REPORT ON THE SANITARY CONDITION AND VITAL STATISTICS OF THE PARISH OF ST. MATTHEW, BETHNAL GREEN, DURING THE YEAR 1880-81. BY GEORGE PADDOCK BATE, M.D., Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh; Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society; Member of Council Society of Medical Officers of Health; and Medical Officer of Health for the Parish of Bethnal Green. LONDON: FORSAITH BROTHERS, STEAM PRINTERS, 329, BETHNAL GREEN ROAD, E. 1881. SUMMARY (1880). Population of Bethnal Green 127,000 Area—755 Acres. Number of Inhabited Houses 17,721 Average number of Persons to each House 7.1 Average number of Persons to each Acre 168.2 Total number of Deaths in the year 2,914 Total number of Births in the year 5,201 Marriage Rate 19.4 Death Rate 23.0 Birth Rate 40.9 Infantile Death Rate (on Births) 163.8 Young Children's Death Rate (on estimated number of Young Children) 76.4 Old People's Death Rate (on estimated number of Old People) 70.3 Zymotic Death Rate 4.3 SYNOPSIS of Medical Officer's Annual Report, 1880. page Population l The Population of London 3 Births and Deaths 5 Annual Death Rate 6 Births and Birth Rate 7 Marriages 7 Deaths of Infants 7 Deaths of Young Children 7 Deaths of Old People 8 Special causes of Death :— Zymotic Diseases 8 Seven Principal Zymotic Diseases 8 Small Pox 10 Measles 18 Scarlatina 18 Diphtheria 19 Fever 19 Whooping Cough 20 Diarrhoea 20 Alcoholism 20 Constitutional Diseases 21 Tubercular Disease 21 Diseases of the Nervous System 21 Respiratory Organs 21 Childbirth 22 Inquests 22 Violent Deaths 22 Uncertified Deaths 23 Deaths in Public Institutions:— Workhouse Infirmary 24 City of London Hospital, Victoria Park 24 Queen Adelaide's Dispensary 25 Bethnall House Lunatic Asylum 25 Mildmay Mission Hospital 25 iv. Disinfection versus Destruction PAGE Bedding Destroyed during the year 1880 26 Bedding Purified 27 Parishes not having a Disinfecting Apparatus 35 Parishes in possession of Disinfecting Apparatus, or having the use of one. 36-37 Cow Houses 38 Slaughter Houses 40 Palmer's Brickfield 40 Fish Curing 42 Bad Meat 42 Water Supply 44 Chalets 47 Analysis during the year 47 Sale of Food and Drugs' Act, 1875 47 Mortuary 48 Regulations48 Waste Land in Norfolk Street 49 Sanitary Work 49 Tables:— I.—Shewing Population, Inhabited Houses, Births, Deaths, and Marriages for 1880 and ten years preceding 51 II.—Annual Birth Rate, Rate of Mortality, Death Rate among Children, and Deaths in Public Institutions for the year 1880 and ten years preceding 52 III.—Deaths registered at several groups of ages, from different causes, during the year 1880 53 IV.—Shewing the Mortality from certain classes of Diseases, and proportions to Population, and to 1000 Deaths, 1880 58 IV. (a)—Total Births and Deaths, and Deaths from some Zymotic and other causes 59 IV. (b)—Total Marriages, Births, and Deaths, and Deaths from some Zymotic and other causes, by Quarters 61 IV. (c)—Total Births and Deaths, and Deaths from some Zymotic and other causes in London, during the year 1880 62 V.—Shewing the number of Deaths from the seven principal Zymotic Diseases, inclusive of Hospital Deaths, in the ten years, 1870 to 1879, and in the year 1880 63 VI.—Inspectors' Report of Sanitary Work, &c. 64 VII.—Vaccination 65 VIII.—Analysis of the Mortality in London during the year 1880 66 IX.—Area, Population, Density, and Mortality in England and London 67 Report Gentlemen, I have the honour to lay before you my Sixth Annual Report upon the Vital Statistics of the parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green, for the registration year 1880. The usual Statistical Tables are placed in the Appendix. They are, with a few minor modifications, prepared upon the standard forms now used by the majority of Metropolitan Medical Officers of Health, and have the great advantage of readily allowing a comparison of the statistics of one parish with those of others. POPULATION. I have remarked in previous reports, that there is very considerable difficulty in correctly gauging yearly the increase or decrease in the population of Metropolitan parishes, and as ten years are allowed to elapse between each census, it becomes year by year more and more difficult to form an estimate of the numbers as the period for taking the new census approaches. This is shown in this Parish ; for though I worked upon the RegistrarGeneral's own plan, which is based upon the hypothesis that the population of a growing district will have increased in a ratio derived from the comparison of the increase that occurred in the preceding decade, and though I largely discounted the estimate so formed; yet, as was shown by the recent census, I was no less than 6000 out in my calculation.* I shall in this and my next report give up guessing, and accept the census enumeration of 1881 as the basis of my statistics. Some persons may even then consider that I am taking too high a figure for 1879; but I believe that our population for the last year or two has been almost, if not quite, stationary; our births this year are even fewer than last, and our deaths have decreased. In my past reports it has been my custom to check the estimate of population by the number of inhabited houses, as shown by the rate books, and for 1879 the number thus shown is 17,721 ; but upon referring to * Dr. Sarvis.the late Medical Officer for this Parish, in his last report, estimated the population of Bethnal Green at 127,000 in the year 1874, within six of the census enumeration of 1881. 2 the Registrar-General's Preliminary Report, just issued, I find he gives the number of houses inhabited on the 4th of April, 1881, the day the census was taken, at only 16,663, a difference of 1058. I was at first rather staggered by this discrepancy; but upon making further enquiries, I find it may be accounted for to a considerable extent by the fact that the Registrar-General counts each block of tenements in the Improved Industrial Dwellings as one house only, though many of these blocks contain ten separate dwellings, each assessed and appearing in the rate books as a "house," and that this applies to all buildings of a like nature having a common staircase.* Another disturbing element is the compound householder. Landlords of small house property have the power, and usually elect, to "compound" for their rates; that is to say, they pay on the whole of their house property, whether occupied or not, upon the condition of receiving back a handsome discount. This plan saves endless bother and confusion to the collectors, but it upsets my calculations, as a landlord may have half his houses empty, but, as he pays rates on each, every one appears in the collectors' books as occupied. I was quite ignorant of this until a few weeks back, and in previous reports had adopted the plan of checking my estimate of population by the number of houses shown by the rate books, with the result of falling into the error of over-estimating. The number of houses shown by the rate books, though varying somewhat from year to year, remains considerably less than in 1875, in which year there were 17,945. Then came the process of demolition by the Great Eastern Railway Company, the Metropolitan Board of "Works, and the School Board. The number of dwellings gradually diminished till 1878, since that year they have been slowly increasing again, chiefly by the action of the various companies for the erection of large blocks of Industrial Dwellings. Each tenement of these, though separately assessed and counting in the rate books as a house, accommodates fewer inhabitants than an average dwelling. The average number of inhabitants in each tenement of the Improved Industrial Dwellings Company on the Waterlow Estate is only about five persons, while that for the whole parish is about seven per house, and for the whole of the Metropolis about eight. It must be borne in mind, however, that the Metropolitan average is * By the 5th section of the Parliamentary and Municipal Registration Act, 1878, it is enacted that the term "dwelling-house" shall include any part of a house where that part is separately occupied as a dwelling. 3 calculated upon a number of houses which entirely disregards the tenement system. The following note on the population of the Metropolis will probably be read with interest, as it shows what changes have taken place around us:— THE POPULATION OF LONDON. According to the last return of the Registrar-General, the enumerated population of London, subject to slight revision, was 3,814,571 on the 3rd April last. In 1871 the population was 3,254,260; the increase therefore in ten years is 560,311, a total not far from the total of Liverpool. The decennial rate of increase has been 17 per cent,, whereas in 1861-71 it was 16 per cent., and in 1851-61 it was nearly 19 per cent. Taking equal area the population since 1801 are as follow Year. Population. 1801 958,863 1811 1,138,815 1821 1,378,947 1831 1,654,994 1841 1,948,417 1851 2,362,236 1861 2,803,989 1871 3,254,260 1881 3,814,571 The districts north of the Thames now have a population of 2,548,993, the number in 1871 having been 2,286,568. The increase is therefore 262,425, and the decennial rate of increase nearly 12 per cent. These returns are set out in the following table:— District. Population, 1871. Population, 1881. Kensington 217,112 270,022 Fulham 66,041 114,811 Chelsea 71,089 88,101 St. George's, Hanover-square 155,936 149,603 Westminster 51,181 46,456 Marylebone 159,254 155,004 Hampstead 32,281 45,436 St. Pancras 221,465 236,209 Islington 213,778 282,628 Hackney 124,951 186,400 St. Giles 53,556 45,257 Strand 41,339 33,514 Holborn 163,491 151,716 London, City 75,983 51,306 Shoreditch 127,164 126,565 Bethnal Green 120,104 127,006 Whitechapel 76,573 71,350 St. George's, East 48,052 47,011 Stepney 57,690 58,500 Mile End 93,152 105,573 Poplar 116,376 156,525 Total North London 2,286,568 2,548,993 4 These districts are those that are adopted for the purposes of registration; they are for the most part identical with the Poor Law Unions of the same names; or, as in the cases of Islington and Camberwell, are complete parishes, each with its own Board of Guardians. Increase of population is seen in most of the districts just enumerated; but on the other hand, St. George's, Hanover-square, St. Giles's, Strand, Holborn, Shoreditch, Whitechapel, St. George's-in-the-East, and very notably London Proper, show considerable decline, due to the extension of railway works and great Metropolitan improvements. Islington has increased by 68,850—about one third of the population in 1871—but a similar vast increase is also seen in many other places. London, south of the Thames, now has a population of 1,265,578, against 967,692 in 1871; hence the increase of population is 297,886, and the decennial rate nearly 31 per cent., which is not far from three time3 as high as that for North London. These returns London, south of the Thames, now has a population of 1,265,578, against 967,692 in 1871; hence the increase of population is 297,886, and the decennial rate nearly 31 per cent., which is not far from three time3 as high as that for North London. These returns are thus epitomised:— District. Population, 1871. Population, 1881. St. Saviour, Southwark 175,049 195,111 St. Olive, Southwark 122,398 134,586 Lambeth 208,342 253,569 Wandsworth 125,060 210,397 Camberwell 111,306 186,555 Greenwich 100,600 131,264 Lewisham 51,557 73,314 Woolwich 73,380 80,782 Total South London 967,692 1,265,578 The district of St. Saviour, Southwark, now includes, amongst others, the parish of Newington; while that of St. Olive takes in Rotherhithe and Bermondsey. Newington showed considerable advance, while Christ Church and St. Saviour's parishes have both declined. St. James's, Bermondsey, and Rotherhithe have advanced, the former from 47,933 to 54,662, and the latter from 27,096 to 36,010. Of the Lambeth sub-districts, Brixton shows great increase, namely, from 35,435 to 62,817, and Norwood from 12,536 to 19,017. The Wandsworth district, which includes the parishes of Clapham, Battersea, Wandsworth, Putney, and Streatham, has nearly doubled itself in ten years, the subdistricts of Battersea rising from 54,016 to 107,248; Wandsworth, from 19,783 to 28,005; Putney, from 9,439 to 13,221; and Streatham, from 12,148 to 25,545. The parish of Camberwell has increased from 111,306 to 186,555; the sub-district of Peckham advancing from 42,160 to 71,065; St. Giles, from 31,254 to 59,090; and St. George's, from 33,851 to 50,810. Dulwich, with its extensive College lands, only advances from 4,041 to 5,590. Sydenham has increased from 19,065 to 26,070. From the figures furnished by Sir Brydges Henneker, it will be seen that our population has increased from 120,104 m 1871, to 127,006 in 1881, an increase of 6902, a rate of 5.7 percent., against 14.3 per cent, for the decade, 1861 to 1871. The increase seems to have occurred chiefly in the Green and Church Sub-Districts, the Hackney road and Town Districts both showing au actual decrease. 5 TABLE A. Number of Houses, Workshops, &c., in the Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green. DIVISIONS. COLLECTORS. Inhabited houses. Workshops separate from houses. Saw mills and timber yards. Schools. REMARKS. East Ward W. I. Shenton 4976 32 13 13 A Brickfield in the District. West Ward (North Division) H. Liebrecht 2600 78 10 7 West Ward (South Division) W. N. Eagles 1664 10 9 5 Three Railway Arches. North Ward E. S. Smith 3020 18 21 5 South Ward H. J. Bliss 5461 174 3 9 Total, 1880 17721 312 56 39 Total, 1879 17475 123 71 46 As will be seen by Table A, the figures in which are taken from the books of the rate collectors, we have this year 17,721 houses assessed, against 17,475 in 1879, an increase of 246 dwellings. Each of these occupied (?) houses has an average of 7.1 inhabitants. Our parish covers an area of 755 acres, and each acre has an average population of 168.2 persons. The Registrar-General, in his annual report, gives the density of London at 7.8 inhabitants to each house, and 42 persons to each acre for the year 1871. BIRTHS AND DEATHS. The number of deaths registered in this parish during the year was 2883, against 3022 last year. Amongst these were the deaths of 126 non-parishioners, who had been placed for purposes of medical treatment in the various Public Institutions within our bounds. These nonresidents I have excluded from the total deaths; but as numbers of our parishioners apply for treatment, and are admitted as in-patients at other Metropolitan Hospitals, a certain amount of these must die annually. This number I have no means of ascertaining, and the only way I can form an estimate of them is by taking an average hospital death rate in the united London Hospitals, and this was 3.9 per thousand population. 6 Our proportion at this rate would be 503; but as only 346 of our own people did die in 1880 in Bethnal Green Hospitals, we must add on to the total number of deaths of parishioners 157, the difference between these two numbers, making a corrected total of 2914, against 3069 last year. The births during the corresponding period were 5201, against 5246 in the preceding year. The excess of the births over the deaths was 110 greater than the previous year, as is shown in the subjoined table. TABLE B. 1879. 1880. Estimated population in the 133,300 127,000 Total Birth 5,246 6,201 Total Deaths 3,069 2,914 Excess of Births over Deaths, showing the natural increase of the population 2,177 2,287 On the 13th of February, at 55, Seabright street, Mrs. Wales, wife of a tea cooper, gave birth to four children, two boys and two girls. The girls were stillborn; the boys lived 46 and 69 hours respectively. ANNUAL DEATH EATE. Taking the Registrar-General's enumeration as the basis of our calculation, we show an annual rate of mortality for the year 1880 of 23.0 per thousand, against a precisely similar rate for last year and the two preceding years; in all of which, however, our population was certainly over-estimated. The corresponding rates for the whole of London were 23.3 in 1879, and 22.2 in 1880; but as the population in London was under-estimated by the Registrar-General, the death rate, as calculated upon the numbers enumerated in the last census, was really only 21.5 per thousand. The following table compares the mortality for London and for Bethnal Green by quarters. 