The Sanitary Evolution of London

by Henry Jephson

The figures and the facts recorded afforded startling demonstration of the immensity of London, and of the growing gravity and complexity of the great problems of London life.

London was huge before—appalling almost in size and population; now it was shown to be huger than ever. Everything was on a more enormous scale. The masses of population were far larger, and were rapidly increasing; and with this increase everything concerning their existence became more and more complicated, and every reform more and more difficult. The removal of evils affecting their physical and social being would be a heavier task, the supervision of their conditions of life more onerous and exacting, and the provision of a government to secure their well-being a graver problem than ever.

One of the great forces unceasingly at work, and one of the great contributory causes to insanitation and to the maintenance of a high death-rate was, undoubtedly, drink. It led to poverty and overcrowding, it led to ill-health and greater susceptibility to disease; and the evils acted and reacted upon each other indefinitely—a vicious circle from which there was no escape, overcrowding leading to a craving for drink, and drink resulting in poverty and therefore overcrowding with its attendant evils and high mortality. Since the unfortunate moment in 1830 when Parliament deemed it expedient “for the better supplying the public with beer” to give greater facilities for the sale thereof, and scattered broadcast throughout the nation the seed of unlimited evil, facilities for drink not only of beer but of spirits have been practically unlimited. Against this source of evil, which is often mentioned in their reports, neither Medical Officers of Health nor Vestries could contend, and had no power to contend. But all through the history of the sanitary evolution of London this deep underlying curse was present, acting as a perpetual clog upon sanitary and social progress—a horrible, all-pervading and tremendous power for evil.

In the earlier years of this new decade of 1861–70 the central government—the Metropolitan Board of Works—was demonstrating the great utility of a central governing authority for London, and a task was nearing accomplishment which was absolutely the first essential, the very foundation of an improved state of the public health.

It was engaged in pressing vigorously forward the great system for the sewerage and drainage of London designed for taking off the sewage and refuse waters of a prospective population of three and a half million persons, and the rainfall of a drainage area of 117 square miles. Until those works were completed no great degree of sanitary improvement could be expected.

In 1861 the Board reported that a portion thereof had been finished, and as the work gradually progressed the Vestries were able to avail themselves of the deeper outfalls afforded, and to undertake drainage works in their several areas.

By 1865 the great task was virtually accomplished. Eighty-two miles of main intercepting sewers had been constructed, and the sewage was being conveyed away by them several miles distant from London.

Their completion enabled the Metropolitan Board to fill in the open sewers, which had so long polluted the atmosphere, and been such a fertile source of disease in the districts where they existed, and took away from the Vestries any excuse for delay in carrying out the construction and putting in order of the local sewers for which they were responsible.

The central authority had thus brought into existence a gigantic system of sewerage by which the river near London ceased to be the main sewer of London, and the whole of the metropolis was relieved of many of the most powerful causes of fever, cholera, and other destructive diseases. It was a great work, admirably and expeditiously carried out, and it cleared the way for other sanitary reforms which were impossible without an effective general system of sewerage, yet which were essential if a satisfactory condition of the public health were ever to be attained.

The central body also proved its great utility by securing uniformity in the sewerage and drainage works which fell to the duty of the local authorities to carry out. All plans by the Vestries had to be submitted to the Board so that the Board might see that they were consistent with the main system.