View report page

6
board of ship, to institute an inquiry with a view of ascertaining the quality and kind
of food which has been supplied to the crew. There is too much reason to believe,
that in many instances, not only is the lime juice which is supplied to ships of
inferior quality, but the provisions generally are not sufficiently nutritious.
The deaths uncertified by a Medical Practitioner are 19; of these, 9 were in the
Spitalfields sub-district. Out of the total number of uncertified deaths there was one
of small-pox, one of croup, one of diseased heart, one of apoplexy, one of bronchitis,
one of phthisis, and one of diphtheria. How this last named disease, and indeed
several of the others above enumerated, could have been ascertained by nonprofessional
persons, I am at a loss to conjecture ; and it is to me a matter of surprise
that such diseases should be recorded by the Local Registrars as the cause of death,
upon the information conveyed by unqualified persons. One case of premature
birth, and 12 cases of convulsions complete the number of the uncertified deaths.
The deaths in the Workhouse were 107 against 115 in the winter quarter of
1860. Of the deaths in the Workhouse, 31 were between the ages of 60 and 80, and
6 between the ages of 80 and 96.
On examining the returns of sickness among the out-door poor as recorded
by the Medical Officers of the Union, and comparing them with the returns for the
corresponding quarter of the preceding year, it will be seen, that, although there is
a difference of only twenty-two in favour of the present quarter, (3,334 against
3,356), yet, the number of fever cases have diminished from 78 to 17.
As regards the cases of sickness in the workhouse, the number was 550, which
is one more than the number in the corresponding quarter of 1860. The cases of
sickness are very equally divided between the two medical officers, for out of the 550
cases, Mr. Champnets attended 273, and Mr. Richardson 277, the former number
being males, and the latter females.
There have been comparatively very few cases of epidemic disease in the
workhouse. The total number was 39, viz. 2 of small-pox, 2 of measles, 1 of scarlet
fever, 3 of hooping-cough, 22 of diarrhcea, and 9 of fever. In the winter quarter of
1860, the total number of epidemic diseases was 70, including 16 of fever.
From the returns of the Inspectors, I may now report that all the houses in
the district, with the exception of about 100 on the north side, now in the course of
visitation, have been inspected, and the particulars respecting their general sanitary
condition have been ascertained. It will, therefore, no longer be necessary for the
inspectors to systematically visit the houses in the best localities, but they will confine
their attention to those places where nuisances are continually occurring. The sanitary
improvements which have been effected during the quarter will be seen on
referring to the tables in the appendix.
I have the honor to be,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
15, Gkeat Awe Street. JOHN LIDDLE.