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11
As there are many houses in the District so badly constructed, that
every room let as a separate tenement has not a communication with the staircase
leading either to the privy, the drain, or the ash-pit, except through an
inhabited room, the danger of infection from fever or other contagious
disease to the occupiers of a room so used, is greatly increased, in consequence
of the discharges from the patient, the slops, and other filth of the
house being carried through such room to the privy, drain, or ash-pit.
Such is the discomfort and danger to the health of persons occupying
rooms which are used as thoroughfares, that I have no hesitation in saying
that all houses so constructed, if let in separate tenements, are unfit for
habitation.
Early burial in all cases of infectious diseases, is absolutely necessary,
for the protection of the public health, and whenever a death from fever or
other contagious disease, occurs in a family who occupy only one room, the
corpse should, with as little delay as possible, be removed to a mortuary.
The question of providing a mortuary has frequently occupied the
attention of the Board, but hitherto without any practical result, although
the necessity of erecting one has been repeatedly shown in my Quarterly
Reports. I would now again direct the attention of the Board to the
subject, as another case of the prolonged retention of a dead body in a
room occupied as a living and sleeping room, by a family consisting of
seven persons, viz.: a father and his six children. The notice of the
Inspector was directed to this case by some persons living in the house, who
complained of the nuisance arising from the decomposition of the corpse,
which had been kept for several days in the room in which the person had
died. The house was tenanted by about 40 persons. The smell from the
corpse was said to pervade the whole house.
In order that no further time may be lost in discussing the question
of the best site for a mortuary, I would suggest that an iron building,
similar to any of those now used for temporary churches, be at once provided,
and placed either in the burial ground belonging to Spitalfields
Church or in that belonging to Whitechapel Church.
I am,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
15, Great ALIE Street, JOHN LIDDLE.