7 TABLE C. London. Bethnal Green. March Quarter 27.3 27.0 June ,, 19.4 18.9 September „ 21.3 22.7 December „ 20.9 23.0 BIRTHS AND BIRTH RATE. 5201 births were registered during the year, a rate of 40.9 per thousand population. The Metropolitan rate for the corresponding period was 36.2, a difference in our favour of 4.7. MARRIAGES. The number of marriages registered during the year was 2465, indicating a rate of 19.4 to every thousand persons living, or as it takes two people to make a marriage, 38.8 of every thousand of our population entered the bonds of matrimony. DEATHS OF INFANTS, (Under 1 Year). Of the total number of deaths from all causes 29.2 per cent, were those of infants aged less than twelve months ; for out of 5201 children born during the year 852 died before attaining that age, only 4349 surviving. This gives a death rate, calculated upon the births, of 163.8, or of 6.7 per thousand population. The diseases most fatal to infants were :—Atrophy and Debility, 146 ; Bronchitis and Pneumonia, 144; Liarrhcea, 100; Convulsions, 91; Whooping Cough, 52; Premature Birth, 46; Consumption of the Bowels, 43; Suffocation, 41; Water on the Brain, 38. DEATHS OF YOUNG CHILDREN, (Under 5 Years). Out of the total number of deaths registered in this district 1468, a fraction over half (50.3 per cent.), were those of young children under the age of five years. Assuming that the proportion of young children to adults has been maintained since the census in 1871, the number living in the parish in 1880 would be 19,200. Taking this estimate as the basis of our calculation, we show a death rate of 76.4 per thousand children. 8 DEATHS OF OLD PEOPLE, (Over 60 Years). The number of old people, on the above method of computation, would be 7280, and as 512 deaths were registered amongst persons over sixty years of age, we show a death rate of 70.3 per thousand old people. The corresponding rate for all London was 74.6. SPECIAL CAUSES OF DEATH. (Vide Table III.) Class I.—ZYMOTIC DISEASES. The total deaths referred to this class of disorders were 615, of which 498 were those of children under five years of age. Amongst these, 218 —or nearly half—occurred in that most fatal period, the first year of life. No less than 100 of these deaths were from Diarrhoea, and 52 from Whooping Cough. THE SEVEN PRINCIPAL ZYMOTIC DISEASES. The deaths registered from diseases grouped under this head were 515, against 455 last year, an increase of 60. The subjoined Table shows the mortality for this year contrasted with last. TABLE D. 1879. 1880. Small Pox 1 20 Measles 106 34 Scarlet Fever 76 114 Diphtheria 12 8 Whooping Cough 147 140 Fever Typhus 1 3 Enteric 33 21 Simple 9 6 Diarrhœa 68 164 Cholera 2 5 From the returns of the Fever and Small Pox Hospitals, however, We find that 202 cases of Small Pox and 63 cases of Fever have been removed from the parish. Thirty-one of those suffering from Small Pox, and 7 9 of those suffering from Fever, died in hospital. These 38 must therefore be added to the 515 registered Zymotic deaths, raising the total to 553, and giving a Zymotic death rate of 4.3, against 3.5 last year. The corresponding rate for London was 3.7. TABLE E. Report of cases admitted into the Small Pox and Fever Hospitals during the year 1880. HOMERTON FEVER HOSPITAL. No. of Cases remaining at end of 1879. No. of Cases Admitted. Discharged. Died. No. of Cases remaining at end of 1880. 4 63 46 7 14 HOMERTON SMALL FOX HOSPITAL. 3 174 124 27 26 DEPTFORD SMALL POX HOSPITAL. 3 28 12 4 15 FULHAM SMALL POX HOSPITAL. 0 0 0 0 0 Of the total deaths from all causes in Bethnal Green, 18.9 per cent. (189.4 per thousand) were referred to the Zymotic group of diseases, and 17 per cent, for the whole of London. The decennial average of Zymotic diseases for the years 1870 to 1879 is 598.6, 45 above the number for 1880. In 1879, total deaths were 3069, out of which 474 were Zymotic deaths. In 1880; ,, ,, 2914, ,, 553 ,, 155 less. 79 more. 10 Now, this very considerable increase was due to three diseases, Small Pox, Scarlet Fever, and Diarrhoea. The first two diseases have'been epidemic, and will be more particularly referred to. The Diarrhoea was principally infantile, and was probably in a great measure owing to improper feeding. The total deaths from the group of Zymotic diseases were equal to 189.4 per thousand from all causes. In the subjoined Table is shown the per centage of each on the total number of Zymotic deaths, including hospital cases. TABLE F. Small Pox 9.22 per cent., or 1 in 10.84 deaths. Measles 6.14 „ „ 16.26 „ Scarlatina 20.61 „ „ 4.85 „ Diphtheria 1.44 „ „ 69.12 „ Whooping Cough . 25.31 „ ,, 3.95 „ Fever 6.69 „ „ 14.94 „ Diarrhœa 29.65 „ „ 3.37 „ Cholera 90 „ „ 110.6 „ SMALL POX. (Decennial averaqe, 75.3). 405 cases of Small Pox were reported to us. Of these 20 died at their own homes, 202 were removed to hospital, of whom 31 died, and 41 remained under treatment at the end of the year. Of the deaths in the parish only two were certified as vaccinated. One was a child, aged two years and six months, "stated to have been vaccinated," and the other, aged two years and eleven months, "vaccinated 12 were unvaccinated, seven of whom were under five years of age. In the remaining six cases no information could be obtained as to the performance of the operation, but none of them was younger than five years. As to the hospital deaths, which form by far the larger proportion of our cases, I could obtain no information on this point. These numbers are much too small to base any statements upon them as to the protective power of vaccination; but I think "beyond dispute that careful and efficient infant vaccination, followed by equally efficient revaccination at ten or twelve years of age, in the great majority of instances, confers practical protection from Small Pox."—(lancet). Dr. Buchanan, the Medical Officer of the Local Government Board, has written a memorandum on the present prevalence of Small Pox in London, which 11 has been printed as a Parliamentary paper. He bases his statements upon the returns of the Registrar-General in respect to the extent of vaccination amongst those who have died from Small Pox, and draws the following conclusions:—Firstly, that the vaccinated are much less liable to die of Small Pox than the unvaccinated; secondly, that vaccination is not an absolute protection against Small Pox; and, thirdly, that the degree of protection afforded by vaccination is greatest to people under five years of age, and diminishes as the age advances. Dr. Buchanan considers that the statistics must be regarded as pointing strongly to a need for repeating vaccination as age advances. He also urges that the degree of protection afforded depends on the thoroughness of the vaccination. Now, there is no doubt that much of the so-called vaccination in this country, although certified as successful, is really so imperfect as to confer very little protection against Small Pox, and it is this which throws so much discredit upon vaccination. The whole machinery of vaccination requires searching investigation, and ruthless exposure where necessary. I take the liberty of here repeating a suggestion, made by me some years ago, that the inspection of vaccination, and certification of its efficacy, should be entrusted to some one other than the vaccinator himself. The public vaccinator of one district might be made viewer or inspector of the next, and vice versa, somewhat after the manner in which, in large houses of business, one assistant checks and counter-signs the bill of his colleague. This would doubtless cause a good deal of extra trouble and expense, but I feel sure the result would be worth it. I wonder what business men would think of the policy of trusting a builder to certify as to the excellence of his own work as the sole condition precedent to his receiving payment for the completion of his contract. I think, too, that the certificates should show the number and size of the resulting cicatrices, and that a child imperfectly vaccinated should be compelled to undergo the operation again after the lapse of two or three years, instead of waiting for adolescence. According to recent returns, little more than 6 per cent, of the children in this parish escape successful vaccination; and yet it appears from a report, based upon a house to house visitation, made by four assistants to the Vaccination Officer, by order of the Guardians, that out of a total of 6018 children under fourteen, respecting whom enquiries had been made, no less than 828, or 13.8 per cent., were unvaccinated. Such a failure of 12 the machinery of "our compulsory" vaccination calls for explanation, and throws some light on the causation of the present fatal epidemic. I believe that many children escape vaccination through their parents purposely neglecting to register their births. One medical man in this neighbourhood has informed me that a patient of his, a rabid antivaccinator, used formerly to avoid the operation of the law by frequently changing his residence, but that he now found it much less trouble to simply "omit" the registration. I had some correspondence with the Registrar-General upon this subject. The information upon which my letter was founded was furnished by our late Vaccination Officer, Mr. "Winter. As I have no right of access to the books, I have no means of verifying the statements, which I therefore give just as they were handed to me:— 1.—C. F. S., aged eleven months, died from Small Pox, at 51, New York street; never vaccinated ; had not been registered, though born in the same room in which it died. 2.—H., two-and-a-half years old, died 8th of October, at 31, New York street. 3.—A sister of the above died a few weeks subsequently ; neither child registered or vaccinated, though born in the same house. 4.—Child admitted into Hospital from Turville buildings; born somewhere in the parish; registered as from a house in Virginia row; could not be found by Vaccination Officer at address given. 5. 6, and 7.—Several cases from Waterlow buildings. Though born in the same dwellings as when taken from to Hospital, could not be found by Vaccination Officer, as wrong numbers had been given to the Registrar. 8 and 9.—Two cases in Tapp street. The Officer stated that the parents had been moving about to avoid vaccination. The particulars of the non-registered cases were placed before the Registrar-General, and the following answer was received:— General Register Office, Somerset House, London, W.C., 5th November, 1880. Sir,—With further reference to your letter of the 27th ultimo, I am directed by the Registrar-General to inform you that he learns from the Registrar of the Church SubDistrict, Bethnal Green, that as regards the three deaths from Small Pox, which took place at 31, New York street, two of the children (Horton) were of an age beyond that within which the parents could be required to have the births registered, and the birth of the other child (Cox) had been duly registered. The other cases which occurred in this SubDistrict were either similar to the first-mentioned, or the parents have since the deaths removed from the District, and the Registrar has consequently been unable to ascertain whether the births occurred in his Sub-District, or elsewhere. The Registrar-General has instructed the Registrars of the several Sub-Districts of Bethnal Green, in future, to give him early intimation of the neglect of parents to give information respecting births. I am, Sir, your obedient Servant, G. P. BATE, Esq., M.D., WILLIAM CLODE, Secretary. Medical Officer of Health, The Vestry Hall, Church Row, Bethnal Green, E. 13 CASES OF SMALL POX: STREETS AND PLACES, No. 1 DISTRICT. Ann street 6 Albion buildings 2 Albion place 1 Ada place 1 Austin street 2 Bethnal Green road 3 Baroness road 1 Blyth street 2 Camden street 7 Cambridge road 2 Cambridge street 2 Crescent place 3 Clarkson street 1 Cross street 1 Columbia square 3 Christopher street 3 Centre street 1 Canrobert street 1 Collingwood street 4 Diss street 2 Durant street 3 Emma street 1 Fournier street 8 Felix street 3 George street 2 Gardens 8 Gosset street 1 Gibraltar gardens 1 Gibraltar walk 3 Glos'ter street 2 Hammond's gardens 2 Hill street 1 Hope street 2 James street 2 Leopold buildings 1 Matilda street 1 Mount street 1 Marian square 2 Mount School court 2 Mansford street 1 Nelson street 2 New Nichol street 3 New street 4 Old Bethnal Green road 1 Orange street 6 Paradise row 5 Paradise place 1 Peter street 1 Punderson gardens 14 Pollard row 3 Princes street 1 Princes court 2 Quilter street 1 Sweet Apple Square 1 Seabright street 1 Sherwood place 2 St. Jude place 4 St. Peter street 2 Teesdale street 1 Temple street 2 Treadway street 2 Turville buildings 1 Turville street 6 Teal street 18 Turin street 2 York street 1 Thorold street 1 Wolverley street 4 Wimbolt street 1 Wellington row 1 Wharf road 2 Warner place 4 York street 20 14 No. 2 DISTRICT. Abingdon street 1 Anglesea street 3 Arundel street 1 Artillery street 2 Bethnal Green road 1 Birkbeck street 4 Brady street 4 Busby street 5 Carlton place 1 Chilton street 2 Clarence street 1 Corfield street 4 Derbyshire street 3 Duke street 1 Eastman street 1 Edward street 1 Finnis street 2 Fuller street 2 Hare street 10 Hare Marsh 1 Kelsey street 1 Lisbon street 3 London street 3 Menotti street l Nottingham street 4 Norfolk street 1 Oakley street 2 Pott street 3 Rider's court 1 Sclater street l Scott street 8 Seabright street l Somerford street 1 Southampton place 2 Southboro' place 2 Tapp street 4 Teal street 5 Thomas street 21 Three Colt lane l Viaduct street l West street 2 "White street 4 Wilmot street 5 Winchester street 1 No. 3 DISTRICT. Brierley street 4 Bishop's road 2 Bonwell street 1 Burgoyne road 1 Cyprus street 3 Chester street 2 Collins place 1 Ellesmere road 3 Ely place 1 Gardners road 4 Gore road 1 Globe road 7 Green street 1 Hamilton road 2 Iluntslet street 2 Kenilworth road 1 Moss street 4 Morpeth street 3 North place 2 Old Ford road 1 Olga street 1 Pleasant place 1 Preston street 4 Patriot square 1 Royston street 1 Salisbury street 2 Vivian road 1 Warley street 1 West street 2 15 HOW INFECTIOUS DISEASES ARE SPREAD. In the early part of October eight cases of Small Pox occurred at one house in York street, amongst the members of two families. In both instances the parents obstinately refused to permit their children to be removed to hospital, and as each family occupied two rooms, I did not feel justified in taking the case before a magistrate for the purpose of obtaining a compulsory order. Three of the children died. After the death of one of them, what is called a "friendly lead" was held at a neighbouring public-house, for the purpose of raising funds for the funeral expenses. This was attended by the parents and friends of the dead child (for aught I know) in the very clothes they wore while nursing it, for the potman, and several persons who attended the "lead," took the disease, and at least one person died of it. The owner of 14, Artillery street, was summoned to Worship street for failing to comply with an order to cleanse and disinfect his premises, after the occurrence of three cases of Small Pox in the house. Notices were served by the Inspector in the usual manner, and for twelve days after the expiration of the notice nothing was done. At the hearing of the case, the landlord pleaded that he was waiting to get rid of his tenants before commencing the work; but the Magistrate did not consider this a sufficient excuse, and imposed a penalty of £3 and costs. The owner of a house in Sale street actually let his premises to new tenants without having the house cleansed and disinfected, after three cases of Scarlet Fever had occurred there. Notices had been served in the ordinary way, but the landlord, instead of doing the work, turned his tenants out, and closed the house. This was about the middle of May. Shortly afterwards we found the premises re-let, a man, his wife, and a young family being in residence there. No cleansing or disinfecting had been done. The landlord was summoned to Worship street, and Mr. Bushby, the magistrate, said he considered it a most iniquitous thing to imperil the lives of people by letting strangers into a house where others had suffered from a horribly contagious disease before the premises had been disinfected. He fined him £10 and 21s. costs. COMPULSORY REMOVAL OF SMALL POX CASES. On the 16th of November, information was received that a number of Small Pox cases were being concealed and treated at home, without 16 medical aid, in the neighbourhood of Thomas street. The premises were visited, and four children suffering from this disease were found, in two instances without any medical attendant. The parents in each case had only one room in which to eat, drink, and sleep. As they all declined to have the children removed to hospital, proceedings were taken under the 26th section of the Sanitary Act, 1866, which provides, "Where a hospital or place for the reception of the sick is provided within the district of a nuisance authority, any justice may, with the consent of the superintending body of such hospital or place, by order on a certificate signed by a legally qualified medical practitioner, direct the removal to such hospital or place for the reception of the sick, at the cost of the nuisance authority, of any person suffering from any dangerous, contagious, or infectious disorder, being without proper lodging or accommodation, or lodging in a room occupied by more than one family, or being on board any ship or vessel." In each case I gave a certificate that the children suffering from Small Pox were without proper lodging or accommodation for isolation and treatment, basing my opinion upon the fact that the parents had one room only, and though nothing is said in the Act about isolation and treatment, I considered the word