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the following extract, from my Report, for 1859 shews the
same great necessity which now exists for a building of the
kind. "On the occurrence of death in the family of the
"labouring man, want of space often inflicts upon him or
"some of his family the necessity of dwelling and even
"sleeping in the presence of the dead. It needs but the mind
"to picture the room of death, as the one subservient to all
"the purposes of domestic life, to realize the painful
"incongruity of the circumstances. But there is stronger
"cause for reflection. The presence of death from con"tagious
disease under such circumstances becomes, there
"is every reason to believe, a fruitful source for the
"propagation of contagion. The most that the Medical
"Officer of Health can at present do to obviate this evil
"is, to endeavour to persuade the relatives of the dead to
"procure as early an interment as possible. But such
"advice is seldom acted upon, for the mind of every one
"naturally revolts against any undue haste: moreover,
"the coffin has to be made, and the convenience of the
"undertaker and of others consulted. The remedy con"sists
in the setting apart some small building, in a
"convenient position, and as remote as possible from
"dwellings, for the reception of those who have died under
"the circumstances described, during the period inter"vening
death and interment."
On reference to Table VI in the Appendix, it is seen that
a large amount of new sewers, and drains was constructed
during the past year—work of great and lasting benefit.
But a great sanitary defect, as was pointed out in my last
annual report, remains to mar the present otherwise excellent
system of drainage. I refer to the ventilation of the
sewers by means of openings into the streets, and often in
close proximity to houses. It is doubtless a very difficult
thing to obviate, but its great importance demands that
no efforts should be spared to find a remedy for it. There
can be no doubt that a continuous and sufficiently abundant
flow of water would, by preventing decomposition
and by absorbing gases, reduce the necessity for ventilation
to a minimum ; but such a flow cannot be obtained under
the present system of supply, which is still intermittent
b