ethnal reen. work|lousej 33 to 33 superficial feet, and 377 to 889 cubic feet, in the rooms which are built into the roof. Two rooms offer greater cubical space, and one less than 400 cubic feet. No less than 10 of 42 wards afford less cubical space to each bed than is required by the poor Law Board. General character of The size and general appearance of ihe wards are, upon the whole, not unsatisfactory, Wards. except in being much too narrow. The main body of the workhouse has a wide corridor, on each side of which the wards are placed. Hence the outer windows can be only on one side; but there are ventilating windows on the other side which open to the corridor. The corridor is wide ; and the two upper ones are light and fairly airy; so that they are most valuable as ventilators, and might, when properly fitted up, be of the greatest service as exercise grounds. The lower corridor is much darker; and, in my opinion, it is essential that more light and air should be admitted by a large window at the end, and by cross corridors, with large windows at each end, in the places which I have pointed out. The infirmary buildings are of two or three dates ; and exhibit certain differences in construction. Those proceeding from the main building at right angles, and by another right angle forming two sides of a square, are of one room deep; and have therefore not only outer windows of the usual size on one side ; but some windows, however small, on the opposite side. Additional windows are, however, required in many of these rooms. The infirmary has only two stories; and the upper one, like the third story in the main build- ing, being built into the roof, has lofty rooms. The rooms which are occupied by the imbeciles,and the lying-in wards on the ground floor in the main building, are much less satisfactory. They are very small; and although on the inner side there are new ventilating windows, which look into the corridor, the corridor itself is dark, and adds little or nothing to the lightness of the rooms. The rooms which have been recently appropriated to the sick in the lodge are much too small to be permanently used for that purpose ; and if fit at all, are only fitted for the use of a much smaller number than are now placed there. It is, however, understood that this is only a temporary arrangement, and those wards should be closed. The workhouse is known to be overcrowded ; and the Guardians have already seriously considered plans for enlarging the infirmary. Bedding and Furni- The bedding is almost universally a flock bed on iron bedsteads, with either iron laths or ligid iron plates. In numerous instances the beds are insufficiently filled ; and in none is the flock teazed, and kept in as soft a state as js desirable. As the Crimean bedsteads with their rigid bottoms have been largely introduced into this workhouse, it is very im portant that the beds should be full and soft; and improvement should be effected syste- matically in this matter. It would be much better to place mattresses, or at least a layer of cocoa-fibre matting under each flock bed. The bed coverings appear to be good and suffi- cient. A few hair mattresses are supplied to the inmates, but more are needed. There is a great deficiency of furniture and of comforts under that head. There are no dressers, lockers, looking-glasses, or book-shelves. The chairs, and particularly arm chairs, are too few in number. There are not any rocking-chairs in the nurseries or lying- in wards. One to three roller towels are supplied twice a week. We were informed that they could be changed daily, if necessary; but even now they are often returned almost clean. Some of the patients have small towels; but none have been supplied by the Guardians. One or two combs were found in most of the wards ; but in some the Guardians had not provided any. Most of the inmates had their own combs. No brushes are supplied ; and but very few are possessed by the inmates. Soap is allowed to the ward, and not to each inmate. There were said to be some illustrated papers, but we did not find any. There were a few books in the wards. No prints are upon the walls; and the walls are universally white. A few capes are provided; and more capes and woollen nightgowns are being prepared. The deficiency of water-closets, baths, and lavatories, has already been mentioned. Many of these deficiencies have already been considered by the guardians, and are in course of removal. Cleanliness was universal. The labour bed was quite clean. The system of ventilation varies with each part of the building; and, as in other work- houses, the chief part of it is ventilation by the windows. In the body of the workhouse there is a ventilator in the roof, in the wards in the upper story ; and in most of the wards there is a ventilator in the floor. There are also air bricks placed in the outside walls, which supply air to the floors; but as there rs no special channel between the ventilator and the air-bricks, the current is often feeble, and the space between filled with dust and dirt. In a majority of instances the floor ventilators were closed. There are also panes of perforated zinc in each window ; but in many instances they were covered over; and in all the perforations were partially filled with dust and dirt. Also ven- tilating windows on the side of the corridor; some of which are filled with glass, and move on a central pin. Others have sheets of perforated zinc ; and others a solid shutter, which can be opened at pleasure. In the lower part of the workhouse another kind has been newly introduced, viz., a window hung by hinges at the bottom, and falling down into a rack, which allows an open space at the top. The woodwork of the latter is too thick, and unnecessarily Cleanliness. Ventilation.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3