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5
The deaths in the Workhouse are 118 against 107 for the corresponding quarter of
the previous year. This number is in the proportion of 18.4 per cent. of the total mortality
of the district. It is not, however, from this return to be inferred that the Workhouse is
unhealthy, for, on perusing a table of the deaths in 1861, prepared by Mr. Craven, one of the
Guardians, I find that out of 297 deaths, including 12 still-born children, 117 were resident
in the Workhouse for a period of less than a month, of which number, 43 were inmates for four
days only—that is they were in a dying state before they came into it—116 remained from 1
to 11 months, and 52 above one year. In the same year there were 107 births, 38 were
legitimate, and 69 illegitimate. Of the deaths in the Workhouse, 26, or about 22 per cent.
were from fever. It appears from the returns of the Local Registrar that out of these 26 cases,
two of the patients came from Wentworth Street, (Nos. 48 and 126), six from Flower-andDean
Street, Nos. 1, 2, 7, 20, 36 and 57,; two from No. 8, Lower Keate Street,; one from 24,
Luke Street; one from 12, Quaker Street; one from 7, Plough Street; one from 14, Little
Halifax Street; one from 13, Blue Anchor Yard; one from 5, Gower's Bow; one from Essex
Street; one from 5, Brick Lane; one from 21, Norton Folgate; one from 16, Colchester Street;
and one from 4, New Montague Street. The remaining five cases appear to have originated
in the Workhouse, and are supposed to have been caused by contagion.
It thus appears that fever has existed in each of the sub-divisions of the district,
but the greatest number occurred in Flower-and-Dean Street. This Street is densely inhabited
by a very low class of society, and it contains several common lodging houses, where "tramps"
pass one or more nights whilst migrating from one place to another. Several of these persons
were removed from the registered lodging houses to the Workhouse.* I may here observe
that so soon as it is ascertained that a lodger in one of these registered houses is taken
ill with any of the severe epidemic diseases, he is at once removed either to the Workhouse or
Hospital, and the room which he occupied is closed for two or three days, during which time it is
lime-washed and ventilated, and the bed clothes and bedding used by such person are cleansed
and purified, and in some cases destroyed. It is supposed, and I believe correctly so, that many of
these tramps had the premonitory symptoms of fever before they came into this district, but
where they inhaled the poison of the disease, it is impossible to ascertain, the parties on their
travels having perhaps lodged in several places, for a single night only, before they arrived in
this district. It is not known how long the poison of fever remains in the system before it
manifests itself. The period of the incubation of fever may be for a few days only, or it may be
like small-pox, for a fortnight. In the sub-district of Mile End New Town 33 deaths occurred
from fever, 26 of which, as above stated, occurred in the Workhouse. In the sub-district of
Whitechapel Church there are recorded seven deaths from fever, of which number, six occurred
in the London Hospital. There were five deaths in the Goodman's Fields sub-district, two in the
Spitalfields, two in the Aldgate, one in the Artillery, and one in the Whitechapel North subdistrict.
On comparing the relative amount of mortality from fever in one district with that
in others, it must be borne in mind that different arrangements are made respecting fever cases
in the several districts; in some, all the fever cases are sent to the Workhouse, while in others
* Seven deaths occurred in the Workhouse, from among those sent from the registered lodging houses, five of
which were of persons removed from Flower-and-Dean Street.