View report page

Repr.rt of the Medical Officer of Health, for the Second Quarter, 1858. 3
through a blighted and unfulfilled life. I have often noted how this might be prevented ; it
involves the absolute duty even at considerable exjtence, of making provision for open spaces to
which children might be readily taken ; it involves also, all those other improvements by which
pure and free air, pure water, good food and general cleanliness are favored and insured: when
we consider that 2000 children are annually born in this Parish and that 600 of these die under 10
years of age, the question demands our favorable and earnest consideration ; it will not do in an
enlightened age like this^ to pass it by as a fated or unavoidable evil. I confess I see but little
difference between that sanguinary ancient law that directly destroyed weakly and deformed
children, and that modern indifference that insures at the very least an equally fatal result.
I reiterate this and vary the proofs, because 1 know that as yet there are many who do not believe,
and more who are unwilling to believe these disturbing truths, involving as they undoubtedly do
so much trouble and expence, and giving us painful reminders of new duties, as well as of old
ones neglected.
The last Table viz. 7, gives the particulars of the sanitary work of the quarter. It shows that
246 places have been noted as requiring improvement, and that in 122of these, the orders have not
as yet been carried out (some few of course could not in the time): it shows also that 111 of the
cases recorded in previous quarters the work is not carried out. I beg respectfully to suggest as I
have suggested before, that the sanitary work of this Parish requires the exclusive care of one
Inspector. Our officer has multifarious duties, of which these form only a part, and it is
consequently impossible to insure the business being done in a business like manner. I have been
obliged for several weeks past to postpone or altogether to pass by a large number of cases, at
least 100, requiring improvement, because of the absolute impossibility of having them attended to.
Nor must it be forgotten, as indeed is very natural, that a large number of those upon whom
orders come, are objectors and not a few positive obstructors : this of course involves the necessity
of a more complete and frequent supervision of all works ordered. The items in this last Table
merit attention and throw a sad sort of light upon the condition of the Poor of this Parish. We
have visited 73 unclean and ruinous houses; 118 in which the water was stored in a most
unwholesome manner; 163 in which the drains were defective enough to be disease producing;
72 in which the water closets were more or less unfit for use; 110 yards sloppy, not paved or
ill paved, and 138 in which there was no sufficient provision for house refuse; in these cases it
is strewed about the yards ; hid in closets, under stairs, in rooms, or is thrown out into the
streets after dark. A large amount of time is lost in a most irregular way of receiving dust complaints
from all quarters, and in ordering and seeing that dust carts are dispatched every way at
once if possible ; if, as I long since suggested, the carts were with perfect regularity to go in
certain quarters on slated days, and always on those days and no others; if a signal, say the
letter I> were directed to be placed in the window, where refuse required removal, and the
inhabitants who neglected so easy a provision, and whose premises were found unwholesome in
this respect, were made answerable, which according to the law could easily be done, then we
might be clear of those enormous and numerous festering heaps of house refuse, all but universal
in this Parish. The small fees demanded is a great difficulty, and yet it is almost impossible to
get rid of so old a custom; the 2000 respectable nouses where they can afford to pay, may thus be
cleared; but the 4000 or 5000 poor houses are neglected. I cannot but think the remedy for
this evil lies here, to give an acknowledged substitute weekly in addition to each dustman,
make the same known to the inhabitants, solicit information and suspend or dismiss any man
found receiving money for removing dust. The present system wastes the Inspector's time, keeps
him from more important duties and is most imperfect in execution. I have spoken to several
people about the dust sign, and all thoroughly approve of this or any other plan that will rid them
ofa constant nuisance: in one instance a householder attributed the more serious character of the illness
of three of her family to the offensive refuse that week after week she could not get rid of; the
carts of the next Parish passing all the time with daily and provoking regularity on the opposite
side of the way.
The Magistrate has decided in one case against overcrowding, a first and most important
decision in this Parish; we are packing more and more closely—in 1821 there were in this Parish
129 persons to the acre; in 1831, 141 persons; in 1841, 165; in 1851, 184; and now there
are 195 persons to the acre : in the great mass of our poorer habitations the allowance of
breathing room is not more than 200 cubic feet per head, often as low as 120, a most insufficient
and disease producing condition, that is about one-third the amount of air considered absolutely
necessary for life and health, by the Poor Law and Police Commissioners and about a fifth of that
allowed by the Gaol authorities. In one house reported to me there were 30 in four rooms with only
2410 cubic feet or 80 cubic feet per individual; this must of course be premature death to many of
them. In Henry Street, the average inhabitants in four rooms with 2500 cubic feet of space is from
12 to 16 ; but my pressing these cases as they require is out of the question. We cannot overlook
what is going on ; improvements are being effected elsewhere ; the dwellings of the poor are being
destroyed; a few Parishes are fast becoming preeminently poor, overcrowded and filthy : I need
not inform you that this Parish is one that gets, in this respect, steadily worse from the improvement
in others. The temptation is very great to overcrowd; the poor family, however large, by
crowding into one room, and by even taking a casual lodger in addition, obtains a sort of home
at a cheaper rate; and the owner gets a much larger revenue out of what in courtesy to him I
must I suppose call human habitations ; the resulting illness and death are considered inevitable or
are viewed with a stolid indifference.