accommodation sufficiently vague to bear the interpretation I put upon it. Anyway, the magistrate acted upon my certificate, and ordered the immediate removal of the children. The magistrate's certificate was handed by Mr. Lapworth to the Relieving Officer for the district, and he immediately took steps for removing the children to Homerton, without asking any inconvenient questions. Subsequently, some discussion arose at the Board of Guardians as to the action of the Believing Officer, who, strictly speaking, should not have acted upon the magistrate's order, as the children were not technically paupers, having never applied for relief. The ambulance contractor also objected, stating that his contract was for paupers only, and not for sanitary cases. We of course saw that we should not get any more cases removed in the same manner, so arrangements were made for the removal of any fresh cases with the contractor on behalf of the Vestry, and we cast about to see what we could do in the way of providing hospital accommodation of our own. The Asylums Board was first communicated with, to ascertain upon what terms a certain number of beds could be allotted to this vestry, and the following answer was received from Mr. Jebb. 17 The Metropolitan Asylum District, 37, Norfolk Street, Strand, London, W.C., Dear Sir, December 14.th, 1880. In reply to the enquiries contained in your letter of the 11th inst., I beg to state that the Managers in March last forwarded to the Local Government Board a synopsis of replies received from the Metropolitan Sanitary Authorities on the subject of clause 15 of the "Poor Law Act, 1879," with a request that the Board would be good enough to furnish the Managers with any observations which they might have to offer on the subject; but that the Managers have not as yet received any communication from the Local Government Board with regard thereto. I am, Dear Sir, yours faithfully, HobertVoss, Esq., W. F. JEBB, Clerk. Clerk to the Vestry, Betlmnl Green. Such was the stage of affairs at the end of the year 1880, and though the further proceedings do not come within the period for which this report is drawn, I may as well shortly state what was done. The matter was still under discussion when the epidemic assumed such proportions that all the Asylums' Board Hospitals were filled, and large numbers of cases, willing to have gone into hospital, were compelled to remain at home, as there was no room for them. The authorities of the Highgate Small Pox Hospital had been previously communicated with, but they declined to allot a fixed number of beds. They agreed to admit cases on account of the vestry, provided there was sufficient room, but would not take in young children. The charge for each case was to be four guineas. I then drew up and presented a report to the Vestry, which it is needless to reproduce here. My advice was, either to provide an hospital of our own, by converting some existing building, or by erecting a new one, or else to enter into negotiations with the Poplar Board of Works with a view to the occupation of some portion of their unused hospital for infectious diseases at West Ham. The Poplar Board were communicated with. They were willing to furnish a wing of the hospital, if one other parish besides Bethnal Green would join in the scheme. Ultimately the Vestries of St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, and St. Luke's, and the Guardians of Poplar and the City of London Unions, joined the Poplar District Board of Works. A wing was furnished, administrative staff provided, and ten beds were placed at our disposal, at a cost to this Yestry of £120 pounds per annum dead rental, and a further sum of four guineas for each case sent; this payment to include maintenance and medical attendance so long as the patient remained in the hospital. 18 With the exception of the cases previously referred to, no legal proceedings were taken for the compulsory removal of Small Pox patients ; the threat to take action was found to be sufficient to cause the necessary steps to be taken to get the cases away through the relieving officers. MEASLES. (Decennial average, 81.9). This constantly prevalent disease was fatal to 31 children and 3 young persons, a total of 34; the smallest number, with the exception of 1878, for the past ten years. SCARLATINA. (Decennial average, 123). Scarlet Fever and its sequela) caused 114 deaths, 76 of which were amongst young children. A large number of these deaths happenod in November, and in the week ending the 15th of that month there were no less than 11 deaths. These fatal cases, and fourteen other non-fatal ones, were all amongst young children, either pupils of the Wilmot street Board School,* or members of families some one of which had been attending the school. Under these circumstances I felt it my duty to advise the Sanitary Committee to strongly urge upon the School Board the advisability of closing Wilmot street Schools. A letter to this effect was accordingly written by Mr. Yoss, but the authorities declined to accede to our request, as they did not consider the epidemic sufficiently severe to necessitate such a measure. Cautionary bills were printed and distributed throughout the Waterlow buildings, and the following letter was written to the School Board: — The Vestry Hall, Church Row, Bethnal Green, E. Sir,— We have this week received information of 25 cases of Scarlet Fever amongst children, some members of whose families have been attending the Wilmot street Board School, and the majority of whom reside in the buildings of the Improved Industrial Dwellings Company. It is, I believe, the custom of the Visitors to prohibit the attendance at School of any child in whose family infectious disease exists, and I think it my duty to advise, in the case of inhabitants of the Industrial Dwellings, that this prohibition should be extended to the whole block in which a single case of the disease exists, as each has one staircase common to the whole of the tenements, and should, for sanitary purposes, be considered as one house. Trusting you will give this matter your earliest consideration, I remain, yours obediently, GEORGE P. BATE. * This School provides accommodation for 1687 children. 19 To this the following reply was received :— School Board for London, Victoria. Embankment, W.C., November 6th, 1880. Wilmot Street, Bethnal Green, School. Sir,— Your letter of the 4th instant was considered by the School Management Committee, at their meeting yesterday. After careful consideration, the Committee concurred in your opinion that the prohibition from attendance at school should, in the case of the inhabitants of the Industrial Dwellings, be extended to the whole block in which a single case of disease exists, as each block has one staircase common to the whole of the tenements. Instructions to this effect will be forwarded to the Head Teachers of the Wilmot street School. I am, Sir, your obedient Servant, G. H. CROAD, George P. Bate, Esq., M.D. Clerk to the Board. "We continue to exchange confidential communications with the Superintendent of School Board Visitors, and have received much valuable information in this manner. Many children from infected houses have been prevented attending school, and I believe the spread of disease has been by this means considerably checked, though probably at the expense of some interruption of education, and a consequent diminution of the salaries of the masters, who are, to a considerable extent, paid by results. I think an average allowance should be made to the masters for children kept from school for sanitary reasons. DIPHTHERIA. (Decennial average, 7.1). Eight deaths were registered as from this disease. One was a case of Diphtheritic Paralysis. Nineteen cases were reported to us during the year. FEVER. (Decennial average, 60). The deaths from Fever were 37, against 56 last year, a considerable decrease. Of the deaths registered in this parish, 21 were Typhoid, 6 Simple Fever, and 3 Typhus. The remaining 7 deaths occurred in hospital, but as the returns furnished by the Asylums' Board make no distinction between the various kinds of Fever, I am unable to class them. Two of the Typhus deaths were certified by one medical man. The total number of Fever cases reported during the year was 449; of these 91 20 were removed to an hospital. A communication "was received from the London Fever Hospital, which is of such importance that its contents cannot be too widely known:— London Fever Hospital, Liverpool Road, Islington, N. Dear Sir, I beg to enclose a copy of our new rules as to the admission of patients. The Metropolitan Asylums Board having made provision for the very poor, this hospital is now devoted to the reception of a better class of patients, such as assistants in shops, domestic servants, &c. It has been decided to charge a fee of two guineas for each case admitted to the wards, a sum which barely covers one-fourth of the average cost of each case to the hospital. The fee charged for patients in private rooms (three guineas a week) just covers the outlay. The Committee trust that under the present rules the hospital will, to some extent, be able to meet a want very urgently felt in London. The hospital has no endowment, and is therefore dependent on voluntary contributions. The Committee would be grateful to you if you would make known its work and its necessities. I remain, Dear Sir, yours faithfully, M. D. CHALMERS, Eon. Sec. WHOOPING COUGH. (Decennial average, 124.4). This disease was very fatal, and, as in the previous year, considerably over the average; 136 children and 4 young persons died of it, making 140 in all. DIARRHCEA.. (Decennial average, 126.9). The deaths registered from Diarrhoea were 169, 5 of which were certified as "Choleraic." 100 were those of infants under one year of age, while 43 were those of children between the ages of one and two years ; I believe that in many cases the disease was produced by improper or careless feeding. ALCOHOLISM. Two deaths were returned by the coroner as due to drink. One, a male, aged 31, certified as "Drink, accelerated by JtJpilepsy" The other, a male, aged 63, as "Coma, from excessive drinkingIn several other instances intemperance was recorded by the certifying medical man as an ''accelerating " cause. 21 CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. There were 576 deaths recorded under this head. Of these Cancer caused 32 deaths. Seven were from Cancer of the stomach, 6 of the womb, 2 each of the tongue, rectum, and breast, 3 of the neck, and 1 each of liver, lumbar glands, face, and larynx. The youngest was a child nine years old, with Cancer of the neck, and the oldest a man of 82, with Cancer of the face {lupus exedens). The others were all persons of middle age. Pyœmia caused 4 deaths. Two were cases of joint disease, and one followed a severe injury to the leg. TUBERCULAR DISEASE. Tubercular diseases were credited with 412 deaths, of which no less than 323 were from Phthisis alone. This number, however, includes the nonparishioners in the Victoria Park Chest Hospital. Of the deaths from Phthisis, 11 were certified as directly due to hoemorrhage from the lungs. The deaths from Tubercular disease, exclusive of Hydrocephalus, formed 14.6 per cent, of the total deaths from all causes. DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. Under this head are grouped 312 deaths. Of these Apoplexy caused 41, Paralysis, 55, and Insanity, 28. Convulsions caused 116 deaths, all, except three, amongst young children, 91 of whom were less than one year of age. By grouping together the various convulsive diseases of children, namely, Hydrocephalus, 17; Infantile Meningitis, 70; Convulsions, 113; and Teething, 32, we find there were 232 deaths, a mortality of 12.0 per thousand children under five years of age, or nearly 16 per cent, of the total number of children's deaths from all causes. RESPIRATORY ORGANS. As might have been anticipated, another cold, so-called "seasonable," winter, caused a very large mortality from Pulmonary diseases, and the deaths (exclusive of Phthisis) were 598, one-fifth of the total deaths from all causes, a mortality of 4.7 per thousand population. The following Table distributes the Pulmonary deaths over the four Quarters, and shows the mean temperature of each, and also of the whole year. 22 TABLE H. Pulmonary Deaths, exclusive of Phthisis. Quarter ending. Children under five years. Persons from five to fifty-five. Persons above fifty-five. Total. Mean Temperature. Rainfall in inches. March 92 61 102 255 39.8 3.2 June 67 24 22 113 52.4 5.0 September 46 15 21 82 61.4 8.8 December 82 28 38 148 44.0 12.8 Total, 1880 287 128 183 250 598 49.4 Fah. Mean Temperature for Year 1880. 29.8 Total, 1879 370 135 755 46.2 Mean Temperature for Year 1879. 30.10 CHILDBIRTH. Nineteen women died in childbed, being one less than last year, but still a very large number. Of these Peritonitis caused 4 deaths; Puerperal Fever, 2; Phthisis and Exhaustion, 3; Placenta Previa and Haemorrhage, 4; Retained Placenta (eight days), 1; Small Pox, Pyœmia, and Gangrene of leg, each 1; the others were certified simply as Childbirth. INQUESTS. During the year 203 inquests were held, showing a per centage of 6.96 upon the total number of deaths. The proportion for the whole of London was 6.5. Of this total number of inquests 86 were violent deaths, and the circumstances of the others were such as to necessitate an enquiry into the manner in which they had occurred. VIOLENT DEATHS. These, 87 in number, were all, with one exception (a case of Traumatic Abscess of the Brain) returned by the Coroner. One was Homicide, a 23 case of fractured skull, in which a verdict of wilful murder was returned, and 6 were Suicide. Three of these were self-hanging, aged respectively 59, 42, and 41. Three others, self-poisoning— Cyanide of Potassium, Strychnine, and Battle's Vermin Killer being the lethal agents. Of the accidental deaths, 2 were from Tetanus, 1 following a punctured wound of the hand, and the other a lacerated thumb. In a case of heart disease, the death was accelerated by an over-dose of Chloral. Twenty persons died from the effects of fractures and contusions. One, a little girl, three-and-half years of age, was run over by a tram car. Three died from burns and scalds, and 6 from drowning ; one of these in a pail of water. Suffocation caused 43 deaths, all, except one, amongst young children. Of these 41 were under one year of age, and one was a newly-born infant, whose body was found in the Museum grounds. Under the head of wounds, I have classed the death of an infant, aged four days, from umbilical hæomrrhage. Amongst the violent deaths are entered one from Congestion of the Brain, from shock and fright, and another from Meningitis, accelerated by want, in an infant ten weeks old. UNCERTIFIED DEATHS. Thirteen deaths were registered without any medical certificate. All were newly-born infants, and the cause of death was stated by the attendant midwife to have been convulsions in nine cases, and premature birth in four. On the question of uncertified deaths, the Society of Medical Officers of Health expresses the opinion, that all such cases should be reported by the local registrars of births and deaths to the Coroner, who should, when there is no 'prima facie ground for holding an inquest, direct each case to be investigated and reported on to him by a registered medical practitioner. Also, in the opinion of the Society, the present system of investigation of deaths referred to the Coroner, namely, by officers bearing no special qualification for the discharge of the duty, is unsatisfactory in the extreme. DEATHS IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. The number of deaths in the various Public Institutions of the parish was 472. Of these 351 happened in the Workhouse (211 males, 140 females), 56 in the City of London Hospital for Diseases of the Chest 24 (41 males, 15 females), 47 in Bethnall House Asylum (29 males, 18 females), and 18 in the Mission Hospital (14 males, 4 females). HOSPITAL RETURNS. To Dr. Knox, the Senior Resident Medical Officer, I am indebted for the following returns. The total does not tally with that given above, as the registration year does not quite correspond with the parochial year. WORKHOUSE INFIRMARY. New Cases. Deaths. Quarter ending 25th March, 1880 497 116 ,, 24th June, 1880 412 69 ,, 30th September, 1880 411 85 „ 30th December, 1880 410 74 Total 1730 344 CITY OF LONDON HOSPITAL FOR DISEASES OF THE CHEST. MEDICAL REPORT FOR THE TEAR 1880. In-Patients. Under treatment on the 1st January, 1880 101 Admitted since 830 931 Remaining under treatment on the 31st December, 1880 103 Total for 1880 828 Of these there have been— More or less relieved 775 Died 53 Patients admitted from the opening of the Wards in 1855, to the 31st December, 1880 14,954 Average number resident throughout the year 84 Out-Patients. Under treatment on the 1st January, 1880 1,095 Admitted since 14,014 15,109 Remaining under treatment on 31st December, 1880 1,110 Total for 1880 13,999 25 Patients admitted from the opening of the Institution in 1848, to the 31st December, 1880 323,875 Average attendance of Out-Patients each week 1,141 1,994 of the Out-Patients gave their residence as Bethnal Green. QUEEN ADELAIDE'S DISPENSARY. The Medical Report of the Charity gives the following results:— Patients under medical treatment at the commencement of 1880.. 