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7
wells contains also a large proportion of lime, which is chiefly injurious
in a pecuniary point of view, as it will not make good tea, and is unfit
for washing but it would also prove decidedly noxious to any person
predisposed to stone. The water of the deep wells is much better in
quality, and does not hold in solution more earthy salts than that
supplied by the water companies. It is much to be regretted that the
Metropolis Local Management Act does not afford any direct compulsory
powers of obtaining a water supply in those localities which do
not contain sewers; and even in those it could only be obtained by
requiring the owners of property to lay it on for other than cleansing
and drinking purposes.
There is another source of injury to health, which is but little known
to the public, I allude to the custom which has so long obtained in
London amongst the bakers, of mixing alum with their bread. This is,
I believe, introduced without any idea of the injury to health which its
habitual use will cause, and is used for the purpose of making the bread
retain a good shape, of whitening inferior flour, and of causing the
flour to absorb more water. The quantity introduced is about 1 lb.
to each 100 lbs. of flour, so that every person eating a pound of bread
daily, consumes as much alum as would ordinarily be administered
medicinally, if he required its exhibition. I believe that dyspepsia,
constipation, derangement of the liver, and headache frequently attend
the habitual use of alum in bread. I also regret to state that copper
has been found in bread, in rather large quantities, having most probably
been purposely introduced, as it produces similar changes on bread.
This adulteration is far more injurious of the two, and is an instance of
the too common prostitution of scientific knowledge to bad purposes.
As soon as I receive a supply of chemicals and chemical apparatus
I propose analysing bread and other articles of diet.
As you have not published the Special Reports, which I have from
time to time laid before you, on the sanitary arrangements in the workhouses
and other public institutions in your district, I now propose
presenting to you a brief epitome of their contents.
On the 3rd April, 1856, 1 laid before you a Report on the sanitary
condition and arrangements of the Hackney Workhouse, and stated
that " I had made a thorough inspection of the Workhouse, and had
been much gratified by the care and attention bestowed on the inmates,
and by the courtesy of the Master in pointing out the various wards,
the number of inmates, affording me the measurement of the wards,
and all other information I required." In order to ascertain the ratio
between the inmates and the number of cubic feet of air allowed to
each, I divided the number of cubic feet air by that of the persons,
and classed all wards as overcrowded, in which the inmates had not
the following allowance of air, viz. : 500 feet for each person in rooms
used for living and sleeping in, and 300 feet for each inmate in those
occupied as day or sleeping rooms only. Taking this scale as the
standard— 7 sick wards, 6 infirm wards, 9 sleeping wards, and two
children's wards, were overcrowded. The Master, however, informed
me that the house was unusually full at the time of my visit. I also stated
that "The general plan of ventilation adopted is very good, and considering
the number of inmates, answered very well. The day, and especially