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The number of cases of sickness in the "Workhouse has been 563,
including 48 of Small-pox, one of Hooping Cough, 2 of Erysipelas, 4 of Diarrhoea,
and 45 of Fever. Of the total number Mb. Champneys attended 298, and
Mr.. Richardson 265.
In the corresponding quarter of the previous year the total number of
cases of sickness in the Workhouse was 876.
The undermentioned Courts and Places have been specially visited by
the Inspectors during the last three months: Cobb's Yard, Jefferies' Buildings,
Easington Buildings, Vine Yard, Hanover Court, Crown Court Whitechapel
Road, Sarah Place, C.C., Corbett's Court, Goulston Court, George Court,
Unanimous Row, Adelaide Place, and Hunt Court: Providence Place Back
Church Lane, Munday's Place, Conant's Place, Leman Row, Baker's Arms Alley,
Bracey's Buildings, White Horse Court, Compasses Court, Cherubim Court,
Brunswick Place Back Church Lane, and Williams Rents. The rooms in many
of these places were found to be overcrowded, and some of the rooms were not
only overcrowded but indecently occupied. Thus, at No. 7, Leman Row, the
Inspector found that a man and his wife, the wife's sister 25 years of age, and a
daughter 13 years of age, slept in the same room. In the same house, on the
second floor there slept in one room a man and his wife, son aged 15 years,
daughter 18 years, and three children. Similar instances of the indecent occupation
of rooms were found at Nos. 8 and 9 in the same place, at Nos. 4 and 5,
Baker's Arms Alley, and at Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 9, Bracey's Buildings, at 1, 2,
11, and 18, Williams Rents, at 1, 4, and 12, Brunswick Place. In one room, at
No. 12, having only one bed, an uncle and adult neice slept. In some of these
places, the closets were found to be very offensive, and large accumulations of dust
and house refuse were not only found in the yards but in the cellars. In some of
the rooms, the space, supposing the room to be void of furniture, for each occupant
was only 125 cubic feet.
The Inspectors now regularly inspect a certain number of Courts and
bye places daily. By steadily pursuing this plan, all the worst places where
sanitary remedies are most required, and where nuisances are frequently recurring
are repeatedly brought under notice. The daily reports of these visits are preserved
and indexed, so that it can be easily ascertained what number of times each
place has been visited. The result of these daily inspections has been very satisfactory—the
public dust bins are more frequently emptied, and the public privies
are kept in a cleaner condition. Considerable difficulty is found in preventing
persons occupying cellars. Whenever it is discovered that any cellar is occupied
as a sleeping room, notice is immediately served upon the landlord of the house to
remove the occupants, but they soon return to the same place, or others get
possession of it. The police are the only parties who could effectually deal with
such cases.
In the month of May last, information was given at the Office of the
Board that bodies of still-born children were lying at an undertaker's premises in
the district, and it was said, that these dead bodies had been kept there for a
considerable time, and that the smell from them was very offensive. Upon
inquiry, the undertaker admitted the fact, but stated that it was owing to the
neglect of his foreman, who had kept them on the premises for his own benefit.
When the premises were visited, the Inspector was informed that the bodies
had been buried.
I am, Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
15, Great Alie Street. JOHN LIDDLE.