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

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Bethnal Green 1857

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bethnal Green, Parish of St. Matthew ]

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is drunk, as in some of our gardens, and certain houses in
Emma and Swan Streets, &c., a supply be laid on from the
East London Company's mains. I would also suggest, more
frequent street cleansing; and that all the paved courts, public
sewers and drains be from time to time sluiced with water by
engine, or hose apparatus affixed on the mains; furthermore
—to obviate contamination by storage,—that the Company be
requested to furnish Sunday supplies.* The evils of deprivation
of light and solar rays are so strongly exemplified in
the diseases, deformities and short lives of miners, that we
ought, whenever practicable, to enjoin their full admission to
every room. These and other matters were fully discussed
in the Report that I had the honour to present on the advent
of Cholera, at West Ham.
5. Concluding Remarks.
"As the drop of water hollows out the stone, not by its
force, but by frequently falling," so sanitary evils by "repetition
of impression" waste and wear life away. The Tables
now laid before you tell how few among us reach old age—
how many fall in life's full prime—how many more in its
first 5 years. They point to misery, disease and death; and
urge us with a warning voice to uproot the evils whereby we
die. To do this will be the work of years: whole streets and
courts must be leveled to the ground; houses with all health
requirements built, and open spaces left where the sun can
shine and the ventilating breezes blow. Other records prove
that the years of infancy are not ever thus destructive, and that
longevity is not necessarily so rare a boon. The statistics of the
Society of Friends are fraught with these deeply interesting
facts.—Throughout Great Britain, in the year 1855-56,
amongst 287 of their members' deaths 37 only, or not quite 13per
cent.,"died from birth to 5 years old; from 60 to 70, 46; 70 to
80, 50; 80 to 90, 43; and 90 to 100, 9. The greatest
*This has been done in Bermondsey by the Southwark and Vauxhall Water
Company, on the suggestion of Dr. Challice.