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crowded to such an extent as to assimilate the court very closely to the neighbouring
" rookery." Under the administration of a new Superintendent, matters
are changing considerably.—(See Note page 39.J
The mortality of the Model Lodging Houses for Single Men was notably
lower than that of other common lodging houses, a circumstance due to a portion
of their residents being decidedly superior in social position to those of other guch
houses. I have only been able to trace five deaths among all the persons who have
been the tenants of these houses in 1857. Two died in King's College Hospital,
one in the Middlesex, another at the Workhouse, besides the Superintendent of
the King Street Establishment, who died at his house. No diseases are known to
have prevailed among the inmates of these houses, with the exception of venereal
complaints.
I now bring to an end my examination of the deaths and diseases of St.
Giles, in 1857; if it has exceeded ordinary limits, I trust it will be granted that I
have condensed as much as possible the multitude of facts which I have
accumulated.
Chapter V.—Operations of the Officer of Health and Sanitary Inspector, in
the Year ending March 25th, 1858.*
House improvement, it is evident from all that has gone before, must be
one of the chief anxieties of the Health Officer. St. Giles is one of the districts
which, from the wisdom of its authorities, as well as its small size, has
always been able to exhibit some work in this direction; hut until lately it
was only during some panic or epidemic that a systematic house-visitation was
thought desirable. Since the excessive mortality of ordinary seasons in St.
Giles has been better recognized, a sense of the importance of obtaining at all
times cleanliness and good drainage in the dwellings of the poor has been
increasing.
The staff of Inspectors being already well engaged on surveying duties,
the Board determined, at the end of July last, to appoint experimentally a
special Sanitary Inspector. The services of Inspector Webb were secured, and
he has since been at work in the districts where the mortality is greatest. Since
this appointment, the other two Inspectors have confined their attention to the
complaint-book, and to any nuisances which fell under their own observation,
but they have abandoned house-visitation, and have, indeed, had very few
instructions from me, their duties appearing to lie in another direction.
* This is the end of the year, according to the Metro. Act, for reporting sanitaiy progress.
*