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early information of the existence of contagious and infectious
disease being forwarded to the Sanitary Officer, will be seen on
reference to several of my previous Reports.
The Flushing of the Courts.
In the month of June the regular flushing of the courts was
resumed by the Surveyor, and will be continued during the warm
weather. The cool and refreshing effect of the flushing of
confined courts is very beneficial to the comfort and health of the
inhabitants, and, as some of my Reports testify, has been attended
with good results as regards the diminution of cases of fever.
Lead Poisoning.
The attention of your Board was recently directed by a circular,
signed by the Clerk to the Board of Guardians for the Parish of
Shoreditch, calling attention to the prevalence of cases of lead
poisoning admitted into their infirmary. In this circular the Guardians
state that they are deeply impressed with the necessity of stringent
regulations for the protection of persons working in lead factories,
and they respectfully desire to bring the subject under notice.
Since I received a copy of the above circular, a Report by Mr.
Redgrave, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Factories, has been presented
to Parliament, "upon the precautions which can be enforced
under the Factory Act, and as to the need of further powers for the
protection of persons employed in white-lead works." This matter
has, on more than one occasion, been brought under the notice of
your Board in my Quarterly Reports, for although there is no whitelead
factory in the Whitechapel District, several cases of lead poisoning
have been attended by the Medical Officers of the Union ; and
patients suffering from the poisonous effects of lead are being frequently
admitted into the London Hospital.
Important recommendations for the safety of persons employed in
whitelead factories, have been, from time to time, made by experienced
medical men, yet, as there is no law which will compel the
observance of any regulations, however valuable such may be, it
would be desirable that a code of regulations should be prepared by
a committee of experienced medical practitioners, by the observance
of which, the lives and health of the workpeople would be protected;
but, unless it were made obligatory by Act of Parliament on the