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to be established in evidence before the Magistrates was that injury was inflicted
on the health of the neighbourhood by the presence of Cow-sheds in St. Giles's.
To those who had been engaged in observing the sanitary state of the people
through a series of years, this did not appear at all doubtful, but it seemed
desirable to get, if possible, some numerical proof of such injury to health.
With this view, the sanitary statistics of nearly six years (the whole time for
which the returns have been furnished by the Registrar-General) were examined
with reference to one particular Cow house, that in Stacey Street, which was so
situated that its influence on health could be measured. The end of Stacey
Street, at which the Cow-house is situate, would be expected, prima facie, to
have sanitary advantages over the other end, which abuts on the middle
of Dudley Street, a neighbourhood which the readers of these reports will
know to be unhealthy beyond most other parts of the Parish of St. Giles.
Now on analysis of the mortality it was found that, three houses excepted,
there had been an average of 3 deaths in each inhabited house, and in none,
a higher mortality than G in the six years. But in the three houses, Nos. 6,
7 and 9, there had been an average mortality of 10 deaths each, viz., in No. 6,
7 deaths; in No. 9, 9 deaths; and in No. 7, actually 14 deaths in the period
under examination. Now No. 7 is the house most directly connected with the
Cow-sheds; Nos. 6 and 9 are the two houses flanking it, as will he seen on the
diagram given above; No. 8 consists only of workshops and the entrance to
the cow-yard. In these three houses, Nos. 6, 7 and 9, 30 deaths occurred,
while the other 14 inhabited houses had only 40 deaths between them. The
only two fever deaths in the street were in these houses abutting on the cowyard.
Three out of the 5 deaths from diarrhoea were in them. Out of 10
deaths from acute lung disease, which follow (as has been often shewn) the
zymotic diseases in their distribution, and depend upon similar impurity of air,
eight occurred in these three houses.
The Stacey Street cow-house was the only one in which a numerical
estimate was attempted of the influence on the health of the neighbourhood.
But on the strength of the facts here ascertained, the reply was not difficult
to the question of the counsel who had been retained in the interests of these
nuisances,—"Do you mean to say that a cow-house and yard is more detrimental
to the health of a neighbourhood than if the same space were covered
with poor houses ?" "Yes, it positively is so."
Nevertheless, the Magistrates were unwilling to interfere with established
trade so far as to abolish altogether the cow-houses of St. Gdes's. But they
warned the cow keepers that such orders as the Board might make for the
regulation of the sheds must be obeyed, or else on another occasion the licenses
would be refused.
The regulations that have since been issued by the Board were framed
after carefud consultation with the Surveyor and with experienced members of
the Board. Mr. Bellamy was kind enough to give the weight of his great
authority in determining the dimensions and cubic space to be demanded in
the sheds. These regulations were successively adopted by the Sanitary
Committee, and by the Board. (See Appendix VIII.)
It is not believed that these rules can hinder cow-sheds from being a nuisance
and an injury to health in St. Giles's. But if they were strictly observed, it
was hoped that this nuisance might be reduced. Hitherto however, in June,
1863, any improvement that may have been made in the cow-houses is scarcely