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43
The immediate causes of death are registered as follows:—
Tubercular disease of lungs 2
Broncho-Pneumonia 2
Pneumonia 1
Bronchitis 6
The obvious lesson is not to expose such weakly children of tender
years to infection.
With regard to Heading No. 3, the facts discovered are the most
unsatisfactory reading. Speaking generally, whilst it is true that
the sanitary appliances were clean, and the drains in working order,
the conditions found point to the drainage systems being defective,
old and obsolete, requiring immediate attention, with a view to
such drains and appliances being made good, re-modelled, and
brought up to modern requirements. A large number of chemical
tests were applied to the drains of the 11 different blocks of buildings,
and, practically, in every case, a result was obtained; whilst,
in many instances, it was even unnecessary to trouble to test as
it was easy to see by the eye that many of the joints of soil and
waste pipes were defective, etc., allowing of the escape of sewer (or
drain) gas around all the Buildings, which are, thereby, bathed in
it night and day. Such a state of affairs might have been even
more serious, had it not been that the evil effects have been in part
counteracted by the fresh air, which blows around the Buildings
on all sides at all times. The situation of the Schools is ideal.
The insanitary condition in which I find the Lambeth Schools
(vide Sanitary Inspector's Report,) would tend, in my opinion, to
increase the mortality from Measles, and to lower the vitality of
the children so as to render them more liable to contract any infectious
disease. It is difficult to understand how such conditions
have been allowed to remain, more especially as the defects found
have reference to all buildings (Main Blocks, Infirmary, Probation
and Isolation Wards, and the Receiving Blocks), for they must
have been found at once, had the sauitary arrangements been
supervised and examined at any time, not to mention periodically,
as should be the case in all Public Institutions.
The Old School Buildings and the Matron's House, being empty,
were not inspected, though doubtless iu the same insanitary
state.
I append to this Report a summary of the sanitary defects
found.