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Parson's Court; Russell Court; and Rose Court, Blue Anelior Yard. In these .visitations,
the Inspectors found that some of the rooms were overcrowded, and several cases of indecent
occupation were ascertained to exist; such as, a man sleeping in the same room with his
adult niece and 3 children—a man and wife, and an adult female, said to he acting as a
servant—a mother with three adult daughters and two adult sons. The above account of
the manner in which the population of many in the poor localities live is given merely as an
example, it being unnecessary to particularize all the cases of indecent occupation of rooms
which came under the notice of the Inspectors. Where overcrowding exists, the law gives
power to the local authorities to take proceedings before the magistrates to obtain a diminution
of the number of occupants in a room, but it gives no power to interfere in the cases of
indecent occupation.
The Inspectors have also inspected every house where fever has existed, and in every
case where requisite, orders have been given to the landlord to limewhite the house ; but
notwithstanding this necessary proceeding, cases of fever are found frequently to recur in
the same house and in the same room. Thus, at No. 4, Garden Court, Glasshouse Street, a
house consisting of three rooms, there have been within the last three months, 8 cases of
fever. This house has been, by order of the Inspector, limewashed on several occasions,
yet, fever continued to prevail. At last, the landlord reduced the number of inmates in the
house, got rid of the family occupying the lower room in which cases of fever had been of
such frequent occurrence, and closed the room. The removal of the inmates—the shutting
up of the room for a period, and the thoroughly cleansing of the same, is the only effectual
plan of preventing the spread of fever and other epidemic diseases.
The practice of keeping swine is of common occurrence, and it is difficult to entirely
prevent it. Proceedings have been taken, and convictions obtained under the provisions of
Michael Angelo Taylor's Act against persons keeping swine within 40 yards of any public
place. This Act does not appear to have been repealed by any recent enactment. The
authorities in St. George, Hanover Square, have recently taken proceedings under this Act,
and obtained a conviction. The penalty is 40s. and forfeiture of the swine.
The periodical inspection of the bakehouses will now form a portion of the duty of your
Sanitary Officers. During the last two quarters, all the bakehouses, where bread and confectionary
are baked, have been inspected by myself and the Inspectors. The following is
the result of these inspections. There are 84 bakers, including confectioners, in the
Whitechapel District. In order to facilitate the inspection of these premises, 1 caused to be
prepared a tabular form, showing 1st, the names and addresses of the owners; 2nd, whether
the bakery was underground or otherwise; 3rd, whether the premises were clean or dirty;
4th, whether they were or were not properly ventilated; 5th, whether or not the drainage was
good ; 6th, whether any persons under the age of 18 years were employed between the hours
of 9 at night and 5 in the morning ; and 7th, whether any portion of the bakery was used
as a sleeping apartment. In seven instances it was found that the premises required limewashing
; two required improvement in the ventilation; in one a cesspool was found to
exist in the rear of the premises ; in one instance, an offensive, and untrapped drain was
discovered in the bakery. In no instance was it ascertained that the bakehouse was used
as a sleeping place, neither was it discovered that lads under 18 years of age were employed
between the hours of 9 o'clock in the evening and 5 in the morning. Information
respecting some of these particulars could only be obtained from the owners of the premises.
It would be very desirable that a copy of the rules and regulations for bakehouses, in
accordance with the provisions of the "Bakehouse Regulation Act," should be posted in
every bakery. Official inquiries having been made of me respecting the state of work-rooms,
the mode of life, where young females are employed at needlework and at the sewing
machines, the number of hours of work, and the ages of those so employed, I visited, in
company with the inspectors, several of these establishments within this District, The