View report page

71
2. Attended by poverty and exposure. —Nineteen were
general labourers, 18 were carmen, 14 were porters, 9 were
charwomen, 7 were window cleaners, 4 were packers, 3 were
strett flower-sellers, 2 were costermongers, 2 were street newsvendors,
and 1 sold firewood.
Most of the carmen were out of work through illness; the
general labourers were all in casual employment and led a
precarious hand to mouth existence ; the rest, 9 in number, were
all in very poor circumstances.
3. Sedentary and Confined.—These were printers, 9;
clerks, 5; shop assistants, 4; bookbinders, 2; book-folders, 2;
boot makers 2; clock makers, 2; dressmaker, 1; envelope
maker, 1 ; and tailor, one case.
4. Dusty.—It has long been known that certain dusty
occupations favour the onset of consumption.
Two Finsbury cases were feather makers, 2 were meital
polishers, 2 were upholsterers, 1 was a brass finisher, 1 was a
brush maker, 1 was a chaff-cutter, 1 was a fur worker, 1 was
a mantle maker's assistant, 1 was a pattern card maker, and
another was a skirt finisher.
Among the remainder there were 5 horsekeepers, 5 warehousemen
and packers, 4 washerwomen, 3 glass blowers, 3 glass
workers, 2 house decorators, 2 leather bag makers, 2 signwriters,
and 33 others all possessed in more or less degree of facilities
for furthering the spread of this disease.
Homeworkers.— Eight patients were homeworkers. Their
occupations were as follows :—One brace maker, 1 brush maker,
1 clock maker, 1 collar ironer, 1 glass blower, 1 leather worker,
1 milliner, and 1 washerwoman.
The stress of poverty, which compels the parent, weighted and
exhausted with phthisis, to undertake work at home, is one which
does not promise well for his own progress or recovery, or for
the health and nourishment of those dependent upon him.