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35
No. 8.
Parish of Saint George the Mortor, Sonthwork.
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH,
For the Fourth Quarter, 1857
. March 1st, 1858.
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Vestry,
I am now prepared with my report for the quarter eiffiting Christmas. I have, during the
quarter, brought before you six individual reports; the matters coruined; therein have, for the most part,
been dealt with, or are under process: I fear, however, that the true prtiiefptes of sanitary action are
not sufficiently known or recognised, for the work is often found to be so done, as to promise no lasting
or good effect. There can be no question as to supplying water to water-closets; yet how frequently,
even in new and "finished" work, we find either no contrivance at all for water supply, or a mere
makeshift. The disgusting consequences of leaving them without water, can only be appreciated by
those who visit the places. I would at once rather advise a return to the abominable cesspool, than
have these closets badly panned and trapped, unprovided with water, and the contents allowed slowly
to run through old imperfect drains. In this way, the contents force through or leak through, saturating
the ground, tainting the atmosphere about, and making the houses very disgusting and unhealthy
to live in. In these cases, I have often perceived the privy smells at the front doors of the houses. At
this very time, in John-street and William-street, are houses apparently properly panned and trapped,
connected with high level old brick drains, never intended for this purpose, in which the people complain
of the smells that continually assail them. I believe these vestry premises to be another case in point.
When we enter old or defective drains, (putting our new work upon an old garment as it were,) the
more perfect the trap, the more are the gaseous and liquid contents forced out in other directions ; that
is, in the yards and basements, in the soil immediately under or around the houses. I, of course, can
only judge by repeated illness, and repeated complaints, which must be noticed and reported upon
by me as often as they occur;—with the sick reports that come before me weekly, I am sure to hear again
of these patched-up places. All these are most weighty reasons why the work ordered should be perfectly
done, and done at once. Again, the conditions necessary to produce or quicken decay are known to all
chemists, and, indeed, to every one. To make your dung-heap and ash-heap ferment, and give forth
foul vapours continually, you require moisture, free exposure, and the sun's or other heat;—keep it
close, keep it dry, and keep it cool, you as far as possible prevent decay. In a parish like this, with
thousands of refuse heaps, and a soil already saturated with foul matter, the importance of this cannot
be over-rated. Yet, with this knowledge so widely spread, our dust-bins and refuse inclosures are so
often found constructed without covers; open to the sun and to the rain, to produce the evil; and to the
wind to disperse it among the inhabitants. It is, doubtless, because of these well-known principles,
that the Act of Parliament orders proper doors and coverings. The refuse is not collected in the poorer
districts with regularity, nor according to the plan laid down some time since by this vestry; nor do we
sufficiently press upou the poorer classes the duty of caring for health and for the property they occupy.
I now merely mention these matlers. I will endeavour to place them clearly before you in an annual
report.
This quarterly report consists chiefly of tables, as usual. The first Table shews an increased
mortality as compared with corresponding quarters of 1855 and 1856; it is, nevertheless, considerably
below the average of the quarter; less deattis, that is, by 61. It shews also considerably less than the
actual deaths of the corresponding quarters of nine out of the last twelve years; and it is more