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10
WHITECHAPEL UNION.
Clerk's Office,
Workhouse, E.,
23rd October, 1876.
My Deae Sir,
In the recently published Report of the Commissioner of Police
of the Metropolis, for the year 1875, reference is made generally to the "comparatively
few " cases of infectious and contagious diseases which have occurred in the
Metropolitan Common Lodging Houses ; and it is specifically stated that but IS such
cases had arisen therein, of which G were scarlet-fever, 3 continued fever, and 3 typhus
1'cver, in addition to 15 "said to have occurred " therein, but not declared to be fever
until " the lapse of some time " after removal to the Workhouse Infirmary.
Doubtless these statements and figuries are strictly accurate within the scope of
information in the possession of the police authorities ; but I would suggest, for your
consideration, whether—upon reference to the following figures, which relate to the
Whitechapel District only (and this but a small section of the Metropolitan area)—the
Returns supplied to the Chief Commissioner are not incomplete, and, being so,
whether a more favourable impression of the state of the common lodging houses is
not created in the public mind than is deserved.
During the year 1875, 50 pauper patients were removed from this Union to the
Homerton Fever Hospital. Of these, 7 were sent direct from common lodging houses
and 19 from the workhouse to which they had been admitted from common lodging
houses, as follows : —
One day previously 9
Two days ,, 5
Three days „ 2
Four days „ 1
Five days „ 1
Eight days ,, 1
19
As you were good enough to draw my attention to the Police Commissioner's
Report, I think it well to furnish you with the foregoing figures.
W. VALLANCE.
John Liddle, Esq.,
Medical Officer of Health,
Whitechapel.