428 New Patients admitted, who have had advice and medicine gratis at the Dispensary, or at their own homes 3244 Visited at their own homes 317 Have died 36 Still under medical treatment 1181 BETHNALL HOUSE LUNATIC ASYLUM. RETURN FOR 1880. To the kindness of Dr. Millar I am indebted for the following return :— Male. Female. Number of Patients, 1st January, 1880 158 235 Admitted during 1880 104 139 Discharged 86 116 Died 29 18 Number on 1st January, 1881 147 240 Average number resident 149 234 MILDMAY MISSION HOSPITAL. Cases treated in the Mildmay Mission Hospital from January 1st to December 30th, 1880 :— Cured. Relieved. Unrelieved. Dead. Under Treatment. Total. Medical Cases 92 55 4 15 22 188 Surgical Gases 54 15 1 2 7 79 Total 146 70 5 17 29 267 26 DISINFECTION versus DESTRUCTION. The following is a list of the bedding destroyed and replaced, and also of the feather beds purified, showing the cost of the same :— BEDDING DESTROYED DURING THE YEAR 1880. Quarter ending 24th March,. Beds 13 £ s. d. Bolsters 13 Pillows 25 Palliasses 8 Sofa Cushions 3 Number of Articles 62 9 6 6 Quarter ending 24th June. Beds 67 Bolsters 70 Pillows 83 Mattresses 2 Palliasses 50 Number of Articles 272 47 19 6 Quarter ending 29th September. Beds 70 Bolsters 75 Pillows 106 Mattresses 4 Palliasses 48 Sofa Cushions 6 Number of Articles 309 52 5 0 Quarter ending 25th December. Beds 221 Bolsters 234 Pillows 338 Mattresses 6 Palliasses 153 Sofa Cushions 15 Quantities of Flock (12 lbs.) 2 Number of Articles 969 161 10 11 Total number of Articles 1612 £271 1 11 27 BEDDING PURIFIED, (NEW TICKS SUPPLIED WHERE NECESSARY). Quarter ending 24th March. Bed 7 £ s. d. Bolsters 2 Pillows 2 New Ticks 4 Number of Articles 15 4 0 6 Quarter ending 24th June. Beds 8 Bolsters 1 Pillows 6 New Ticks 5 Number of Articles 20 -4 2 2 Quarter ending 29th September. Beds 12 Bolsters 4 Pillows 12 Number of Articles 28 6 14 5 Quarter ending 25th December. Beds 27 Bolsters 6 Pillows 34 New Ticks 27 Number of Articles 94 16 12 11 Total number of Articles 157 £31 10 0 The question, how to deal with articles of clothing and bedding tainted with the infection of Small Pox, Fever, &c., has on several occasions been considered and most carefully discussed by the Sanitary Committee. 28 As is well known to you, our present custom, one which has obtained for many years, is to destroy by fire all flock beds, bolsters, and pillows which have been used by persons suffering from Small Pox, Typhus, or Scarlet Fever. These articles we replace at the cost of the vestry. Feather beds we send to Messrs. Blyth, to be disinfected and purified. The expense of purifying feather beds and replacing common bedding amounted in 1878 to £221 9s. 6d., in 1879 to £117 4s. 0d., and in 1880 to £287 14s. l0d. Now, there can be no doubt that the safest plan of dealing with clothes and bedding tainted with specific infective matter is that of cremation, as at present carried out. Of one thing there is no doubt: whatever process we may determine to adopt for the future, there will be some so-called beds, mere heaps of filthy rags, which it will be impossible to disinfect by any other process than that of burning them. I should say that out of every six beds dealt with, perhaps, one would be in this condition. Fire is nature's great purifier, and our present method, though absolutely safe as far as it goes, has the great disadvantage of not being sufficiently thorough. We destroy merely the beds, and leave the remainder of the clothing, carpets, and curtains, to take their chance as carriers and distributors of infection. It is true we do something in the way of disinfection by burning sulphur in the rooms, and as this is the best, and indeed the only plan at my disposal, I invariably give directions for having it carried out; but I have grave doubts as to its efficacy, and regret to say that we find case after case of Small Pox recurring in houses where it has been most carefully done. Now, in place of burning clothes and bedding, there is, as is well known, a plan of baking them, and this practice is defended on the ground that the poison of Small Pox, &c., is destroyed by a heat a little above that of boiling water. It is now customary in all hospitals for infectious diseases, and in many Metropolitan parishes, to subject infected clothing, bedding, &c., to a temperature ranging between 240° and 260 F°, in a close chamber, through which heated air or steam is made to pass. After remaining some hours at this temperature, the articles may be removed, and will be found free from power to infect. If desired, the air can be charged with some special germicide, such as sulphurous or carbolic acid, but this I do not consider at all necessary. The heat in apparatus of this kind may be produced in one of three ways: 1st, by means of gas burners, as in Dr. Eansonle's; 2nd, by 29 ordinary fuel in a furnace, as in Messrs. Frazer's; and 3rd, by superheated steam, as in Mr. Washington Lyon's. Each of these methods has its advantages, but none is unaccompanied by some drawback. A sample apparatus of each kind has been inspected and carefully examined while in operation by the Special Committee appointed for the purpose. A few years ago numerous experiments were made by Dr. Ransome (of Nottingham), and Dr. Seaton (of London), for the purpose of ascertaining the singeing point of various textile fabrics. The result of the experiments showed that almost all materials may be kept at a dry heat of 250° for two or three hours without risk of damage. Dr. Seaton showed, at a meeting of the Society of Medical Officers of Health, an hospital blanket which had been baked at this temperature thirty times, and which was in perfectly good condition. At a dry heat a little above this (255° or 260°) most fine fabrics begin to scorch, and, if they are exposed for any length of time, they rapidly begin to change colour. If, however, super-heated steam be used instead of heated air, this temperature may be exceeded by ten degrees without damage. Two hundred and fifty, then, is probably the limit to which dry heat should be allowed to rise in the oven; but the infected articles should certainly be exposed to at least this temperature, which is just sufficient to destroy the poison of Small Pox or Fever. It will thus be seen that a very few degrees of heat make all the difference between scorching on the one hand, and inefficiency on the other. Now this delicate regulation is, with an ordinary furnace, almost impossible, but it can easily be managed by means of gas; and the self-acting disinfecting stove of Dr. Eansome answers its purpose, most admirably, as by an automatic arrangement the gas is turned off when the mercury registers a certain temperature; in fact, the mercury itself does the regulating ; for as it rises in a glass tube exposed to the heat of the oven, it gradually encroaches upon an opening through which the gas passes to the burners, and shuts off the supply. Inside the oven is another ingenious arrangement for the prevention of fire. It has occasionally happened that lucifer matches have been allowed to remain in the pockets of clothing submitted to disinfection, and that these have become ignited at the necessary temperature of 250°. Should this at any time happen, the temperature would thus immediately rise many degrees above 250°; and to provide against this accident, dampers, suspended by chains, are placed over both inlet and outlet, and one link of each chain is composed of 30 fusible metal, an alloy of lead and bismuth, which melts at a temperature of 300°. Directly this temperature is reached, the chain breaks, both dampers fall, and the gas is turned off. Of course fire cannot go on in a close chamber, so that it rapidly dies out without extending beyond tho articles first ignited. This apparatus is in use at the Fever Hospital. The authorities speak most highly of its performance. It requires very little attention. The infected articles are placed in the chamber overnight, and allowed to remain until the morning. The chamber is 5 feet by 5 feet by 6 feet inside. The burners consume about 55 feet per hour, and the price of the apparatus delivered is £125. Messrs. Frazer's apparatus is the oldest and the most generally in use. It is perfectly efficient, if well managed and carefully watched. It consists of a brick or iron chamber, into which a truck, containing the infected articles, is run. The iron doors are then closed, a furnace at the side of the chamber is lighted, and the heat raised to about 250°. By an ingenious arrangement of flues, the hot air is kept circulating through the chamber, and before being allowed to escape, is led through the furnace and burnt, so as to destroy every germ of infection. The apparatus is no nuisance, and is perfectly safe if reasonable care be taken. It can be managed by an ordinary labourer, but it has a certain disadvantage, which is common to Frazer's and all others constructed upon similar principles. The efficacy of the whole process depends upon the care of the attendant in charge ; for unless he is constantly on the watch while the disinfection is going on, the temperature rises too high, and the articles placed in the chamber get scorched. After allowing this to happen two or three times, and getting into trouble for it, the attendant finds the simplest plan is to keep the temperature low, and the process degenerates into a farce. I am told that articles have been returned to the owner as thoroughly disinfected by this apparatus in which lice and bugs still remained alive. Now, a temperature incapable of destroying these creatures would certainly not kill the infection of Small Pox. The expense of a suitable Frazer's oven for this parish would be about £150, exclusive of shed. The last and best process is that of Super-heated Steam. This is used in Mr. Washington Lyon's apparatus. The principle is that of introducing steam into a close chamber, under regulated pressure. The apparatus is made of iron (see illustration), shaped something like an ordinary steam boiler, but having an outer casing or jacket (m), with a space between. Into this space steam is admitted at a pressure of 25 lbs. on the square 31 inch, which corresponds to a temperature of about 264° This is for the purpose of thoroughly drying and heating the chamber and its contents. The truck (a) containing the articles to be disinfected is placed in the interior chamber, the large doors being opened for the purpose. These are then closed hermetically, steam is admitted, and the process of disinfection commences. The pressure is about 20 lbs., so that the steam must penetrate any mattress, bed, or article of furniture that may be under treatment, and the temperature of 260°, which is the heat of steam at that pressure, is rapidly communicated to articles in the chamber. The form of apparatus shown the Special Committee, though upon the same principle as that just described, varied somewhat in detail. Instead of doors at each end (s p), closed by screw gear (b), a single hinged door, fastened by clamps, was used. This, though a considerably less expensive plan, requires more labour, and is used at Mr. Lyon's own works, as it suits his particular purposes better, and he has always plenty of help available. At the time of our visit a registering thermometer was placed in the centre of a hair mattress before the chamber was closed. After a few minutes the steam was shut off, but the thermometer at the top of the apparatus remained stationary at 260°; and this was due to the outside jacket, the great object of which is to prevent condensation of the steam within the chamber, for if such were to take place the articles placed therein for disinfection would become wetted and spoiled. After being thus treated for about half an hour, the steam was blown off, the chamber opened, and the goods removed. The thermometer placed in the centre of the mattress registered 259°. This process of steaming or cooking must be more efficacious than dry heat; for there exist the three conditions which ensure the desired object, namely, heat, pressure, and moisture. Moreover, the process is so rapid that persons bringing their beds and clothing to be disinfected can have them done while they wait; and this is often a matter of considerable importance to persons possessing only one bed, which, if it had to remain in the apparatus a whole night, would put them to grave inconvenience. The vestry of St. Mary, Rotherhithe, use this apparatus, and the Medical Officer, in his answer to my letter upon the subject, uses the following words:— "I am thoroughly satisfied with the performance of the apparatus. My disinfection has been a marked success, both as to results and economy." 82 WASHINGTON LYON'S FAT E NT DISINFECTOR DESCRIPTION OF PARTS. A. Trucks to carry articles to be disinfected. K. Rails for Trucks to run on. B. Handle and Sear for closing ends. L. „ „ „ C. Bteam Inlet Valve to Outer Casing M. M. Casing round Interior Clamber in which D. „ „ Interior Chamber. Steam is kept at 25 lb. pressure. £. Steam Gauge to Outer Casing. N. Trunnions on which the Girders EE carrying F. „ „ Interior Chamber. Doors PP swing. C. 8afety Valve to Outer Casing. 0. Outlet for Condensed Water. H. „ „ Interior Chamber. PP. Doors to olose ends. I. Bteam 0utlet Valve from Intorior Chamber. RR. Girders carrying doors. 33 The difficulty experienced in bringing every portion of the objects to be disinfected to the temperature needful for purification in the old fashioned heated chamber, involves the employment of a dry heat often injurious to such of the materials as are subject to its influence. Bedding, Blankets, &c., are the highest out-comes of the ingenuity of man to check the circulation of heated air from one side of the fabric or object to the other. A hot bottle placed in a bed retains its heat for hours or days, and no one would expect to receive much or any sensible warmth on the outside of a bed containing such bottle, and yet in the gas or hot-air form of disinfecting oven generally used we expect heated air to penetrate every portion of the objects when they are all folded together. We expect it not only to dislodge the air entangled with them, but to part with its own sensible heat, and move away to allow fresh portions of heated air to complete the process; we even employ the same gases, i. e., hot air and cold air, between which there must be but little diffusive power. No wonder, then, that disinfection is uncertain unless the initial temperature be raised to a point which injures the fabrics most exposed to its influence. Contrast this with the action of Lyon's Patent Disinfecting Chamber. Suppose its contents to be one hundred cubic feet, and that it be charged with bedding, &c.,the doors secured, and the steam admitted. The contained air, subject to a superior pressure, is compressed to one-half its volume, less the distension due to heat, so that there remain 50 cubic feet of compressed air, plus 50 cubic feet of steam commingled. The steam coming in contact with the objects which possess a temperature much below itself instantly condenses upon them, parting with its latent heat, and this process is continued until all the objects accessible to any portion of steam are damped, and raised to a temperature due to the tension of the steam, viz., at 20 lbs., 260° F. By the law of diffusion the steam commingles with the air, and the penetration in complete. If, instead of admitting steam, heated air had been employed, the effect would have been different in four respects. First.—Moisture would have been absent. Second.—There being no latent heat to dispose of, the temperature could only have been raised to a mean between 60 and 260°, say to 160°. Third,—There could be little diffusion, and Fourth.