London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Whitechapel 1867

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Whitechapel]

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11
A "Dame School" overcrowded.
One of your Inspectors, on visiting No. 12, Butler Street, Spitalfields,
found that the front room on the ground floor was used as a School-room
for young children. The cubic capacity of the room was 1008 feet, and at
the time of the Inspector's visit it contained 32 Children, besides the
School-Mistress. The cubic space for each person in this room was only
about 30 feet. The School hours were from 9 a.m. till 12 noon, and from
2 p.m. till 4 p.m. This room has since been discontinued to be used as a
School-room, the School-Mistress, Mrs. Coombe, having taken the upper
rooms, which are much larger, and she has reduced the number of her
pupils to 22.
Public Sewers and Gullies.
The offensive emanations from the Sewers and Gullies have formed a
subject of frequent complaint from many of the inhabitants of the District.
Every person who has occasion to pass by some of the ventilating
openings in the centre of the street, must have been conscious of the foul
state of the Sewers. Some of the Sewers are entirely under the control
of the Metropolitan Board, and consequently, with such, the local
authority has no power to interfere; but with those Sewers which are
under the management of the Board, it would be most desirable to have
them frequently flushed, or otherwise cleansed. It was found that, during
the prevalence of the Cholera, last year, the nuisance from this source was
somewhat mitigated by suspending bags filled with Carbolate of Lime,
immediately under the ventilating openings. The Sewers which have
been mostly complained of are situated in Church Lane, Back Church
Lane, Rosemary Lane, Pelham Street, Preston Street, Baker's Row, and
High Street, Whitechapel. If the nuisance arising from any Sewer cannot
be prevented, either by frequent flushing and cleansing, or by any other
practicable means, then such Sewer should be entirely reconstructed, so
that it may have such an inclination that deposits therein cannot take
place. The offensive state of several of the gullies is also a matter of
complaint. To remedy the nuisance from this source, I would suggest
that the gullies be regularly cleansed, at stated intervals, whether they
are stopped or otherwise, and the offensive material which is removed from
them should be disinfected, and carted away with the least possible delay.
It would be most desirable, during the warm weather, to have all the
paved courts well flushed two or three times every week.
I am,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
JOHN LIDDLE.