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germs of disease in clothes and bedding.* Further information
relating to the parochial out-door poor, in a classified
form, will be found in the Appendix, Table V.
Sanitary Inspections.—The customary annual inspection
of Cow and Slaughter-Houses—to the number of 50,
26 being for cow keeping, and 24 for slaughtering
Licences, has been carried out and the renewal of all,
with three exceptions, recommended. The objections
were on account of deficient sanitary arrangements, such
as blood flowing directly into the sewer—insufficiency
of receptacles, &c., which the law directs shall exist.
Additions and improvements were ordered to be made, with
which the owners readily complied, and the Licences
were accordingly renewed. One new application for a
Cow-House Licence was objected to and refused by the
Magistrate on several grounds, the principal one was, its
situation at the rear, and in close proximity to, Europa
Place, a densely populated and very poor neighbourhood,
where much sickness continually prevails. It is in such
crowded neighbourhoods as these that the slaughtering
of cattle does harm. Next year the provisions of the
Building Act of 1844 will come into operation, and this
Act imposes a penalty, on conviction, of £50 for the
slaughtering of cattle in any building or vault, or in the
open air at a less distance than 40 feet from a public way
or than 50 feet from a domestic dwelling. I cannot help
regretting that efforts are being put forth to repeal this
provision and more especially in regard to London. I am
decidedly of opinion that all classes will benefit, and for
many reasons, by the use of public slaughtering houses,
*This was well evidenced by the outbreak of Small Pox at St. George's
Hospital, the bed clothes were at once removed and well boiled; on return
from the laundry they were again placed on the beds and nearly every patient
who slept in them took the disease; they were a second time removed and
submitted to a very high dry heat and no other case of Small Pox showed
itself in the Hospital.