—The penetration would be small, for the air when introduced—say, between two fibres of wool—would give up its heat to them, and to the air about them which it had compressed, and would there remain; whereas, the steam would give up its latent heat by condensation, and make room for more live steam behind it. Hence Lyon's patent process is extremely rapid, for the heat penetrates completely in a few moments. Now, consider what happens when the pressure is withdrawn. All the objects are heated to 260°, and are all moist; in other words, are all associated with water raised to 260°, and kept from evaporating by pressure. When the pressure is removed, the water, no longer restrained, evaporates, and the objects remain in an almost dry condition. Mr. Lyon, who has made very careful experiments (and has been assisted by Dr. Sedgwick Saunders, the able Medical Officer of Health for the City of London), asserts that insect life is destroyed. The eggs of lice are subject to a much more severe treatment in the Lyon's Patent Dininfector than in simple boiling water. A human being may bear a hot bath of 105°, but he would die instantly if the temperature were raised 50°, or anything approaching it. These eggs, then, are not subject to 212°, but to 260°, and besides this to a pressure which is straining the walls of the egg. A gentleman who has studied this subject has a very interesting theory about these eggs: he considers their elliptical form may probably enable them to resist the collapsing pressure; but when they have been heated to 260°, the sudden removal of the 20 lbs. pressure will probably cause the eggs to burst from the expansion of the vapour generated within them. The apparatus is constructed of the best materials, and of the form most suitable for sustaining the required pressure. The articles to be disinfected are introduced into the chamber from one end, and in less than one hour's time are ready for removal at the other. The Disinfector is arranged with its ingress and egress ends opening into different apartments, between which there is no communication, save through the Machine itself, in order to prevent all possibility of contact between infected and disinfected articles, and the latter should not be distributed in the same vehicles, or by the same men that collect the former. 34 This apparatus has, however, certain disadvantages. It is expensive (about £250), and requires a regular high-pressure steam boiler, with a skilled stoker to manage it; but its advantages and the rapidity of its action more than counterbalance these disadvantages. With regard to other London parishes: in order to make this report as complete as possible, I have communicated with every Metropolitan Medical Officer of Health, and have made enquiries as to the means of disinfection in his parish. I have tabulated the answers : they are entered upon the schedule which accompanies this report, and I cannot refrain from taking this opportunity of publicly thanking those Medical Officers who kindly supplied me with so much valuable information. As will be seen, no less than thirty parishes are provided with proper disinfecting apparatus, and five others contract with private firms at so much per hundredweight for all goods disinfected; the price paid varies from a pound to thirty shillings. Thirteen have Frazer's apparatus, but nearly all seem to have improved or modified it; thus showing that they were not satisfied with its performance as originally sent out. Four have Leoni's, which is a gas oven, something like Ransome's, but without the automatic arrangement. Many parishes seem to disinfect all articles, and to burn nothing, except at the owner's request, when of course no compensation is paid. Others burn worthless articles, and sometimes compensate; others destroy, and always compensate. Dr. Tripe, of Hackney, burns with the consent of the owners, and, if they be poor, refers them to the Guardians for compensation. Paddington, Strand, and Wimbledon, never burn anything, no matter how bad, but pass the articles through the apparatus, and return to owner. Dr. Barclay, of Chelsea, has Nelson's apparatus: he is not satisfied with any he has yet seen. Dr. Iliff, of Newington, also has Nelson's : he complains that it is difficult to avoid injuring the articles during disinfection in this apparatus. Mr. Farr, of Lambeth, prefers Frazer's to the one he has in use (name of maker not stated). Dr. Saunders (City of London) has Leoni's, but recommends Ransome's as being superior. Mr. Corner, of Poplar, has Frazer's apparatus. He considers that baths should be provided for the disinfection of persons as well as bedding and clothes. Sixteen parishes are unprovided with apparatus. Most of these use sulphur fumigation; one uses carbolic acid and steam; another chlorine gas. Mr. Skegg, of St. Martin's-in the-Fields, disinfects everything with sulphur, and burns nothing. Most of the other parishes seem to destroy worthless articles, and, if the owners are poor, to compensate them. None of the Vestries, however, are anything like so liberal in this matter as Bethnal Green. Upon reviewing the whole of the evidence for and against, I am decidedly in favour of an apparatus, and while we are getting one we may as well have the best, and that is undoubtedly Lyon's. Parishes not Having a Disinfecting Apparatus Medical Officer of Health. Parish. Method of Disinfection. Method of dealing with infected articles not worth disinfecting. REMARKS. W. H. Kempster, Esq. Battersea Fumigate with sulphur Burn worthless articles, and replace if people very poor. ...... Dr. J. Dixon Bermondsey Ditto Burn worthless articles, but are rarely asked to do so. ...... J. S. Burton, Esq Lee Ditto Burn and replace ...... Dr. J. J. Rygate St. George's East Ditto Ditto ...... J. J. Skegg, Esq St.Martin's-in-the-Fields Ditto Disinfect everything and destroy none. ...... Dr. J. N. Vinen St. Olave, Southwark Ditto Burn and replace ...... F. Argles, Esq Wanstead Fumigate with carbolic acid and steam. Destroyed, except such goods as can be boiled; replaced at cost of Local Board. ...... Dr. Bate Bethnal Green Burn everything, except feather beds, which are sent to a private firm. Destroyed and replaced ...... Dr. Collingridge Port of London Fumigate with bisulphide of carbon. Burn, and never has been called on to compensate. ...... Dr. W. C. Wise Plumstead Fumigate with sulphur Burn, and, if people poor, compensate. Medical Officer of Health has frequently urged upon his Board the desirability of providing an apparatus; they declined to do so, objecting to the expense. B. Holt, Esq Westminster Ditto Ditto ...... • • • • • • Hornsey Fumigate with chlorine Burn and replace An apparatus is being constructed on Leoni's principle. Dr. G. E. Nicholas Wandsworth Burn everything Ditto A Frazer's apparatus at Putney. Surveyor does not consider any apparatus now made is efficient. J. McDonogh, Esq Clapham Fumigate with sulphur Destroy and compensate ...... T. Francis, Esq Acton Ditto Burn, and, if people poor, compensate. ...... Dr. F. F. Sutton Streatham Fumigate with bisulphide of carbon Ditto ...... Parishes either in Possession of Disinfecting Apparatus, or having the use of one. Medical Officer of Health. Parish. Description of Apparatus. Method of dealing with infected articles not worth sending to apparatus. REMARKS R. M. Talbot, Esq. Bow Frazer's Burn and compensate when people are very poor. ...... Dr. J. S. Bristowe Camberwell Frazer's Ditto ...... C. A. Patten, Esq. Ealing Contract with a private firm. Ditto Medical Officer of Health is advising his Board to have Frazer's N. C. Collier, Esq. Fulham Russell's, vapour of sulphurous acid, at temperature of 250 F., for 3 hours. Burn and do not compensate apparatus. H. N. Pink, Esq. Greenwich Hot air chamber, maker's name not stated. Burn and compensate ...... Dr. J. W. Tripe Hackney Franzer's Burn with consent of owner, and, if poor, send a note to Relieving Officer, who usually replaces. ...... Dr. S. Gibson Holborn May & Son's Burn and compensate in some cases. ...... Dr. C. M. Tidy Islington Contract with a private firm. [firm. Burn and give similar articles if people are poor. ...... Dr. T. O. Dudfield Kensington Contract with a private Burn and never compensate ...... A. Farr, Esq. Lambeth Hot air chamber, maker's name not stated. Burn and compensate Medical Officer of Health prefers Frazer's apparatus to one in use. Dr. F. C. Wilkinson Lewisham Gas oven Ditto ...... Dr. W. S. Saunders London (City) Leoni's Burn and compensate if paupers. Medical Officer of Health recommends Ransome's disinfecting apparatus. Dr. W. T. Iliff Newington Nelson's Burn and compensate Medical Officer of Health states that it is difficult to avoid injuring the articles during process of disinfection in this apparatus. Dr. J. Stevenson Paddington Contract with a private firm. Disinfect and never destroy anything. Medical Officer of Health not satisfied with simple disinfection, has every article cleansed as well. F. M. Corner, Esq. Poplar Frazer's Burn and compensate some Medical Officer of Health considers Dr. B. Browning Rotnerhitne Have the use of Lyon's apparatus. burn and compensate if requested. Medical. Officer of Health thoroughly satisfied with the performance of the apparatus: disinfection has been a marked success, both as to result and economy. Prof. W. H. Corfield. St. George's, Hanover sq. Nelson's Burn, but do not compensate as a rule. ...... Dr. T. H. Waterworth.. St. George's, Southwark. Frazer's Burn and sometimes compensate if people are poor. ...... S. R. Lovett, Esq. St. Giles', Bloomsbury Frazer's Burn at owner's request; never compensate. ...... Dr. Pavy St. Luke's, Middlesex Hot air chamber, heated to 350 F., with burning sulphur Burn and compensate ...... R. Bianchi, Esq. St. Saviour's, Southwark. Hot air chamber, by Goodwin. Burn and compensate ...... Dr. C. Evans Strand Frazer's Disinfect and never destroy anything. ...... G. A. Rogers, Esq. Limehouse Leoni's Burn and compensate ...... J. Liddle, Esq. Whitechapel Frazer's (improved) Burn when necessary; sometimes compensate. ...... G. D. P. Thomas, Esq. Willesden Contract with a private firm. Burn, and if owner poor, compensate. ...... Dr. F. Gwynn Hampstead Brick chamber, heated with hot air pipes. Burn and never compensate ...... Dr. A. W. Barclay Chelsea Nelson's Burn and compensate Medical Officer of Health not satisfied with any apparatus yet seen. ...... Wimbledon Disinfect by burning sulphur in close chamber by means of an asphyxiator. Dininfect and never destroy anything. ...... Dr. J. W. Griffith Clerkenwell Frazer's Disinfect and never destroy anything. ...... Dr. W. Corner Mile End Frazer's (improved) Disinfect and never destroy anything. ...... Dr. J. Edmunds St. James', Westminster. Frazer's (much modified) Burn, claim for compensation is considered if made. ...... Dr. Wynter Blythe St. Marylebone Hot air chamber, maker's name not stated. Burn and compensate ...... Dr. H. G. Sutton Shoreditch Leoni's Only burn when absolutely necessary. ...... S. F. Murphy, Esq. St. Pancras Frazer's Destroy and compensate ...... 38 COW HOUSES. The cow houses in the parish have been kept under constant supervision, and many improvements have been effected in the paving and drainage arrangements. At the Sessions, the granting of licences was opposed in the following cases:— Griffiths, Warley street. Dung pit, grain pit, and a water closet, all situated actually within the cow shed. These were afterwards parted off, and the licence was granted. Lockyer, Minerva street. The place was dilapidated, unprovided with proper conveniences, and utterly unfit for the purpose of keeping cows in. The licence was refused; but at the adjourned meeting, Mr. Lockyer again applied, and promised to carry out certain improvements. A licence was granted conditionally. Mann, Three Colt lane. The structure of old shed was condemned as dangerous by the District Surveyor. Plans and drawings of new shed were put in; but as the building was not even commenced, no licenoe was granted. Rees, Gloucester street, Hackney road. This was a small, ill-constructed, timber-built shed. The licence was opposed by the Vestry at the first meeting of the Magistrates; but before the adjourned meeting the shed was partially rebuilt, and as no further opposition was made by us the licence was granted. Hill, Edward street. The lease of these premises had expired, and as a fresh one had not been granted, the tenant did not care to commence the entire reconstruction of the shed (which was absolutely requisite), so he allowed his licence to lapse. Skinner, Wright's Wharf, Old Ford. The place was in a very dirty condition, and the requirements of the Metropolitan Board of Works had not been carried out. The owner, however, bestirred himself and got a good deal of the work done before the adjourned meeting, so our opposition was withdrawn. Applications for New Licences were received from— Thomas James, Ann's place. R. Williams, Seabright street. Both cases were opposed, though not by the Vestry, upon the ground that it would be impossible so to arrange the sheds that the outside walls should be at least 20 feet from any dwelling-house. Plans were in each 39 case put in, showing that it would be possible to arrange a small shed in such manner as to comply with this requirement. The buildings were in both cases incomplete, but the licences were granted conditionally; that is to say, that the requirements of the Vestry were to be complied with, and that the licences were not to be handed over without a certificate from the Medical Officer of Health to the effect that the necessary work had been completed. The following is a complete list of the Cow Houses in the parish:— LICENSED COW HOUSES. District No. 1. Boakes, William Columbia road. Edwards, John Mount street. Edwards, Thomas 5, Virginia row. Griffiths, Maria 23, Temple street. Harrington, Thomas 13, Gibraltar walk. Havard, H Gibraltar walk. James, William Thomas Oval, Hackney road. Jones, Daniel Columbia road. Lockyer, John Henry 8, Minerva street. Mason, Richard Hassard street. Morris, Joseph James street. Powell, John 64, Squirries street. Rees, William Gloucester street. Richards, Jonathan Cambridge road. Robinson, David Squirries street. Robinson, David William street. Ward, Joseph 31, Austin street. Williams, John 4, Boundary street. District No. 2. Bogos, George 15, Norfolk street. Bunn, John 35, Lisbon street. Davies, Thomas 42, Cheshire street. Davis, Thomas 100, Sclater street. Edwards, John 45, Somerford street. Hodges, W. M. 81, Brady street. Margaret and John Jenkins 32, Edward street. Moss, John 3, Essex street. Rawlinson, Mark 5, Suffolk street. Rice, Edward 17, Coventry street. Williams, — 2, Seabright street. District No. 3. Champness Brothers 5, Russia lane. Champness Brothers Roman road. Day, Thomas H. 21, West street. 40 Griffiths, H. 6, Warley street. Hodges, William M. 34, Green street, and Digby street. Jones, Edward R. Hamilton road. Powell, John Russia lane. Skinner, Frederick 18, Prospect place. Wright, Thomas Bridge Wharf, Old Ford. THE SLAUGHTER HOUSES. These have been frequently inspected, and, with the exception of a few minor defects, are all in good condition. A list is given below:— LICENSED SLAUGHTER HOUSES. District No. 1. Attwell, Orlando Thomas 278, Hackney road. Button, Edward 326, Hackney road. Chase, Walter 397, Hackney road. Fulford, James 226, Hackney road. Goram, John James 515, Hackney road. Harris, John William 479, Cambridge road. Morris, H. J. 202, Hackney road. District No. 2. Baker, William 144, Brick lane. Gregory, George 291, Cambridge road. Kingston, Peter 360, Bethnal Green road. Long, John 2, Essex street. Mason, Mrs. Elizabeth 416, Bethnal Green road. Meadway, George 354, Bethnal Green road. Payne, Robert 125, Brick lane. Knight, Charles 145, Brick lane. Pollard, James 124, Bethnal Green road. Read, James 274, Bethnal Green road. Watson, William 470, Bethnal Green road. Wragg, John Henry 274, Bethnal Green road. District No. 3. Dupuy, William 218, Green street. Mercer, William 53, Green street. Mazengarb, George 47, Green street. Simons, Samuel 21, Roman road. PALMER'S BRICKFIELD. In December several letters were received from inhabitants of the district around this brickfield, which is situate in Antill road, Old Ford. The writers complained of the nuisance caused by the process of brickburning, and also of the noisome stench caused by a large accumulation of "dust" on the field. 