[60]. Mr. George Lee, the Registrar of the St. Giles’ South District reports generally, as to the condition of the worst parts of the district, that they are characterized by insufficient drainage, indifferent supply of water, cleanliness neglected.
Mr. John Yardley, Registrar of St. George, Bloomsbury District.—“They are places without a thoroughfare to (two of them are built many feet below the surface of the street adjoining), and surrounded with houses of much greater height.”
[61]. Mr. W. Fitch, the Registrar of the St. Clement Danes’ District, describes the houses of the lower classes as excessively crowded.—“The number of persons sleeping in the same rooms are generally the whole family, from two to six persons, and often more. I beg to observe, that where persons occupy different rooms in one house they are generally very particular in keeping the doors of their rooms closed for the purpose of preventing others passing up and down stairs overlooking their abode, thereby causing a very great check to ventilation. Washing clothes, and placing them to dry in the rooms during the night, is another inconvenience the wretchedly poor are labouring under in many parts of my district, and this to a great extent.”
[62]. Mr. C. Mears, Registrar of Waterloo-road, No. 1 District.—In what parts of your district has the number of deaths registered in the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, and 1842 been the greatest in proportion to the population?—“In the undermentioned parts:—Whitehorse-street, Wootton-street, Windmill-street, Windmill-row, Little Windmill-street, and courts, Isabella-place, Broadwall, Cornwall-road and place, Cottage-place, Commercial road, Bond-place and Commercial-buildings, Princes court, Eaton-street, Brad-street, Roupell-street, New-street, Mitre-place, John-street, Salutation-place.” And state generally the condition of those unhealthy streets, courts, and houses, as to drainage, supplies of water, cleanliness.—“In the above places there is very imperfect drainage; very few have any communication with the sewers. The houses have cesspools, and the water runs to waste and settles on the surface, leaving the lower parts of the houses damp. Supplies of water tolerably good; cleanliness, indifferent.”
Mr. J. Green, Registrar of Waterloo-road, No. 2.—In what parts of your district has the greatest number of deaths occurred from small-pox, measles, scarlatina, hooping-cough, diarrhœa, dysentery, cholera, influenza, or fever (typhus)?—“Juston-street, Hooper-street, Whiting-street, Apollo-buildings, courts and streets adjacent, Charles-street, Harriot-street, Frazier-street, Lucretia-street, James street, Barnes-terrace, Granby-place and Granby-gardens, Burdett street, Francis street.” And state generally the condition of those unhealthy streets, courts, and houses, as to drainage, supplies of water, cleanliness.—“In the above-named streets the drainage is very imperfect, and much filthy water is thrown often into the streets. A plentiful supply of water. Many pay but little attention to cleanliness. Densely populated. In many houses from four to eight or nine in one room.”
[63]. Mr. R. Bell, the Registrar of the Kent-road District:—In what parts or your district has the number of deaths registered in the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, and 1842 been the greatest in proportion to the population?—“There are many close, filthy courts in this district; in these, the deaths are uniformly the highest; and the local registration does not correctly show this fact, for the people inhabiting them are very poor, and in extreme illness are often removed either to the workhouse or the hospitals, and they die in those places.” And state generally the condition of those unhealthy streets, courts, and houses as to drainage, supplies of water, cleanliness.—“Drainage,—open gutters choked, and pits of stagnant water. Supplies of water—good supply from water works. Cleanliness—as a general rule they seldom attend to this, unless they expect a visit from the medical or other officers: they excuse it by stating that they have to work for their living. The people live very close in small rooms; have often more than one bed in a room. Beds are made of straw and shavings to sleep on, and a great number sleep on the floor; from three to ten persons in a room; almost every room is a sleeping-room.”
Mr. J. Bedwell, the Registrar of the Borough-road District;—In what parts of your district has the number of deaths registered in the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, and 1842 been the greatest in proportion to the population?—“My district, formerly nearly a square, bounded on the west by about 50 houses in Blackfriars-road; on the south, by about 70, in the Borough road; on the east, by about the same number in Blackman-street, and partly on the north by Wellington-street; I find the greatest number of deaths in proportion to the population in the small streets within the above quadrangle. Drainage very deficient; supply of water plentiful; cleanliness little attended to by a great number. The density of population extreme. Small houses with a family in each room. We have lodging-houses in the Mint where from 50 to 150 sleep nightly; 10 large beds in one room in some of them.”
[64]. Mr. J. Paul, the Registrar of St. James’s District.—In what parts of your district has the greatest number of deaths occurred from small-pox, measles, scarlatina, hooping-cough, diarrhœa, dysentery, cholera, influenza, or fever (typhus)? And in what parts have epidemic diseases been most fatal?—“I do not know. Neither small-pox, scarlatina, measles, whooping-cough, diarrhœa, nor influenza has been peculiarly localized. My experience of a longer date as surgeon to the poor of the district leads me to believe that cholera, dysentery, and typhus fever have been more prevalent in London-street and its vicinity, and the Tar-yard. In both these places drainage is bad; and the inhabitants of the former locality obtain their supply of water from a running ditch—a common receptacle for everything, where a hundred cloacina empty themselves. Drainage is bad in many parts of the district; lots of small houses are built; streets of a better description unfinished; their proprietors, who look only to the cash returns, pay little attention to the drainage or cleanliness. There appears to be no remedy for these calamities. The supply of water is now pretty good.”
[65]. Mr. George Reynolds, the Registrar of the Church District, in answer to the question, In what parts of your district has the number of deaths registered in the years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, and 1842 been the greatest in proportion to the population? states. “In Beckford-row, Elliot-row, Alfred-place, Camden-gardens, Pitt-street, Pott-street, Camden-street, Wolverley-street, New York-street, and Ponderson-gardens.” And state generally the condition of those unhealthy streets, courts, and houses, as to drainage, supplies of water, cleanliness.—“The places I have named are entirely without drainage. Supply of water, one hand-cock to many houses. Cleanliness, great want of.” Name any particular streets or parts which, according to the facts that have fallen under your notice, appear to you to be healthy, and with reference to the points adverted to in the preceding question, compare the healthy with the unhealthy portions of your district.—“My entire district, I think, would be in a much more healthy condition had we efficient drainage; instead of which, even this, the main road of the parish, is without a sewer, notwithstanding the Commissioners of Sewers have been repeatedly memorialized, and the following fact brought under their notice, that the cellars of the houses do not extend to the depth of 3 feet 6 inches below the level of the carriage-road, and yet there is an average of 18 inches of water during the greater part of the winter season, that many persons are obliged to use the pump for many hours daily to preserve their property.” He gives the following letter from a medical officer of great experience:—
“289, Bethnal-green-road, October 31st, 1842.