View report page

2 Parish of Saint George the Martyr, Southtcark.
During the quarter, I reported to you the inspection of 33, and final licensing of 27
slaughter-houses; I believe it works well, and will no doubt be perfected by an occasional
supervision: I am bound to say that I never met a class of men who, upon the whole,
appeared more disposed to act fairly than the Butchers.
I have reported upon Ragged Schools—I am very clear as to the importance of congregating
neglected and unclean children, in places well provided with the appliances of cleanliness
and ventilation. It strikes me, as an incidental matter, that a washing trough, with
plenty of soap, would be each day an excellent preliminary exercise. Unless some care is
taken in these respects, such schools may, in seasons favourable, become centres of infection;
but with such precautions, nothing can be better. I believe the State could scarcely do a wiser
thing than provide premises and appliances, upon certain conditions, in all poor neglected and
vicious neighbourhoods; we might save much of our criminal expenditure.
I have reported upon the condition of the Vaults under the Church and elsewhere, without
effect so far; the Government Commissioner has also seen them; his opinion is as mine is;
that they require attention. I have not suggested more than must before long be done. As
to houses without back ventilation, there are many such in the poorer courts; ceteris paribus,
they are usually more subject to disease than other places. I advise top ventilation in all such
cases. In my desire to be really your Officer of Health, I could wish for less opposition in
Committee, or for an opposition upon some clear principle, to these and other improvements.
Tou have provided a new sewer in Market Street; this necessary work came out of
certain facts, as to disease in this locality. There are about 71 houses, containing 530 people;
all these ought now to have the full benefit of the sewer; they should connect forthwith.
John-street, William-street, Rodney-street, and Courts adjoining have been frequently noticed
as requiring sewers. I some time since reported to you that these places had been remarkable
for Cholera, Diarrhoea, and Fever, among an impoverished population. An able Surgeon of
India has just published, that many villages (thousands in Madras alone) are known to be
exempt from the Cholera scourge; the facts already observed are, that places in exposed
situations, or those very well drained, are so favoured. In the Registrar General's Quarterly
Report now issued, the freedom of Bury, from Zymotic diseases, is attributed to the great
improvement, which has taken place in the last ten years, in the sewering, paving, and cleansing
the streets, &c. Whatever may be thought of Bury; it is the fact, that with us, the origin
and chief home of Zymotic diseases, are in neglected localities, in the same state as these
streets now are. I recommend them to be sewered as soon as possible, certainly before the
warm weather sets in.
As to Cow-sheds, the more I examine them the more I am impressed with the necessity of
a strict surveillance; they are mostly makeshifts; they are all extremely filthy, and the owners,
unlike the Butchers, are very slow to improve.
Annexed, are most important Tables; they have cost me some trouble; I belteve, although
they may look uninteresting, that they will repay perusal. The first, shews the mortality of
the Christmas Quarter compared with other quarters of the same year, and the same quarter
of other voars; 100 deaths less than the average of the quarter for 10 years, and 6(5 less than
those of the Michaelmas Quarter, is a proof of the best kind, that we have been remarkably
healthy.