41 The place was inspected, and the following condition of things was found:— The actual brick-making is carried on in the centre of a large open space, about six acres in extent, which is used as a dust-shoot for the neighbouring parishes. The carts bring in and shoot their contents in an appointed place. This dust, as it is called, consists of "hard core," "soft core," "breeze," and fine dust or "soil." The "hard core" is composed of clinkers, broken pots and pans, and fragments of glass, &c. The rags, portions of animal and vegetable matter, and paper, are called " soft core." It is the duty of the sorters—a great number of whom are women—to sift and separate this heterogeneous collection into its component parts. These are placed in distinctive heaps. The metal and glass are sold; the fine dust which passes through the sieves is mixed with clay and made into bricks; the "breeze," which consists of small coal and cinders, is used for burning the bricks; and the "soft core," which consists of cabbage leaves, fishes' heads and bones, poultry, offal, and the usual kitchen refuse, is piled up in a large heap and slowly burned. The stench given off in this process is most abominable, and really constitutes the nuisance complained of. After being formed and dried, the bricks are piled in large quadrangular stacks, called "clamps." Each layer of bricks is separated from that immediately above it by a layer of "breeze," and at the bottom of all is placed some small coal. This is lighted, the flame extends to the breeze, of which the bricks are partly composed, and the whole mass slowly burns through, giving out volumes of carbonic oxide and sulphurous acid fumes. These are undoubtedly deleterious, and clearly constitute a nuisance. By my advice notice was served on Mr. Palmer (A) to either discontinue burning the animal refuse, or to construct a proper furnace for the purpose of destroying it, at a high temperature; and (B) to discontinue burning his bricks in clamps, and to construct proper kilns for that purpose. The Sanitary Committee visited the premises, and as the notices had not been complied with, a summons was issued and an order made by the Magistrate to abate the nuisance. Mr. Palmer afterwards attended the Committee, and stated that he had 42 only a very short lease of the brickfield, and that it would not pay him to construct a furnace or kilns. He, however, agreed to discontinne burning the refuse, and permission was given him to complete the burning of the present clamps, but he was cautioned not to commence any more. FISH CURING. All the fish curing premises in the parish have been visited by the Sanitary Committee. They are, with some exceptions, in a reasonably good condition, and the regulations have, in most instances, been complied with. Most of the owners have provided covered receptacles for the fish offal. Considerable nuisance has been caused by the manner in which this fish offal is collected and removed, as it has hitherto been done in open vans. Notices were served upon the collectors to provide properly constructed covered vessels for its reception; and the proprietor of one van was summoned to Worship street for permitting the liquid filth to escape into the carriageway of Virginia row, and fined ten shillings and costs. BAD MEAT. On the 14th of February Inspector Lapworth seized the carcasses of three sheep and thirty-seven quarters of mutton, in the possession of a general dealer, at 5, Glass street. Mr. Lapworth, who was evidently quite unknown to the man, was himself solicited to purchase some of the meat. I afterwards examined it, and found it diseased and in a most offensive condition. The animals had either died of rot, or been killed to save them from doing so. The owner was summoned to Worship street, and it came out in evidence that he had bought forty-one sheep, and had paid a sum of £8 4s. Od. for the lot, an average of only four shillings each carcass, so that he must have been quite aware of what he was buying, as no one would have sold good meat at such a price.* Mr. Hannay, the Magistrate, who had himself examined the meat, considered it a very serious case. He told defendant he was liable to a penalty of £80, or to imprisonment for a term of three months. He, however, let him off with a fine of £10, and 12s. 6d. costs. On February 20th Mr. Lapworth seized twenty-one pieces of beef and * What became of the remainder we do not know. 43 mutton, in a putrid condition, exposed for sale on the premises of a butcher in Brick lane. I examined the meat and found it in an advanced stage of decomposition, and, though not shewing any sign of disease, it was totally unfit for human food. The butcher was summoned to Worship street, and fined £5, and 17s. 6d. costs. This case was somewhat peculiar, as the meat was originally quite sound and wholesome, and not in any way diseased: it had simply become putrid from over-keeping; and the question arises, why certain meats should be regarded as wholesome when undergoing decomposition—such as venison, &c.—and why certain others, such as this, should be considered unfit for the food of man while in a similar condition ? There is, however, a substantial and well-recognised difference between the effects of the partially decomposed flesh of tame animals, on the one hand, and of the flesh of wild animals, on the other. The circumstances under which decomposition takes place, and also its rapidity, exert important influences over the wholesomeness of animal food. If the meat be kept quite dry the putrefactive changes take place slowly, and it remains wholesome for some time; but if these changes are allowed to go on rapidly under the influence of heat and moisture, poisonous gases are given off abundantly, and the meat soon becomes putrid and quite unfit for food. This latter condition applies, not only to tame meat, but also to game, which, if allowed to putrefy in this manner, instead of becoming simply high, is rendered quite as unwholesome as the other. Five quarters of mutton were discovered in the possession of a butcher living in Virginia row. The meat was being sold from a barrow in Brick lane, and Inspector Lapworth was himself accosted and asked to buy. I examined the meat and found it pale, wet, and flabby. The sheep had during life been the subject of liverfluke, or "rot." The meat was taken before the Magistrate and condemned. The butcher was afterwards summoned to Worship street, and fined £5 and costs. By order of the Sanitary Committee, bills, containing short notes of the cases above-mentioned, were printed and distributed about the markets. The names of the delinquents were not given, but simply their initials. I believe these bills were of great use in checking the trade in this kind of stuff. Several packages, consisting of Ostend rabbits, fish, fruit, and vegetables, have been condemned as unfit for human food. They were all destroyed; 44 but as none of them had been exposed for sale, legal proceedings were not considered necessary. WATER SUPPLY. The East London Waterworks Company. This Company now gives constant supply to about 106,043 services. The Company has been engaged in the reconstruction of one section of their filter beds at Lea Bridge on more approved principles, which appear to be attended with such satisfactory results as to justify the reconstruction of the remaining section (Beds Nos. 5, 6, and 7) on the same principles. The execution of this work would render the filtering establishment of this Company complete, and the reconstruction at an early date is not only desirable, but necessary. This Company has also under construction three new filter beds at Lea Bridge, which will be ready for use by the end of 1881. The Company has completed the construction of, and has now in use, a large tank at Buckhurst Hill capable of containing 70,000 gallons. This is kept in reserve in case of fires at night, or when the engines are not at work, being situated on the highest ground in the above neighbourhood, and placed at a sufficient altitude to command the surrounding houses. The supply of the Company is drawn from the impounding reservoirs at all times, and the intake is closed during floods. The auxiliary works at Sunbury and Hanworth were in use during the months of July, August, September, October, and November. I extract the following remarks from the monthly return of Colonel Bolton, the Water Examiner for the metropolis :— In the absence of a duly authorised and official "standard of filtration" regulating the quantity of water to be passed through a given area in a given time, it has been found during the past eight years that when the rate of filtration does not exceed 540 gallons per square yard of filter bed each 24 hours, the filtration is effectual, and this has been generally recognised as a tentative standard rate of filtration. The "Water Companies now nearly all keep within this limit, but it is disheartening to reflect that, notwithstanding the efforts that have been made and the large expenditure that has been incurred in works for properly treating and improving the quality of the water, these efforts are rendered nearly abortive and but of little value by the apathy and carelessness of a great number of the householders. The water delivered for domestic purposes is frequently deteriorated after leaving the Companies' mains by the dirty state of the cisterns on the premises of the consumers. Many of the cisterns, tanks, and butts for containing water in small tenement houses in the Metropolis are in a disgusting and filthy state. An opportunity for inspecting these presents itself when travelling on some of the 45 politan and suburban lines. Cisterns may be seen without lids and with portions of rotten lids floating in the water, full of rank and decaying vegetation, and other most objectionable substances, such as old rags and paper, and on closer examination the contents would show more or less organic deposit, and under the microscope would be found to abound in infusorial life. All cisterns should, therefore, be properly covered and be frequently cleaned out, and every care should be taken to prevent the contamination of the domestic supply after delivery. Now, as heretofore, it appears to be the rule in building a certain class of houses to place the cistern over the water-closet with an untrapped waste-pipe communicating with the drains. These cisterns are often open and regularly receive the drippings from the roofs and gutters; they are, moreover, in close proximity to the dust-bins and other deposits of filth and garbage, while children amuse themselves by throwing all sorts of dirty rubbish into the water, including dead puppies and kittens, with an occasional cat. These are facts known by personal observation. The purest and best filtered water in England would be poisoned by such a system of storage. The Public Health Act of 1875, section 70, gives power to any local authority, in case of complaint, to inspect and remedy such evils, but, probably, the only remedy for this state of affairs will be found in the establishment of the constant supply system and the consequent total abolition of these unfit receptacles; meanwhile, and until the system of constant supply is completed, the owners and occupiers of houses are surely very wrong in permitting such a condition of things to exist. In the better class of houses and in many public buildings the cleansing of cisterns and tanks is frequently neglected for months, and, in some cases, years are permitted to pass "without any examination or cleansing taking place. In courts and alleys several of the Water Companies are already giving constant supply by means of stand-pipes, provided, in most cases, with self-closing taps, and in the districts of those Companies which are extending the constant supply a marked improvement has taken place in the quality of the water consumed by the small householder, which thus reaches the house in the same condition as it leaves the Company's mains. In these monthly reports attention is periodically drawn to the necessity which exists for the regular cleansing of cisterns, and also to the fact that the contamination of water from the gases generated by sewage is of far more frequent occurrence than is generally understood. Waste-pipes from cisterns are still to be found in direct communication with the sewers, and the gases thus flow back into the cisterns and become absorbed by the water. To prevent this the overflow-pipe should be brought outside the house and the end left exposed to the air instead of being carried into the drain, as is often the case. By the adoption of this plan the poisonous effluvia and gases from the drains will be got rid of; these would otherwise ascend through the pipe and not only be partly absorbed by the water in the cistern, but be mixed with the air in the houses, thereby becoming a cause of danger and disease. A large number of houses in this parish were found to have their drinking water cisterns badly placed, often over, sometimes actually inside, the water closet, and, in many instances, supplying the water to the soil pan. Where this state of things was found to exist, notice was served upon the owners to provide a sufficient water supply for domestic purposes direct from the Company's main, and to discontinue the supply from the cistern over the water closet, except for flushing purposes. 46 In several instances we were compelled to take legal proceedings and obtain a Magistrate's order before our notices were complied with. Very many closets in this parish are without any water supply for flushing purposes, and though the owners of all houses built since 1855 are obliged to provide this almost indispensable adjunct, such is not the case with those built before this date, and legal proceedings to compel the owners to do so can only be taken by a special order of the Vestry in each case. This I endeavoured to obtain, but was unsuccessful. WATER-CISTERNS AND HOUSE-FITTINGS. The following useful directions to be observed in cleaning out watercisterns, and in examining sanitary house fittings, are issued by the Society for the Sanitary Inspection and Construction of Houses:— 1. In cleaning out water-cisterns, great care must be taken not to allow any of the deposit to get into or pass down the service-pipes; these must be plugged, and the residue of water must be taken out with sponge and bucket. If the cisterns are of lead, or lined with lead, they must not be scraped. 2. After the cisterns have been cleaned out, the covers (if any) should be replaced, the efficiency of the ball-taps should be tested, and the ball, levers, and cranks oiled. 3. Examine whether there is a stop-cock in the main service; if so, its description and working condition. 4. Examine whether the cisterns are covered; whether they have overflow-pipes, and if such overflows discharge into the open air or into any soil-pipe, closet, or drain. 5. Examine the service-pipes and valves of all water-closets to see whether they act properly, and note from what cistern the water comes, i. e., whether there is a separate cistern for drinking water, or whether the same cistern supplies the water for drinking and domestic purposes, as well as for the use of the water-closets. 6. Examine the nature and condition of the safes, traps, soil, and waste-pipes, etc., connected with all water-closets, baths, and sinks, to see if they are in good working order or otherwise. 7. Examine the soil-pipe throughout its course, to see whether it is air-tight or not; any points of leakage should be noted. Useful hints to householders are, that all houses should be supplied with a stop-cock, so that in case of severe frost, or in the event of repairs, the water can be easily turned off without having to hunt for the regular official, and causing great inconvenience to neighbours by having to turn off at the main. All water-cisterns should have a properly-fitted cover. It is advisable, when practicable, to provide a separate system for the storage of water for drinking and household purposes, distinct from the cisterns that supply the water-closets. The frictional parts of all sanitary fittings should be kept regularly oiled. The seats of water-closets should be loose or fixed with hinges, so that the apparatus underneath can be examined without disturbing the woodwork. It is of great importance that all pipes and fittings should be easily come-at-able. To prevent the bursting of pipes in severe frost, the water should be turned off at the main, and the supply for immediate daily use should be stored in buckets. Covering cisterns and pipes with thick boiler felt, or casing them in sawdust, will generally prevent the water from freezing. 47 N.B.— The pipes burst from the expansion of the water in the act of freezing, and not after it is frozen. Water will rarely freeze if it is kept slightly running from the tap. In order to secure clean and wholesome water for drinking and cooking purposes, all water cisterns should be cleaned out at least twice a year. CHALETS. The Committee, after careful consideration, and the inspection of plans, models, and sites, resolved to recommend the Vestry to sanction the erection of two chalets. This was agreed to, a site was chosen, agreements have been drawn up and signed, and very shortly a handsome and commodious chalet will be in full work at the corner of the Whitechapel and Cambridge roads. ANALYSIS DURING THE YEAR. The following samples were forwarded to the Analyst for examination : Six samples of bread, 6 samples of butter, and 36 samples of milk. SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS ACT, 1875. From the following tabular statement it will be seen that during the year 1880 forty-one samples of articles used as food have been analysed:— Articles submitted for Analysis. Result of Analysis, showing whether the sample was genuine or adulterated, and, if adulterated, what was the nature and extent of the adulteration. OBSERVATIONS. 6 Bread Genuine 1 Butter Ditto 5 Ditto Of doubtful quality Prosecution not advised. 15 Milk Genuine 7 Ditto Of doubtful quality Prosecution not advised. 2 Ditto Adulterated with 5 per cent. of water „ „ 1 Ditto „ „ 33 ,, ,, Prosecuted.—Fine £5 0 0 1 Ditto „ „ 40 ,, „ „500 1 Ditto Adulterated and cream extracted „ „ 1000 1 Ditto Adulterated with 21 per cent, of water „ „ 500 1 Ditto „ „ 27 ,, ,, „ „ 2 0 0 Total—41 Samples. 