London:
“Marylebone Mercury” Steam Printing Offices,
6, North Street, Manchester Square, W.
PREFACE.
The following pages having already appeared in the form of letters in the Marylebone Mercury, any preface on my part might be deemed unnecessary. Having been repeatedly asked to collect and publish them, I intended to revise if not rewrite the whole, but my professional duties have deprived me of the time, so at once I place them in the hands of my indulgent readers. This pamphlet does not pretend to be a treatise on Hygiène, but simply to hint at some of the evils which arise from the neglect of sanitary regulations, also to suggest some simple remedies, and further to try and induce men to regard health as one of the most valuable and sacred gifts of God.
BENSON BAKER.
94, Lisson Grove, N.W.
THE
SANITARY CONDITION OF THE POOR,
IN RELATION TO
DISEASE, POVERTY, AND CRIME.
The relation of the rich to the poor, and the poor to the rich, has always been a subject of interest to the philosopher, moralist, economist, and philanthropist. This relation was, in feudal times, clearly enunciated, and as vigorously acted upon. The dark days and long evenings that witnessed the tolling of the curfew bell have passed away. Since those days we have made advances in social and political freedom, and class distinctions have become less obvious. Freedom of thought has developed a greater equality of social rights; but are the poor really any better off now than they were in the days when William hunted in the New Forest? I confess that many will reply in the affirmative; but when I see around me on every side so much disease, poverty, utter wretchedness, and crime, I conceive it difficult for the condition of man to be worse than that in which thousands in this metropolis exist. Look at the condition of the overcrowded dwellings of the poor; they are not homes. The word home in its full and happy significance and association is unknown to them. The proud boast of every Englishman, that his house is his castle, is a mere fiction. “There is no place like home, be it ever so humble,” is a truth that meets with the faintest response from thousands of miserable tenants who live in yet more miserable tenements.
That the condition of the dwellings of the poor does not free them from the obligation to observe personal cleanliness is perfectly true, neither does the neglect of personal cleanliness on their part justify the landlord in neglecting the sanitary condition of his houses. It is to be regretted that more liberal and enlightened measures are not adopted. I feel confident that if the dwellings of the poor were made healthy and comfortable, there would be a marked improvement in the status of the poor. With improved health, cleanliness, and comfort we should obtain improved industry and prosperity; and this would not be confined exclusively to the poor, but its influence would be felt through every grade of society. It would tend to lessen the selfishness of the prosperous, and the suspicious jealousy and impostures of the unfortunate. We are apt to forget that:—
“Is there for honest poverty
That hangs his head, and a’ that?
The coward slave, we pass him by,
And dare be poor, for a’ that.
The rank is but the guinea stamp,
The man’s the gowd, for a’ that.”
Man is to a very great extent the creature of circumstances, and is greatly influenced by external objects. That which we like we become like. The fine arts cultivate the æsthetic part of a man’s nature; painting, sculpture, and poetry develop a man’s imagination. One man by a constant contemplation of the beautiful acquires the habit of admiring the beautiful; another man by the constant association with dirt becomes dirty. Repeated acts of thought grow into action, and actions repeated grow into habits, and habits form the character of the man: hence the importance of a cleanly, comfortable, and healthy home. A family that lives in a dirty room, with nothing but dirty associations, must grow up dirty. Thoughts grow in us as grain in wood. The mental qualities of the poor are undeveloped, and especially the moral force of character which is requisite to raise them above their circumstances is hardly to be looked for. If the poor could be accommodated with healthy dwellings they might reasonably be expected to better their condition; but what man can wage a successful war against disease and poverty combined? Unhealthy dwellings not only keep them poor, but foster a reckless indifference as to how things go with them. This apathetic condition is the worst that can befall either the individual or society. Idleness, dirt, poverty, disease, and crime are intimate companions, though not inseparable. The logic of the indifferent poor amounts to this: that those who work must pay for those that don’t; and hence arises one of the great difficulties in dealing with and relieving the poor. There are many limited companies formed to carry out various commercial enterprises; but if a limited company could be formed to erect suitable dwellings for the poor, at such a rental as they now pay, it would confer an unspeakable benefit on the poor, benefit society generally, and pay the really patriotic shareholders an equitable percentage. This I merely throw out as a suggestion, but I am convinced if carried out, it would be one of the best means of effectually helping the poor to help themselves. I conceive that whatever tends to smooth the rugged surface of life, and to soften its harsher features, and to multiply the sources of human health and enjoyment, must be held worthy of notice; and in so far as it tends to improve the condition of the poor, and foster in them provident and careful habits, just so far ought it to receive our generous sympathy and support. That this may not be mistaken to be merely philanthropic statement, but that it is based upon a principle of true social economy, I quote the following from Smith’s Wealth of Nations: