Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-08

The Horrors of Tenement HOuses-An
Interesting Report.
The Board of Surgeons of the Metropolitan Police
of New York City has made its annual report, from
which we take the following extract
TENEMENT HOUSES.
The number of tenement houses in the cityis Is 1885,
and in them reside sol 32 human beings the average
number of families in each house being seven and
half. Of this number IA ,4l9 jewellers under the
ground, in dreary, wretched ahodes where daylight
and pure air can scarcely gain entrance. These
dwelling houses are the plague spots where are gen.
Grated typhus, small pox, and other infectious dis
cases. which radate from these points to all parts of
the city. 1t is to these places that must look for
the first of cholera, and where experience and
observation teaches this dreadful disease will lin
In our visits of inspection with Captain Lord. of
the Sanitary Company We found most of these houses
in deplorable condition. To some of the rear
houses, especially in the Fourth ward, could gain
disgusting nth Of sar5age 6roW1 out
by the occupants and the muck from the streets.
We found house in First avenue, five stories in
height, q feet front and IS feet deep having the
prives within six feet of the house and in the
possible condition. This house is not connected with
the sewer There were 10 families, about 80 indi
viduals, occupying these premises
There have been IN this house during the past year
IS cases Of typhoid enteric fever and is Deaths
At the time OF visit found II cases of fever in
the house In one apartment of about Is feet square,
having attached to it dark recess, miscalled bed
room, without window or means of ventilation, we
found q whole family consisting of father mother
and three children, all Frustrated with fever: sur
rounded by filth and wretchedness, without fire. food
or medicine; and without MEDICAL or any other at
tendance. This house is of row of like charac-
ter-the others being but little better
In East Seventeenth street we found block of l 7
tenement houses. stories in height, with but about
feet between Joints the ceiling to the floor in which
houses during the first year fever has been constantly
present. In one Of these alone there has been over
hundred cases Of typhus in the year These hou-
ses are extremely filthy.
and about 20 feet deep. five stories in height,
tanning ~ tenements, or PLACES for families. av-
hardly penetrate these gloomy and wretched abodes.
During the past year about one-thlrd of the occu-
pants suffered from typhus, scarlet fever, cholera
iantun, and from less serious diseases.
In two adjoining tenement houses in Pearl street
there are 35l occupants oil whom ll6 Frustrated
- enc time by measles, scarlatina typhoid fever
cholera mi ,ntG:,, and marasmus. these are but
few examples of hundreds Of liz character.
The report then states that 81 tenements in one
house contain 327 inhaGitants, and in another 81
apartments are occupied by 5S7 persons.
TENEMENT HOUSE AND CELLAR IISEAsES-How THEY
SPREAD.
The report gays it is well known TO science that at
least from ten to fifteen cubic feet of air per minute
are required, and that to remain healthy each human
being must have from eight hundred to one thousand
cubic feet of space in which to dwell. Yet we find
629l persons who have not than 800 cubic feet
and over 100000 inhabitants who have not to exceed
one hundred and fifty cubic feet Of air i'll which to
breathe and dwell
Fifteen thousand two hundred and twenty two
human beings inhabit cellars underground dwell
lngs These troglodyeS receiving into their sys-
tens hydro-suphuric. ammonacal and carbonic
acid gases, and other pois ms emanating from the
sewers and from the street washings Of eycremen-
tious matters, such SO putrd animal and vegetable
substances. 1t is well known to physicians that III
these cellar abOdes zymoc diseases have full sweep
and arc enormously destructive to life.
Those born here rarely live one year. Of the sur
vvor, and of infants born elsewhere and removed to
these places cholora infantum, Scarldtiua, measles
small pox and typhus destroy twenty five per cent
before the second year Of their lives Thrty-ive per
cent become poisoned before the fifth year. and only
about We per cent attain the age of 90 Should any
reach this age there still ing TO them scrofua pui-
monary disease. opthalmia and a general cacheetic
enjoyment Of life