48 MORTUARY. Our handsome and commodious Mortuary has been found a great boon to the Parish : 102 bodies have been temporarily placed therein. The post-mortem room has proved a great convenience to the medical gentlemen of the district. The ventilation is not quite what it might be ; but it will, I trust, be shortly improved. Some little difficulty arose as to the duties of the Mortuary keeper, and complaint was made by a medical gentleman. The difficulty was simply owing to a misunderstanding of the Mortuary regulations. These were found to be somewhat loosely drawn, and, by direction of the Sanitary Committee, they were amended and recast. A copy of them is given below. I trust they are now sufficiently plain, and that no further misunderstanding will arise. REGULATIONS Under which Dead Bodies arc allowed to be placed in the Mortuary Chapel, in Saint Matthew's Churchyard. (Sanitary Act, 1866. Sec. 28.) 1.—All communications having reference to the depositing of dead bodies in the Mortuary must be made to one of the Sanitary Inspectors, at the Vestry hall, Church row. 2.—Every dead body, previous to its reception at the Mortuary, shall be enclosed in a shell or coffin, unless in case of emergency. 3.—Where death has arisen from contagious or infectious disease, the coffin must bo filled in with Sanitas Powder or Carbolic Powder, and properly screwed down before admission. 4.—In any case coming under the foregoing rule, the coffin shall not be re-opened without either the order of the Coroner, or the consent in writing of the Medical Officer of Health authorising the same. 5.—A dead body having been once placed in the Mortuary shall not be removed therefrom save only for the purposes of burial, unless it shall have been first enclosed in a hermetically sealed metallic coffin. 6.—The Medical Officer of Health shall prescribe for what period any dead body may be allowed to remain in the Mortuary; but default being made in the removal of any dead body, the Relieving Officer of the Parish shall remove and bury the same, and shall charge all expenses so incurred on the representatives of the deceased. POST-MORTEM ROOM. 1.—All legally qualified medical men resident in the Parish shall be permitted to use the Post-Mortem Room. 2.—No Post-Mortem Examination shall be made without either the order of the Coroner or the written consent of the representatives of the deceased. 3.—No Post-Mortem Examination shall be made on Sundays, unless by special permission. 49 DUTIES OF THE MORTUARY KEEPER. 1.—The Mortuary Keeper shall be responsible to the Sanitary Committee. 2.—He shall be responsible for all arrangements connected with the care of the dead bodies during the time they remain in the Mortuary. 3.—He shall keep a book in which he shall enter all such particulars with reference to dead bodies brought to the Mortuary as the Sanitary Committee shall direct. 4.—He shall twice at least during each week wash throughout the two Mortuary Chambers, the Post-Mortem Room, the Lavatories, and the Passages, and shall generally keep the buildings clean and in good order. 5.—Any medical man intending to make a Post-Mortem Examination, and being authorized to use the Post-Mortem Room for the purpose, shall give at least twelve hours' notice of such intention to the Mortuary Keeper, who shall cause the dead body to be placed upon the dissecting table in leadiness for such medical man at the hour appointed by him, and, on the completion of such Post-Mortem Examination, shall cause that the dead body be either replaced in the coffin in which it was brought to the Mortuary, or placed in a shell ready for burial; and that the room, tables, and all utensils and appliances be as soon as possible thoroughly cleansed. 6.—He shall report to the Sanitary Committee any infringement of the foregoing regulations. COMPULSORY REMOVAL OF DEAD BODIES TO MORTUARY. By the 27th section of the Sanitary Act, 1866, it is enacted—"That when any dead body of one who has died of any infectious disease is retained in a room in which persons live or sleep, or any dead body which is in such a state as to endanger the health of the inmates of the same house or room, is retained in such house or room, any Justice may, on a certificate signed by a legally qualified medical practitioner, order the body to be removed to such proper place of reception at the cost of the nuisance authority, and direct the same to be buried within a time to be limited in such order." By the 28th section of the same Act, the Coroner has the power to order the removal of the body of any deceased person, upon whom he intends to hold an inquest, to the Mortuary for the performance of a Post-Mortem Examination. Signed, by order of the Sanitary Committee, GEORGE PADDOCK BATE, M.D., Medical Officer of Health. WASTE LAND IN NORFOLK STREET. The site of the "Old Octagon" had become a receptacle for all kinds of filth and refuse, and was a nuisance to the neighbourhood. It has recently been let on a building lease, and a block of substantial houses erected on the land. SANITARY WORK. I refer to table VI. in the Appendix for a summary of the work your Inspectors are doing. 50 The Small Pox epidemic which, I regret to say, has not yet disappeared, has been a cause of grave anxiety and much extra work to the Officers of the Sanitary Department. Their labours have at times been so much increased that they have had almost more than they could manage. In conclusion, I beg to record my grateful acknowledgments to your Vestry, and especially to the members of the Sanitary Committee, for their continued kindness to and confidence in me, without which the performance of my duties would be a labour instead of a pleasure. I remain, Gentlemen, Your most faithful servant, GEORGE PADDOCK BATE. To the Vestry of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green. BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE I. Shewing the Population, Inhabited Houses, Births, Deaths and Marriages for the year 1880 and 10 years preceding. GROSS NUMBERS. YEAR. Population estimated at the middle of the year.* No. of Inhabited Houses in Parish or District. Births. Deaths.** Marriages 1880 127,000 17,721 5201 2914 2465 1879 133,300 17,475 5246 3069 2443 1878 132,000 17,311 5195 2951 2438 1877 129,600 17,325 5169 2989 2438 1876.7 129,300 17,605 5299 2923 2443 1875.6 128,000 17,945 5255 3020 †† †1874.5 127,000 †† 5152 3142 †† †1873.4 125,000 16,000 5050 3129 †† †1872.3 124,000 †† 5187 2588 †† †1871.2 122,117 †† 4875 2958 †† †1870.1 120,200 15,981 5196 2984 †† Average of 10 years, 1870 to 1870 127,051 17,091 5162 2975 2440 NOTES. 1. Population at census, 1871—120,200. 2. Area in Acres, 755. 3. Average number of persons in each house at census, 1871—7.5. *For statistical purposes the Registrar.General estimates the population to the middle of the year on the basis of the rate of increase ruling between the two preceding census periods. The estimate of population may be checked by the known' number of inhabited houses, and by the average number of inmates per house, as ascertained at the preceding census. **The deaths of non.parishioners in public institutions within the parish are deducted, and a proportion of the deaths occurring in General Hospitals relative to the population of the parish or district is added to the total number of deaths in this column. †The figures for these years are extracted from the reports of the late Dr. Sarvis, by whom no correction for Hospital deaths was made. ‡No returns from local registrars were supplied to the Sanitary Department during these years. †† No information. BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE II. Shewing the Annual Birth Rate, Rate of Mortality, Death Rate among Children, and Deaths in Public Institutions for the year 1880 and 10 years preceding. YEAR. Birth Rate per 1000 of the Population. Annual Rate of Mortality per 1000 living. Deaths of Children under 1 year: percentage of Total Deaths. Percentage of Deaths of Children under 1 year to Registered Births. Deaths of Children under 5 years: percentage of Total Deaths. Total Number of Deaths in Public Institutions. 1880 40.9 23.0 29.2 16.3 50.3 472 1879 39.3 23.0 25.5 14.9 46.8 526 1878 39.3 23.0 26.6 15.3 48.8 465 1877 39.8 23.0 26.7 15.4 47.6 440 †1876.7 40.7 20.9 27.8 15.3 † 430 †1875.6 41.0 23.4 29.0 16.8 † 410 †1874.5 40.6 27.7 27.0 16.5 † 432 †1873.4 40.0 25.0 26.7 16.6 50.0 424 *1872.3 41.6 20.8 + + ‡ 50.7 357 *1871.2 40.0 25.0 + + ‡ 53.5 392 *1870.1 42.5 24.0 + + ‡ 50.4 363 Average of 10 years, 1870 to 1879 40.1 23.3 26.6 15.7 49.1 423 NOTES. * The figures upon which the calculations for these years are based are extracted from the annual reports of the late Dr. Sarvis, and are not corrected for Hospital or extra Parochial deaths. † No returns were supplied to the Sanitary Department by the Local Registrars during these years. ‡ No information. BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE III. DEATHS REGISTERED AT SEVERAL GROUPS OF AGES FROM DIFFERENT CAUSES DURING THE YEAR 1880. Note.—The Deaths in Public Institutions of non.Residents are excluded. CAUSE OF DEATH. Under 3 months. AGES. Total. 0 to 1 1 to 2 2 to 5 5 to 15 15 to 25 25 to 35 35 to 45 45 to 55 55 to 65 65 to 75 75 to 85 85 to 95 95 and upwards. Total under 5 years CLASSES. I Zymotic Diseases 53 165 135 145 68 13 5 13 7 3 6 2 .. .. 498 615 II Constitutional Diseases 10 83 61 35 26 57 88 92 58 43 16 7 .. .. 189 576 III Local Diseases 115 153 126 69 50 31 51 78 116 173 149 62 8 .. 463 1181 IV. Developmental Diseases 152 71 26 6 2 2 10 8 8 48 70 19 1 .. 255 423 V. Violent Deaths 22 27 3 10 7 1 .. 6 6 2 1 2 .. .. 62 87 Not specified or ill defined 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 Totals l 353 493 351 265 153 104 154 197 195 269 242 92 9 • • 1468 2883 CLASS I.—Zymotic Diseases. Order 1.—Miasmatic 1 Smallpox 2 3 1 2 7 2 1 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 20 2 Measles 1 4 16 10 3 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 31 34 3 Scarlet Fever (Scarlatina) .. 9 17 50 36 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 76 114 4 Diphtheria .. 1 .. 5 1 11 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 8 5 Quinsy .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 6 Croup • f 8 5 20 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 33 35 7 Whooping Cough 6 46 48 36 4 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 136 140 8 Typhus Fever .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 Enteric or Typhoid F. .. .. .. 4 8 5 2 2 .. .. .. .. .. 4 21 Simple continued F. .. .. 2 3 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 6 9 Erysipelas 3 3 .. 4 .. 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 2 .. .. 10 14 10 Puerperal Fever (see Childbirth) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. TABLE III. (continued). CAUSE OF DEATH. Under 3 months. AGES. Total. 0 to 1 1 to 2 2 to 5 5 to 15 15 to 25 25 to 35 35 to 45 45 to 55 55 to 65 65 to 75 75 to 85 85 to 95 95 and upwards. Total under 5 years CLASS I. (continued). 11 Carbuncle 12 Influenza .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13 Dysentery .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 14 Diarrhœa 25 75 43 8 .. .. .. 3 3 3 4 .. .. .. 151 164 15 Cholera .. .. 1 .. 4 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 5 16 Ague .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 Remittent Fever .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 18 Rheumatism Acute .. .. .. .. 2 .. 2 3 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 Chronic .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. .. .. .. 2 19 Other Zymotic Diseases .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 Order 2.—Enthetic 1 Syphilis 8 7 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 16 2 Stricture of Urethra .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 Hydrophobia .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Glanders .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Order 3.—Dietic 1 Privation 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 2 2 Want of Breast Milk 5 4 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 10 3 Purpura and Scurvy .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Alcoholism a. Delirium Tremens .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 b. Intemperance .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Order 4.—Parasitic 1 Thrush 2 4 .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 7 2 Worms, &c .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. CLASS II.—Constitutional Diseases. Order 1.—Diathetic 1 Gout .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 3 3 1 .. .. .. 9 2 Dropsy 1 .. 1 3 3 1 1 1 1 3 3 1 .. .. 5 19 3 Cancer .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 4 8 12 4 2 .. .. .. 32 4 Cancrum Oris (Noma) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Mortification .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. .. .. 2 6 Pyœmia .. 1 .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. .. .. 4 TABLE III. (continued). CAUSE OF DEATH. Under 3 months. AGES. Total. 0 to 1 1 to 2 2 to 5 5 to 15 15 to 25 25 to 35 35 to 45 45 to 55 55 to 65 65 to 75 75 to 85 85 to 95 95 and upwards. Total under 5 years CLASS II. (continued). Order 2.—Tubercular 1 Scrofula .. 4 6 2 1 4 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 18 2 Tabes Mesenterica 6 37 21 6 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 70 71 3 Phthisis .. 6 3 5 11 50 85 87 46 25 4 1 .. .. 14 323 4 Hydrocephalus Acute 2 28 23 17 9 1 .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 70 81 Chronic 1 7 7 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 17 17 CLASS III.—Local Diseases. Order 1.—Nervous System . 1 Cephalitis .. .. .. 2 .. .. 1 .. 1 1 1 .. .. .. 2 6 2 Apoplexy .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 3 5 11 13 7 1 .. .. 41 3 Paralysis .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 2 7 14 22 .. .. .. .. 55 4 Insanity .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 10 6 7 2 .. .. .. .. 28 5 Chorea .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 6 Epilepsy .. .. 2 1 .. 2 4 2 1 2 6 .. .. .. .. 3 20 7 Convulsions 5 39 17 5 2 .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 113 116 8 Brain Disease, &c 1 4 3 10 6 1 2 3 .. 4 5 3 1 .. 18 45 Order 2.—Organs of Circulation 1 Pericarditis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 2 Aneurism 1 i .. 3 Heart Disease, &c. .. .. 2 1 6 7 11 17 .. 23 29 .. 8 .. .. 3 128 Order 3.—Respiratory Organs 1 Laryngitis .. 2 2 1 .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 6 L Bronchitis 28 56 54 17 5 5 9 17 34 70 58 26 3 .. 155 382 3. Pleurisy .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 2 4: Pneumonia 21 39 42 21 11 4 7 8 8 7 ft 3 2 .. 123 178 5 Asthma .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 4 2 .. .. .. 12 6 Lung Disease, &c 2 .. 1 1 .. 1 6 1 4 2 .. .. .. .. 4 18 Order 4.—Digestive Organs .. I Gastritis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 2 Enteritis 2 8 2 1 1 .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 13 16 TABLE III. (continued). CAUSE OF DEATH. Under 3 months. AGES. Total. 0 to 1 1 to 2 2 to 5 5 to 15 15 to 25 25 to 35 35 to 45 45 to 55 55 to 65 65 to 75 75 to 85 85 to 95 95 and upwards. Total under 5 years Class III., Order 4 (continued). 3 Peritonitis .. 1 1 2 4 .. 3 .. .. 2 .. .. .. .. 4 13 4 Ascites .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 5 Ulceration of Intestines .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 6 Herina .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. .. .. 2 7 Heus .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8 Intussusception .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 9 Obstructions of Intestines 1 .. .. 1 .. .. .. 1 1 1 1 1 .. .. 2 7 10 Fistula .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 11 Stomach Disease, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 1 .. .. .. .. 3 12 Pancreas Disease, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13 Hepatitis 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 1 3 14 Jaundice 4 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 4 15 Liver Disease, &c. .. .. .. .. 1 1 1 7 6 4 4 1 1 .. .. 26 16 Spleen Disease, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Order 5.–Urinary Organs 1 Nephritis .. 1 .. .. 1 .. .. .. 2 1 .. .. .. .. 1 5 2 Ischuria .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 Bright's Disease(Nephria) .. .. .. 1 .. 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 .. .. 1 11 4 Diabetes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Calculus(stone) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 Cystitis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 2 .. .. .. .. 4 7 Kidney Disease, &c. .. .. .. 1 1 .. .. .. 1 3 4 .. •• .. 1 10 Order 6.—Organs of Generation 1 Ovarian Dropsy .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. 1 .. .. .. .. 3 2 Uterus disease, &c. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Order 7.—Organs of Generation 1 Synovitis (Arthritis) .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 2 Joint Disease, &c. .. .. .. 2 5 3 ?, 1 .. 1 .. .. .. .. 2 14 Order 8.—Intequmentary System 1 Phlegmon 3 2 .. 2 1 2 .. 1 .. .. .. 1 .. .. 7 12 2 Ulcer .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 Skin Disease, &c. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 TABLE III. (continued). CAUSE OF DEATH. Under 3 months. AGES. Total. 