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Cases of sudden death, and deaths occasioned by violence, calling for judicial
investigations, have been very numerous, there having been held 69 inquests during the present
quarter. The wife of a Cigar Maker, aged 41, died from an "unknown" cause. In this case,
although there was no medical attendant, an inquest was not held, neither was an inquest
held on a woman who is reported to have died in child-birth, where also there was no medical
attendant. There were 13 deaths uncertified by a medical practitioner, amongst these there
is one registered as Pertussis, another as Paralysis, and another as Bronchitis !
The cases of sickness among the out-door poor have been very numerous. They
are 421 in excess of the number attended by the Medical Officers of the Union during the
corresponding three months of the preceding year. The fever cases have amounted to 199,
which is an average of 15.3 per week, whereas the number of such cases during the corresponding
period of 1861 were only 17, or an average of 1.3 per week.
The cases of illness in the Workhouse have been 820, of which number, Mr.
Champneys attended 405, and Mr. Richardson 315. The cases of epidemic diseases have
been unusually numerous in this establishment during the present quarter. They have
amounted to 239, viz., 2 of small-pox, 4 of hooping-cough, 29 of diarrhoea, and 204 of fever.
The fever cases therefore are in the proportion to all the other cases of sickness of 25 per cent.
The total number of cases of epidemic diseases that were attended by the Medical Officers of
the Workhouse in the corresponding quarter of 1861 was 39, of which, 9 only were of fever.
Twenty Courts have been systematically visited by the Inspectors. These Courts
contain 203 houses, in which are 514 rooms, and have a population of 1367. In addition to the
visitation of these Courts, of which a detailed report of each is prepared by the Inspectors and
submitted to the Board at each of its meetings; all the houses where fever has existed among
the labouring population have been inspected; and in almost every case, orders have been given
to the landlords to limewash the rooms and passages. In 18 instances it was found that
rooms were indecently occupied, the particulars of each case are recorded in Table VIII. The
number of rooms of this description is now greatly diminished, owing to the fact of the
visitation being generally known and expected by the landlords, who, to a certain extent,
endeavour to prevent their rooms being indecently occupied. Some of the rooms at the time
of visitation were densely crowded. In one instance, it was found that only 95 cubic feet of
space was allowed to each occupant, and in another the still less space of 79 cubic feet. Under
such circumstances, can it be wondered at that ill health prevails! From the report of the
Inspector it appears that the inhabitants of Tuson's Court, Spitalfields, are without water—
the landlord not having paid the water rate, the water company cut off the supply.
The Inspectors hare served 245 notices for sanitary improvements. There have
been entered in the complaint book kept by the Inspectors 212 cases of complaint, among
which are several of nuisance from the keeping of pigs. In all these latter cases, the nuisance
has been removed without any summons having been taken out. A crate of decayed broccoli
exposed for sale was seized by the Inspector, and a sample of it taken before the Magistrate at