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10
Having received information that small-pox was very prevalent in the
western part of Mile End Old Town, I directed Mr. Battram to make a
special visit to those houses situated at the eastern extremity of this
District. The inspector visited about 26 houses abutting on Mile End Old
Town, in which he found that sanitary defects existed in most of them, for
which he served the usual notices on the respective owners to remedy the
same; but he did not hear of the existence of any case of small-pox.
The importance of inspecting the houses occupied by the poor is
exemplified in the following instance:—
On visiting a house, No. 23 Goulston-street, where a child was ill
with small-pox in the first-floor room, Mr. Wrack, the Sanitary Inspector,
ascertained that three children of the same family were attending respectively
the Board School iu Castle-alley, the Jews' Free School in Bell-lane,
and the Jews' Infaut School in Commercial-street. The Sanitary Inspector
immediately went to each of these Schools, and on seeing the Master and
Mistresses informed them that small-pox existed at the home of these
children, and consequently they should not for the present be allowed
to continue their attendance at these Schools. The children were immediately
sent home, and the Master and Mistresses expressed their thanks to
the Inspector for the information he had given them.
In about a fortnight afterwards two of these children were attacked
with small-pox, and were removed to the Small-Pox Hospital. The mother,
who is a foreigner, said that the children had been vaccinated.
Overcrowding.
In my last Report I directed the attention of the Board to the subject
of overcrowding which, from the reports of the Inspectors, prevails to a very
great extent in this District; and not only in this, but probably in many
other districts in London. As the danger to the public health from this
cause cannot, perhaps, be over-estimated, I have instructed the Inspectors
to make diligent inquiries respecting the extent of this evil, and ascertain
as far as practicable, the general condition of the rooms in those houses
which are let out in tenements; but I need scarcely say, that as there are
about 4500 out of the 8313 houses in this District which are let out in
separate tenements, it is impossible that all of them, within any reasonable
time for taking action to prevent overcrowding, can be visited. Nevertheless,
much has been done by the Inspectors who, I am pleased to be able
to say, feel an interest in the promotion of sanitary measures, and have