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There were 4 deaths from croup and 1 from rheumatism.
These diseases belong to the zymotic class, but are not
reckoned of the same infectious character.
Thirty-seven of the total deaths were children under 5
years of age: 19 died under 1 year, and 18 died between
1 and 5 years.
In December last I reported this heavy death-rate to the
Secretary of the Peabody Fund, and proposed to him a
thorough inspection of the buildings, whereupon that gentleman
expressed his compliance, and at once laid my communication
before Sir Curtis Lamson, one of his trustees,
who gave instructions to their architect and Messrs. Cubitt,
the builders, to meet your Surveyor and myself in consultation
at the buildings. At this meeting, which took
place on the 21st of the month, drawings were produced
showing the whole system of drainage of the premises, the
construction of all w.c.'s, sinks, traps, and other sanitary
arrangements, and the fullest explanation was given of
their working. We were assured that the surface soil over
the whole area covered by the new buildings had been
carefully excavated and removed to a depth of several feet,
and the area covered with concrete.
A most careful and detailed inspection was made by us
of the sanitary arrangements in two of the blocks of buildings,
these two being types of the whole, and in the first of
which the largest number of deaths had occurred during
the year. We found everything in good condition, perfect
cleanliness, an absence of smell, and no indication of anything
in the sanitary appliances likely to produce either
disease or death.
After this most searching examination no sanitary evil
was found to account for the heavy mortality, and which
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