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This Mortuary is situated on the north-west corner of the disused burial ground
which abuts on Weavers Lane and Tooley Street. From this it is separated on the
east side by a wall of the building, on the south side by a wall 14½ ft. high, from
Weavers Lane by a wall 9 ft. high, and from the curtilage of Vine Street Buildings on
the north side by a wall 11 ft. high.
It is 20 ft. distant from Vine Street Buildings, and the ground on which it stands
is oblong in shape and measures 32 ft. from east to west, by 19 ft. from north to south.
The building itself, which takes the shape of the ground, measures 27 ft. 7 in. by 14 ft.
11 in. This leaves a narrow passage running between the building and the outside
wall on the south and west sides, the outside walls on the remaining sides constituting
the walls of the building.
The Mortuary is entered by a gate from Weavers Lane and the court-yard in this
part of the ground is completely overlooked by the upper stories of Vine Street Buildings.
It consists of two rooms, viz., a receiving room and a post-mortem room.
Dealing first with the post-mortem room, this measures 13 ft. 11 in. by 14 ft. 2 in.,
and is lighted by two skylights, each measuring approximately, 21 ft. by 2 ft., and a
narrow window in the south side measuring 4 ft. by 1 ft., including heavy wooden
frame*. The window space is thus one-fourteenth of the floor area. This ratio is
rendered worse by the necessity of having all the windows glazed with dark buffed glass
to prevent anyone seeing through them. The light is therefore very deficient so that it
would be impossible to carry out a post-mortem examination during any time of the
day without artificial light. The walls are plastered and oil painted.
The external walls on the east and south sides are very damp and the former is
cracked. This crack is open and has apparently been filled up from time to time
showing that it is getting worse.
Permanent ventilation is provided for by a large louvre in the ceiling. In the roof
of this louvre the skylights before-mentioned are situated. The ventilation is very bad
since there is no provision for a through draught, and when the doors are shut, as they
must be when the room is in use, the only ventilation for that portion below the louvre
in the roof is the chimney, and this cannot afford much except when there is a lire. The
atmosphere must therefore be very oppressive and unhealthy in hot summer weather.
The second room is used for the reception and retention of bodies awaiting burial.
It measures 14 ft. 1 in. by 11 ft. 11 in. and is lighted and permanently ventilated in a
similar manner to the post-mortem room, but has two narrow windows and two doors
opening into the external air. The skylights are smaller than those in the adjoining
room. The walls which are plastered and oil painted are not quite so damp in this
room, but at the front entrance the wall is cracked and has been mended from time to
time.
The number of bodies received here during the last seven years is 260, making an
average of 87 per annum, as against about ISO at Bermondsey Mortuary and 80 at
Rotherhithe Mortuary. The greatest number of bodies in the building at one time has
been 7, and a not infrequent number is 5.
The space in this reception room is insufficient for the number of bodies liable to
be received.
The gullies for carrying off water are situated in improper places inside the
building, and consist of old traps similar to that known as the " D " trap, now
universally condemned.
In addition to the defects above mentioned, viz., insufficient light and ventilation
in the post-mortem room, insufficient light, ventilation and floor space in the reception
room, defective gullies and dampness, may be mentioned, the absence of any reception
room for infectious cases, of an out-house or shed for keeping shells, etc., of proper
slabs on which to place the bodies, of suitable presses for keeping the clothes of
deceased, of proper provision for hot water in the post-mortem room, the absence of a
w.c. or urinal; and, lastly, the site of the building itself. It is too close to Vine Street
Buildings, and no part should be capable of being overlooked by any neighbouring
building.
The dampness is due to the absence of a proper horizontal damp course at the
ground level, and on the east side, where the soil is heaped up to a height of nearly
4 ft., there should be a vertical damp course. Taking these defects into consideration,
I am of opinion that this Mortuary, both in regard to its position, structure, and size,
is unsuitable for the reception of dead bodies, and should therefore be done away with.
The recommendation was accepted, and the Mortuary has since been demolished.
Storage of Bread.
Owing to a letter which was written to the Public Health Committee, I drew up the
following report on this subject:—
I beg to say that I have visited 30 small shops in the poorest parts of the Borough
where tread is sold, and beyond such general regulations as to cleanliness of making
and storing which should apply to all articles of food, do not see any necessity for
special regulations as to the sale of bread analogous to those for milk, as suggested by
the writer of the letter.
Bread, from its mode of manufacture and nature, cannot be compared with milk
as regards its tendency to absorb noxious matters from its surroundings. It is