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The number of inquests was 41. For the corresponding quarter of last year
the number was 57. In the Local Registrar's return for Aldgate, for the week
ending Saturday 13th September, there is recorded the death of the wife of a bootmaker
age 33, said to have been caused by a fracture of the skull on the 28th July,
which was followed by compression and suppuration, yet, in this case, an inquest
was not held The public is not much enlightened by the following verdict which
was retured in two instances "natural causes," the one on the body of a child aged
four months, the other on that of a man aged 72 years. The uncertified deaths
were nine, viz., two in Spitalfields, one recorded "inanition," the other "consumption";
five in Mile End New Town recorded under the heads of measles,
diarrhoea, hooping-cough, and scarlet fever; and two in Aldgate, one of which is
registered as measles, the other as "pneumonia!" a classical term for inflammation
of the lungs.
The deaths of children under five years of age were 320 or 50.7 per cent.
of the total mortality. In the Spitalfields sub-district, the proportion of deaths of
young children under five was 61.2 per cent.; in the Goodman's Fields sub-district
it was 64.7 per cent., and in the "Whitechapel North sub-district it was as high as
67 per cent. The enormous mortality among young children shows that there is a
lamentable want of information among a large class of persons respecting the laws
of health, and the proper care to be observed in the bringing up of children. The
giving instruction to the masses living in the poor localities of this district would
afford a large field of usefulness to the members of visiting societies and to other
persons who have leisure and inclination for this truly benevolent occupation.
The deaths in the "Workhouse were 76, including 16 from fever. Several
of the cases of fever were removed into that Institution from the common lodging
houses in the district. For the corresponding quarter of last year, the mortality in
the Workhouse was 60, including one death from fever.
The Medical Officers of the Union have attended 3,600 new cases of sickness,
including 16 of small-pox, 243 of measles, 41 of scarlet fever, 548 of diarrhœa, and
234 of fever. The total number for the corresponding quarter of the previous year
was 3635, including 12 of small-pox, 6 of measles, 28 of scarlet fever, 864 of
diarrhoea, and 12 of fever.
There have been 625 cases of illness in the "Workhouse, in this number
there are included 13 of measles, 1 of scarlet fever, 37 of diarrhoea, and 115 of fever.
Of the total number, Me. Champneys attended 293 and Me. Richardson 332.
It appears from Table No. I in the Appendix, that 26 courts have been
systematically visited by the Inspectors. Detailed particulars of every inhabited
room in these Courts have been prepared, the summary of which may be seen on
referring to Table No. X. The particulars required to be filled up are, the description
of the Court or Place, its length and width, the number of houses, their state
of repair and cleanliness, the number of inhabitants, the state of the pavement, the
condition of the drainage, the period of the water supply, the nature of receptacles
for water and where situate, the privy accommodation, and whether the privies are
supplied with water, the number and state of the dust bins, the complaints of
inhabitants (if any), the number of the house, name and address of owner, the
number of persons in each room, distinguishing them as males, females, and children,
the number of beds in each room, the condition of the back yards, the condition of