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Nearly 35 per cent. of the population, therefore, live under this condition in this parish. This
is only exceeded in the metropolis by the conditions prevailing in Whitechapel, St. George.in.the.
East, St. Luke, Clerkenwell and Holborn, in which more than 35 per cent. of the respective populations
live under similar conditions.
Workshops.—I visited 145 workshops in the course of my inspection; this probably represents
but a small proportion of the total number existing in the parish. The trade carried on in
the greater number was that of cabinet.making, or work connected with the manufacture of furniture.
Some workshops were occupied by bootmakers, and a few only (situated in that part of the parish
adjoining Whitechapel and Mile.end), by tailors. Generally speaking, the means of light and ventilation
in these workshops were adequate, but many were visited in which the walls and ceilings required
cleansing or repair.
The watercloset accommodation was also generally found to be sufficient for the number of
workers, but instances were not wanting in which defective conditions of the flushing apparatus, or
foul closet pans were noticed. In one group of workshops it was observed that the waterclosets opened
directly out of the workshop, and in another the trough closet, common to a number of workshops, was
found to be in a dirty condition, due in great part to insufficient flushing.
Little evidence was found of the existence of overcrowding of workshops, but I have notes of the
occurrence of this condition in five instances.
The systematic inspection of workshops in the district was undertaken by the sanitary
authority in 1893, when the vestry appointed an additional inspector, who devotes his time
almost entirely to this work. A large number of workshops have been inspected and entered on the
books of the vestry, but Dr. Bate informs me that he estimates that probably not more than one.fifth
of the total number of workshops in the parish have been inspected. The fact that a large number are
domestic workshops makes it almost a necessity that a house to house call should be made in order to
ascertain all the workshops in the parish.
Bakehouses.—The total number of bakehouses, according to the last annual report of the medical
officer of health for the parish, is 106. Of these, 49 were visited ; 18 were found to be situated below
the ground level. In eight bakehouses the means provided for ventilation were insufficient. The
periodical cleansing and limewashing of the walls and ceilings appear to be well enforced, but in 12
instances a want of cleanliness, or an accumulation of sweepings underneath the troughs was observed.
The water supply is in almost all instances taken direct from the rising main.
Slaughterhouses, cowsheds, and milkshops.— There are 11 licensed slaughterhouses, and 24
cowsheds in Bethnal.green. I visited the majority of these, and found that they were cleanly and kept
in compliance with the regulations applying to these trades. At one slaughterhouse, attached to a shop
which is stated to be open on one day only throughout the week, the slaughterhouse premises were not
kept in a cleanly condition. In this case and in one other the approach to the slaughterhouse is
through the shop. In two cases the use of the slaughterhouse is limited to the killing of small animals.
As regards the cowsheds, two were in need of limewashing at the date of my visit. In many cases new
dungpits, constructed so as to comply with the by.laws of the Council, had been built owing to the
action of the sanitary authority. Several of the sheds are situated in close proximity to inhabited
houses, and in three cases the sheds abut upon the wall of a house. I also visited some milkshops, and
found that the regulations as to cleanliness were generally complied with.
Offensive trades.—The only businesses of this nature carried on in the parish are gut-scraping
and tripe-boiling. For the former, two sets of premises are registered, for the latter one set; both the
former were found in a satisfactory condition, and no effluvium was noticed outside the buildings. The
tripe.boiling establishment was also in a satisfactory condition.
Mortuary.—The vestry have provided a mortuary for the parish. This building, which was
erected in 1880, is situated in St. Matthew's.churchyard, and contains two mortuary chambers, a
post-mortem room, and lavatory accommodation. The caretaker lives in the old watch.house close to
the mortuary.
Disinfection.—For the purpose of disinfecting articles of clothing and bedding a steam.
disinfecting oven has been provided at the vestry's yard in Digby-street. Two covered hand.carts are
used for the removal of articles to and from the oven. No charge is made for disinfection. No special
apparatus has been provided for the destruction of articles in cases where disinfection is considered
undesirable; they are burned in the open yard after being saturated with paraffin, and I was informed
when I visited the yard that in practice it is found necessary to destroy articles of bedding, &c., in this
way about once in every three weeks. This procedure does not appear to give rise to complaint,
although there are inhabited houses on all sides of the yard. The rooms in which cases of infectious
disease have occurred are disinfected by the officers of the authority, sulphurous acid gas being used
for the purpose. It is not customary, however, to strip the walls and cleanse the rooms after fumigation,
but if the condition of the room is sufficiently bad to constitute a nuisance, notice is served upon the
owner to cleanse.
The vestry had not, at the time of the enquiry, fulfilled their statutory duty under section 60
of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, which requires that a shelter shall be provided for the
convenience of persons during the period necessary for the disinfection of their dwellings.
Water supply.—The water supply of the parish is furnished by the East London Waterworks
Company. It is almost universally the practice in the houses in this district for the domestic water
supply to be drawn direct from the rising main, without the intervention of storage cisterns.
Scavenging.—The collection and disposal of house refuse is done by contractors on behalf of the
sanitary authority. The collection is made twice weekly from all houses. It is the custom in a large
part of the parish to place the dust pails on the pavement in front of the house ; where this is not done
the houses are called at. The vestry employ seven pail-men, who are under the supervision of the