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REPORT.
To the Vestry of the Hamlet of Mile End Old Town.
Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit the Twenty-eighth Annual
Report upon the Public Health and Sanitary Condition of the Hamlet,
and in looking back upon the years which have elapsed, constituting
a generation, I cannot help contrasting the condition of matters now
with what it was before the public attention was directed to questions
of sanitation. Then the water supply was furnished to a great
extent by surface wells, and cesspools did the work of the vast sewers,
which make the London of to-day one of the best drained and
healthiest of habitations. Then, epidemics of every description
found a congenial nidus; and, as was shown in the Summary which
I had printed at your request two winters ago, the amount of sickness
and consequent mortality were much in excess of what legislation
and science combined have happily enabled them to be now reduced
to. Whether we may look forward to such a state of exemption
from disease as some sanguine persons hope to see is more than any
one would like to affirm. A remarkable attention to sanitary matters
and an abundant supply food, which even those out of work have
a larger share of than used to fall to the lot of the well-paid labourer
in former times, have contributed to keep down the rate of mortality.
At the same time, as our population is always increasing, and as
there are great fluctuations in trade and in the labour market, it is
well to bear in mind that any relaxation in the warfare waged against
sickness and mortality might knock away from under our feet much
of the confidence upon which we at present repose. "To be forewarned
is to be forearmed" in this as in every other danger.
As regards the sanitary condition of the Hamlet since my last
Report, nothing of very serious moment has occurred to alter the
state of things then existing. Nor does it seem necessary to go over
again ground upon which I have often touched in previous Reports;
such as "Population and Acreage," "Water Supply" and "Labourers'
Dwellings." I must still express regret that the Water Companies
possess the power of cutting off the water supply from houses where
the rates are not paid, for this involves serious risk to the public
health, and it seems clear that the proper way to prevent this is by
summary proceedings against defaulters.
It is curious to observe that the Marriages in the Hamlet were
only one less last year than they were the year before. The number
of births is nearly the same as it was two years ago (4147 against
4141), while the deaths have been, however, considerably in excess
of what they were in the two previous years, viz.: 2932 against 2296
and 2371 respectively. Of these the largest proportion has been
among young children, whooping-cough and scarlet-fever being the
most prolific causes. It must not be forgotten either that the
mortality bills are largely increased by the deaths of persons occurring
in the Workhouses, &c., who belong to country or other parishes,