London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Hanover Square 1860

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hanover Square, The Vestry of the Parish of Saint George]

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Pimlico Dispensary, and the St. Paul's and St. Barnabas'
Dispensary, and at the Workhouse, Little Chelsea.
Of these, 3,406 were patients at St. George's Hospital,
leaving a remainder of 2,262.
We find, that the total included 17 of small-pox, 20 of
chicken-pox, 91 of measles, 28 of scarlatina, 21 of whooping
cough, 77 of diarrhoea, 40 of continued fever, 37 of rheumatic
fever, 9 of erysipelas, 4 of diphtheria, and 16 of ague,
11 of which occurred in non-parishioners.
There were 329 cases of bronchitis, and 23 of pneumonia.
The Medical Officer of Health visited and reported 14
cases of small-pox.
III. Bakehouses. During this quarter, we have begun
an examination of the state of the various bakehouses in the
parish. We were led to this step, partly in order to protect
the journeymen employed in them. For allegations had been
made publicly, by eminent personages, that the health of
these men was suffering from hard work, during unnaturally
long hours, the work being carried on principally at night;
that in addition to overwork, loss of sleep, and the disadvantage
of working by gas-light, the bakehouses in
which they work are often dirty and ill-ventilated cellars;
and, besides, that the men often sleep in them. More than
this, it was alleged that many bakehouses contain disgusting
nuisances in the shape of water-closets and dust-heaps.
The notoriously pale doughy-looking faces of the men, was
another reason why we should interfere, in order to protect
them, and to protect the ratepayers from having to support
them and their families in sickness.
We, therefore, determined to call on each of the bakers,
state fully the motives of our visitation, and request permission
to inspect the bakehouse. The observations made