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and report upon it. There does not appear to be any correct record
of the building of Fulham Church, but it is supposed to have been
erected about the beginning of the 15th century. For upwards of
400 years, therefore, we may presume that this ground has been in
use for the burial of the dead. As will be seen from my Report
(which, as it was of an official character, I append hereto), its condition
is such as to call for judicial interference. For full 200 years
it received the dead both from Hammersmith and Fulham. The
earliest record now extant, beginning in the year 1G75, shews the
average burials for the following five years, in the two places, to
have been 123. Since that time the entries relating to each Parish
have been kept separately, and during ten years, 1680-1689, the
average burials for Fulham alone appear to have been 88. In 1809
they had only increased to 115, but in the year ending March 25th,
1863, they numbered 271. An order in Council has now been
issued for its closure, a copy of which is appended hereto.
COW-HOUSES.
During the year the Act has come into operation enforcing the
Licensing of Cow-houses. The whole of these places were duly
inspected and reported on to your Board, and, with two or three exceptions,
Licenses granted.
A recent inspection has shown that since the adoption of this
system a considerable improvement has been effected in many of
them which were previously in a very unwholesome condition. The
necessity for a Sanitary supervision over this branch of trade is
shown by the fearful mortality which has been known to prevail in
many of the London cow-houses.
The annual loss to the proprietors has been in numerous instances
even ruinous, whilst the continual slaughtering of animals in an advanced
stage of disease for human food has been carried to a fearful
extent. On this subject the association of Medical Officers of Health
has recorded the following opinion "The Association has information
that a very serious amount of disease exists among the
cows of the London Dairies, and that such animals are habitually
slaughtered and used as food. Further, that a large number of
diseased animals are daily imported into London and are exposed in
the markets, their disease being often of a contagious character;
these, also, are killed in the various slaughter-houses of London. The
Association also has reason to believe that much disease is produced
in the human subject by the consumption of the meat of such
animals. The Association desires, therefore, to record its opinion
that a more complete system of inspection, both at places of import
and at the markets is required; and also, that opportunities are
urgently needed for the systematic inspection of all animals at the
time of slaughtering."
WELL WATERS.
By direction of the Sanitary Committee I have been engaged in