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Office of the Board of Works, Whitechapel District,
No. 15, Great Alie Street,
Whitechapel, E.,
February 27th, 1886.
REPORT.
Gentlemen,
Permit me to preface this, my Second Annual Report,
with a brief tribute to the memory of your late Medical Officer, Mr.
John Liddle, who died at the age of 79, on May the 30th, 1885,
having performed the duties of Medical Officer since the Board was
constituted, until within about a year of his death. So well, and so
widely was he known amongst Sanitarians that for very many years
to come his name will be associated with Whitechapel, as a pioneer
of reform in many hygienic matters. It will always be remembered
that after the Artizans' and Labourers' Dwellings Acts became law,
Mr. Liddle was the first to seek benefits from them for his District,
and out of five representations which he made to the Metropolitan
Board of Works, he had the gratification to see three schemes
adopted by that Board. That the improvements thus carried out
have borne good fruit is manifest, and in proof thereof, I have only
to invite your attention to the present report and to ask you to compare
it with the reports so carefully compiled by Mr. Liddle before
those improvements to which I allude were effected.
Again, I well remember the energy, skill, and devoted work with
which Mr. Liddle battled with the terrible Cholera epidemic in 1866,
and as it was my privilege to work under his direction during those
exciting months, no one better than I, can speak to the outcome of
that general organization which probably determined the progress of
the disease. I feel that I only express the sentiment of your Board
when I add that he brought to bear upon all that he did a noble
spirit, a kind heart, and an unflinching adherence to duty, which
commanded him to all.