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any remarks are appended by the Poor-Law Officers
as to insalubrity, over-crowding, or other conditions
which require the interference of the Sanitary Officers,
as regards cleansing, disinfecting, &c., they are at once
attended to. It is remarkable how few cases of
Zymotic diseases occur in the Poor-Law practice of
these districts.
It would be desirable for much more details to be
given as to the social state of patients under Poor-Law
treatment. These records should enable anyone to
ascertain how large a proportion were living in
kitchens, in dark and noisome places, without proper
clothing, beddiug, and washing and cooking utensils;
a further history of the cases should be noted as to the
drinking and improvident habits of adults, the School
attendance of the children; it might then be shown
how much and almost entirely, these things were concerned
in the production of pauperism and crime, in
the promotion as well as the cure of disease affecting
masses of the population, and for which as a remedial
agent the mere habit of prescribing medicines for their
ailments alone, is but a delusion.
The cases of infectious diseases under treatment are
all enquired into or removed, but since the Metropolitan
Asylum Hospitals have been established, infectious
forms of disease are not admitted into the Workhouse
Infirmary.
Registration Returns.
At the request of the Sanitary and Public Health
Committee in January last, I made a Report, with a