0 to 1 1 to 2 2 to 5 5 to 15 15 to 25 25 to 35 35 to 45 45 to 55 55 to 65 65 to 75 75 to 85 85 to 95 95 and upwards. Total under 5 years CLASS IV.—Developmental Diseases. Other 1.–Diseases of Children 1. Premature Birth 40 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. • • 46 46 2 Cyanosis 3 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 3 3. Spina Bifida 1 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 3 4. Other Malformations 6 l .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7 7 5. Teething 1 17 14 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32 32 Order 2.–Adults 1. Paramenia .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. • • 1 1 2. Childbirth .. .. .. .. .. 2 9 7 1 .. .. .. .. • • • • 19 Order 3.– old People 1. Old Age .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 46 69 19 1 • • • • 141 Order 4.– Nutrition 1. Atrophy and Debility 95 51 11 6 2 • • 1 1 1 2 1 .. .. .. 163 171 CLASS V.—Violent Deaths. Order 1.–Accident or Negilence 1. Fractures and Contusions 1 3 1 6 3 • • • • 1 3 • • 1 1 • • • • 11 20 2. Wounds Gunshot .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. • • • • • • 2.Wounds Cut, Stab 1 1 .. .. .. 1 • • 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 4 3.Burns and Scalds .. .. .. 3 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. • • 3 3 4.Poison .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. • • • • 2 5. Drowning 1 .. 1 .. 3 .. .. .. 1 • • • • • • • • • • 2 6 6. Suffocations 18 23 1 .. .. .. .. .. • • • • • • 1 • • • • 42 43 7. Otherwise 1 .. .. I .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. • • 2 2 Order 3.– Homicide .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. • • 1 Order 4.—Suicide .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 2 1 .. .. .. • • • • 6 Causes Not specified or ill Defined 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE IV. Shelving the Mortality from certain classes of Diseases, and proportions to Population, and to 1000 Deaths, 1880. DIVISION I. (Adults). Total Deaths. Deaths per 1000 of Population (all ages). Proportion of Deaths to 1000 Deaths (all ages). 1. Seven Principal Zymotic Diseases 553 4.3 189.7 2. Pulmonary Diseases (other than Phthisis) 598 4.7 205.2 3. Tubercular Diseases 412 3.2 141.3 DIVISION II. (Young Children). Total Deaths. Deaths per 1000 of Population (under 5 years). Proportion of Deaths to 1000 deaths (under 5 years). 4. Wasting Diseases 219 11.4 149.1 5. Convulsive Diseases 232 12.0 158.03 NOTES. 1. 553.—Includes Small Pox, Measles, Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, Whooping Cough Fever, and Diarrhoea. 2. 598.—Includes—Pleurisy, 2; Bronchitis, 382; Pneumonia, 178; Asthma, 12; Lung Disease, 18; Laryngitis, 6. 3. 412.—Includes Phthisis, Scrofula, Rickets, and Tabes. 4. 219.—Includes Marasmus, Atrophy, Debility, 163; want of Breast Milk, 10; and Premature Birth, 46. 5. 232.—Includes Hydrocephalus, 17; Infantile Meningitis, 70 ; Convulsions, 113 ; and Teething, 32. BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE IV. (A). Total Births and Deaths, and Deaths from some Zymotic and other Causes. Fever, Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Diarrhoea, Violence, &c., registered in the Four Sub.Districts of Bethnal Green. Quarter ending. Area in Statute Acres. Enumerated Population of 1871. Total Births during each Quarter. Total Deaths during each Quarter. THE DEATHS REGISTERED IN EACH QUARTER INCLUDE: death8 of deaths from Inquest Cases. Deaths in Public Institutions. Infants under 1 yr. of age. Persons aged 60 yrs. and upwards. Small Pox. Measles. Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. Whooping Cough. Fever. Diarrhoea. Cholera. Violence. Hackney Road. March, 1880 141 29822 314 188 57 27 .. 2 6 2 18 8 4 .. 4 12 10 June „ .. .. 299 130 42 13 1 2 6 .. 19 1 1 .. 4 10 2 Sept. „ .. .. 295 162 62 20 .. 3 4 .. 5 2 31 6 4 10 2 Dec. „ .. .. 310 150 55 24 1 .. 11 .. 3 1 5 .. 8 18 4 Total 141 29822 1218 630 216 84 2 7 27 2 45 12 41 6 20 50 18 Green.* March, 1880 390 42433 510 402 70 115 .. 2 7 1 23 .. 2 .. 9 22 159 June „ .. .. 519 258 56 55 .. 6 3 .. 7 2 2 .. 14 30 87 Sept. „ .. .. 479 326 113 66 .. 2 5 1 7 2 44 1 8 13 100 Dec. „ .. .. 462 292 66 74 3 .. 11 .. 7 2 8 .. 10 23 108 Total 390 42433 1970 1278 305 310 3 10 26 2 44 6 56 1 41 88 454 * The Workhouse, Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, and Bethnall House Asylum are in this District. TABLE IV. (a) continued. Church. March, 1880 151 26577 340 153 44 27 .. 7 4 .. 21 3 .. .. 5 12 .. June. „ .. .. 299 110 36 12 .. 6 2 1 11 1 6 .. 1 3 .. Sept. „ .. .. 274 141 63 12 3 2 6 1 3 3 27 2 2 5 .. Dec. „ .. .. 289 176 49 22 7 1 33 1 3 2 6 .. 6 16 .. Total 151 26577 1202 580 192 73 10 16 45 3 38 9 39 2 14 36 .. Town. March, 18. 93 21272 217 105 33 17 .. .. 3 .. 6 3 1 .. 4 6 .. June. „ .. .. 217 97 29 10 2 1 3 .. 1 2 3 .. 6 12 .. Sep. „ .. .. 201 87 41 6 .. .. 4 1 .. 1 19 4 1 4 .. Dec. „ .. .. 176 106 34 12 3 2 8 .. 3 .. 5 .. 2 7 .. Total 93 21272 811 395 137 45 5 3 18 1 16 6 28 4 13 29 .. Grand Total 775 120104 5201 2883 850 512 20 36 116 8 143 33 164 13 88 203 472 BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE IV (B). TOTAL MARRIAGES, BIRTHS, AND DEATHS, AND DEATHS FROM SOME ZYMOTIC AND OTHER CAUSES, BY QUARTERS. QUARTER ENDING. Marriages. Total Births during each Quarter. Total Deaths during each Quarter. THE DEATHS REGISTERED IN EACH QUARTER INCLUDE : Deaths of Deaths from Inquest Cases. Deaths in Public Institutions. Infants under 1 year of age. Persons aged 60 yrs. and upwards. Small Pox. Measles. Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. Whooping Cough. Fever. Diarrhoea. Cholera. Violence. March, 1880 548 1318 848 204 186 .. 11 20 3 68 14 7 .. 22 52 169 June „ 541 1334 595 163 90 3 15 14 1 44 6 12 .. 25 55 89 Sept. „ 620 1249 716 279 104 3 7 19 3 15 8 121 13 15 32 102 Dec. „ 756 1237 724 204 132 14 3 63 1 16 5 24 .. 26 64 112 Total 2465 5201 2883 850 512 20 36 116 8 143 33 164 13 88 203 472 BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE IV. (c). TOTAL BIRTHS AND DEATHS, AND DEATHS FROM SOME ZYMOTIC AND OTHER CAUSES, IN LONDON DURING THE YEAR 1880. Estimated Population in the middle of the year 1880. QUARTER ENDING. Total Births during the Quarter. Total Deaths during the Quarter. THE DEATHS REGISTERED IN EACH QUARTER INCLUDE: deaths of deaths from Inquest Cases. Deaths in Public Institutions. Infants under 1 year of age. Persons aged 60 yrs. and upwards. Small Pox. Measles. Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. Whooping Cough. Fever. Diarrhoea. Violence. March, 1880 34493 24884 5554 5949 122 340 785 131 1956 218 153 714 1454 4366 June. „ 33789 17706 4066 3632 144 357 682 125 901 192 255 689 1273 3431 Sept. „ 32192 19426 6820 3197 49 294 720 131 346 240 2981 624 1119 3223 Dec. „ 31699 19112 4467 4171 160 510 886 154 235 236 378 698 1397 3587 Total 132173 81128 20907 16949 475 1501 3073 541 3438 886 3767 2725 5243 14607 BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE V. Shewing the number of Deaths from the seven principal Zymotic Diseases, inclusive of Hospital Deaths, in the 10 years 1870 to 1879, and in the year 1880. DISEASE. 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 Annual Average of 10 years, 1870—1879. Proportion of Deaths to 1000 Deaths in 10 yrs., 1870—1879. 1880 Proportion of Deaths to 1000 Deaths in 1880. Small Pox 2 252 269 41 7 1 31 88 55 7 75.3 25.3 51 17.5 Measles 76 38 82 43 192 25 56 142 59 106 81.9 27.5 34 11.6 Scarlet Fever 452 107 41 17 103 193 80 93 68 76 123.0 41.3 114 39.1 Diphtheria 16 2 2 6 5 5 3 8 14 12 7.1 2.3 8 2.7 Whooping Cough 172 66 118 147 101 151 61 89 192 147 124.4 41.7 140 48.0 Fever 93 77 63 44 58 68 42 48 51 56 60.0 20.1 37 12.6 Diarrhœa 148 164 159 143 159 124 112 104 86 70 126.9 42.6 169 57.9 Total in Bethnal Green 959 706 734 441 625 567 385 572 525 474 598.6 200 8 553 189.4 Total in London 16476 19455 12669 11385 11230 13411 12565 12292 14734 12256 13647.3 BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE VI. INSPECTORS' REPORT OF THE SANITARY WORK, &c., Completed in the year ending December 31st, 1880. Districts. Total. 1 2 3 No. of Complaints Received during year 2005 2126 1015 5146 No. of Houses, Premises, &c., inspected Results of Inspection— Orders issued for Sanitary Amendments of 1391 1550 756 3697 Houses and Premises, &c., Cleansed, Repaired, and Whitewashed 597 756 391 1744 Houses Disinfected after Infectious Diseases 356 221 211 788 House Drains— Repaired, Cleansed, &c. 397 410 286 1093 Trapped or Ventilated 254 212 106 572 Privies and Water Closets. 595 443 235 1273 Dust Bins— 197 209 89 495 Water Supply— Cisterns Cleansed, Repaired, and Covered 39 78 189 306 Miscellaneous— No. of Lodging Houses registered under 35th 10 9 1 20 No. of Dust Complaints received and attended 4765 3322 1886 9973 Removal of accumulation of Dung, Stagnant Water Animal and other Refuse 213 105 196 514 Removal of Animal improperly kept 9 16 59 84 Licensed Cowhouse Regularly Inspected. 18 10 9 37 Licensed slaughterhouses 7 11 4 22 Fish Cursers 15 27 10 52 Other Proceedings e g. Legal Proceedings 65 94 6 165 Fever Cases 169 183 97 449 Small Pox 223 128 54 405 Diphtheria 9 6 4 19 BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE VII. VACCINATION.— Return for the year, 1880. REGISTRATION SUB-DISTRICTS COMPRISED IN THE VACCINATION OFFICER'S DISTRICT. Births. Successfully Vaccinated. Died before the period of Vaccination. Postponed by Medical Certificate. Insusceptible of Vaccination. Had Small Pox before the period of Vaccination. Removed to Districts, the Vaccination Officer of which has been duly apprized. Not known, and removed to places which cannot be reached. Default. GREEN DISTRICT 1980 1671 168 4 3 1 8 97 28 HACKNEY ROAD DISTRICT 1212 975 144 7 • • • • 3 53 30 CHURCH DISTRICT 1208 1016 116 l 3 2 1 59 10 TOWN DISTRICT 809 653 84 5 • • • • • • 49 18 Total 5209 4315 512 17 6 3 12 258 86 Wm. H. Ward, Vaccination Officer. BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE VIII. ANALYSIS OP THE MORTALITY IN LONDON DURING THE YEAR 1880. QUARTER ENDING. Annual Rate of Mortality per 1000 living, at all ages. Deaths under 1 year to 1000 Births Registered. Annual Rate of Mortality per 1000 living. Per.centage to Total Deaths of Deaths Registered. All Causes. Seven Principal Zymotic Diseases. Violence. Aged 1 to 60 years. Aged 60 years and upwards. Upon Certificate of the Coroner (Inquests). In large Public Institutions. March, 1880 27.3 4.1 0.78 161 16.1 104.8 5.8 17.5 June „ 19.4 2.9 0.75 120 12.1 64.0 7.2 19.4 Sept. „ 21.3 5.2 0.68 212 11.4 56.3 5.8 16.6 Dec. „ 20.9 2.8 0.76 141 12.6 73.5 7.3 18.8 TABLE IX. AREA, POPULATION, DENSITY, AND MORTALITY IN ENGLAND AND LONDON. DIVISIONS. Area in Acres. Area in Square Miles. Persons to a Square Mile, 1871. Annual Rate of Mortality per 1000 Persons living in Ten Years. Year 1879. 1879.—Quarters ending. 1880.—Quarters ending. 1851.60 1861.70 Mar. June. Sept. Dec. Mar. June. Sept. Dec. ENGLAND 37,319,221 58,311 390 22.2 22.4 21.0 25.2 21.1 16.4 21.4 22.9 19.7 20.4 19.6 LONDON 75,362 118 27,578 23.6 24.3 23.6 27.1 22.4 18.4 24.9 27'3 19.4 21.3 20.9 Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green IN THE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX. ACCOUNT IN ABSTRACT OF RECEIPT AND EXPENDITURE For the Year ending 25th March, 1881, together with A Summary Statement of all Contracts entered into, AND OF Moneys due to and Debts owing by the Vestry to that day ; ALSO, THE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT BY THE VESTRY, WITH A LIST OF ITS SEVERAL MEMBERS AND OFFICERS. LONDON: FORSAITH BROTHERS, PRINTERS, 329, BETHNAL GREEN ROAD, E. 1881. THE VESTRY OF THE PARISH OF ST. MATTHEW, BETHNAL GREEN, In the County of Middlesex UNDER THE METROPOLIS LOCAL MANAGEMENT ACT. REV. SEPTIMUS C. H. HANSARD, M.A., RECTOR. Years to EAST WARD. Serve. 3 AMES, Mr. THOMAS 93, Green street 2 BAUGH, Mr. GEORGE 146, Green street 3 BRADBROOK, Mr. THOMAS FREDERICK 117, Green street 2 EDROFF, Mr. WILLIAM 26, Old Ford road 1 ETRIDGE, Mr. JOSEPH 492, Bethnal Green road 3 HALL, Mr. JOHN 338, Old Ford road 1 HILDITCH, Mr. JAMES GEORGE 208, Grove road 1 LOVED AY, Mr. GEORGE 210, Cambridge road 2 PITT, Mr. JAMES 170, Grove road 3 RICHARDSON, Mr. WILLIAM Bishop's road 3 RIPPIN, Mr. THOMAS HENRY 195, Green street 2 STONELEY, Mr. FREDERICK GEORGE 28, Roman road 1 WARD, Mr. EDWIN 13, Victoria Park square 2 WEBB, Mr. GEORGE SAMUEL 33, Old Ford road I WRIGHT, Mr. THOMAS Bridge Wharf, Old Ford road WATSON, Mr. JOHN, 6, Sewardstonc road East—Auditor. WEST WARD. 3 CHILLINGWORTH, Mr. ROBERT JESSE 20, Mount street 1 COLLINS, Mr. WILLIAM DAVIS 40, Old Castle street 1 DYER, Mr. WILLIAM 184, Bethnal Green road 2 EWIN, Mr. ALFRED 25, Columbia road 1 FRANCIS, Mr. THOMA.S WATSON 2, Hackney road 3 GOULD, Mr. HENRY COLLINS 7A, Gibraltar Walk 2 JACOBS, Mr. JOSEPH 27, Fournier streot 3 KEY, Mr. THOMAS 122, Brick lane 1 NICHOLSON, Mr. GEORGE HENRY 106, Bethnal Green road 3 PAYNE, Mr. GEORGE FREDERICK 180, Bethnal Green road 3 PERRIN, Mr. WILLIAM 162, Hackney road 2 RICHARDSON, Mr. JOHN CHARLES BAYLIFFE 117, Brick lane 1 SCHMIDT, Dr. ALFRED EDWIN 150, Bethnal Green road 2 SMI THER, Mr. DANIEL 142, Hackney road 2 THARP, Mr. WILLIAM ANTHONY 30, Hare street MEAN, Mr. THOMAS, 328, Hackney road—Auditor, 3 Years to NORTH WARD. serve. 1 ATTWELL, Mr. ORLANDO THOMAS 278, Hackney road 1 BARNARD, Mr. ALFRED 76, Columbia road 3 BEALE, Mr. ROBERT Oval, Hackney road 2 BISHOP, Mr. JAMES 35, Approach road 2 COOK, Mr. THOMAS 435, Hackney road 3 EDWARDS, Mr. JAMES HENRY St. Peter's square 1 EVERITT, Mr. THOMAS CHARLES 18, Sheldon place, Mansford street 3 HOOPER, Mr. WILLIAM 107, Old Ford road 3 LATHAM, Dr. CHARLES WILLIAM 442, Hackney road 2 LUCKHURST, Mr. THOMAS 8, Providence place, Columbia road 1 MILBOURN, Mr. JAMES 176, Columbia road 2 NORRIS, Mr. JOSEPH 220, Cambridge road HASLOP, Mr. THOMAS, 409, Hackney road—Auditor. SOUTH WARD. 1 ABBOTT, Mr. JAMES 6, Old Bethnal Green road 2 AVENELL, Mr. WILLIAM JAMES 63, Squirries street 1 BEVEN, Mr. THOMAS King Edward road and Pollard row 2 COKE, The Rev. EDWARD FRANCIS The Vicarage, St. James-the-Great, Bethnal 3 COOK, Mr. JOHN 2, Old Bethnal Green road [Green-road 1 DOBSON, Mr. HARRY FREDERICK 218, Old Ford road 3 FORREST, Mr. CHRISTOPHER 17, Victoria Park square 3 JONES, Mr. JAMES VALENTINE Oval, Hackney road 3 LINK, Mr. JOHN DAVID 30, Weaver street 1 MEADWAY, Mr. GEORGE 354, Bethnal Green road 2 PEREIRA, Mr. HENRY 429, Bethnal Green road 3 PICKARD, Mr. ROBERT 39, Hague street 2 THURGOOD, Mr. EDWARD 450, Bethnal Green road 2 WENTZELL, Mr. ANDREW Victoria Park 1 YETTON, Mr. WILLIAM 248, Globe road MITCHELL, Mr. JOSEPH, 303, Bethnal Green road— Auditor. Member for the Parish of the Metropolitan Board of Works, ALFRED EWIN, Esq., Norlington House, Leytonstone. Medical Officer of Health. GEORGE PADDOCK BATE, Esq., M.D., 412, Bethnal Green road. Surveyor. Mr. WILLIAM HENRY GATHERCOLE, The Vestry Hall. Assistant Surveyor. Mr. JOHN ALFRED THARP, The Vestry Hall. 4 Collectors of Poor, General, and other Rates. Mr. WILLIAM ISAAC SHENTON, 79, Gore road, Victoria Park.—East Ward. Mr. HENRY LIEBRECHT, 35, Approach road, Victoria Park.—North Division, West Ward. Mr. WILLIAM NATHANIEL EAGLES, 26, Approach road, Victoria Park.—South Division, West Ward. Mr. EUSTACE SHEPHERD SMITH, 62, Bonner road, Victoria Park.—North Ward. Mr. HENRY JOHN BLISS, 164, Bethnal Green road.—South Ward. Beadle. Mr. JOHN WILLIAM BURROWS, Ivy Cottage, West street, Bishop's road, Cambridge Heath. Sanitary Inspectors. Mr. JOHN WILLIAM BURROWS, Mr. WILLIAM WALTER BURROWS, and Mr. JOSHUA LAPWORTH, The Vestry Hall, Vestry Hall Keeper. Mr. WILLIAM PAGE. ROBERT VOSS, Vestry Clerk. OFFICE—The Vestry Hall, Church Row, Bethnal Green road. Memorandum. We, the undersigned Auditors for the Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green, in the County of Middlesex, having duly examined and investigated the Accounts of the said Vestry, from the 25th day of March, 1880, to the 25th day of March, 1881, and the Vouchers in support of the same, together with the Books, Papers, Instruments, and Writings relating thereto, Do hereby Certify that we have this day Audited such Accounts at the Vestry Hall, Church Row, Bethnal Green Road, in the said Parish, and the same are true and correct. Given under our hands this 19th day of May, 1881, (Signed) JOHN WATSON, THOMAS MEAN, JOSEPH MITCHELL, THOMAS HASLOP, Auditors. The Vestry of the Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green, in the County of Middlesex Abstract and Summary of Accounts from the 25th day of March, 1880, to the 25th day of March, 1881. GENERAL RATE. RECEIPTS. PAYMENTS. £ s. d. £ s. d. Balance in hand at Lady-day, 1880 1386 1 4 Interest on Mortgages by late Paving Commissioners 406 12 7 Amount paid into Bank subsequently to Lady-day, 1880, of Rate made at Christmas, 1879 1854 0 11 Collectors' Poundage 645 17 7 Compensation Annuity to Collector of the late Paving 29 6 3 Amount of Rate at 7d. in the £, made at Lady-day, 1880, and Arrears of former Rate collected at Midsummer 8250 12 4 Roads—Labour, Carting, Steam Roller, Granite, Hard 4881 14 10 Amount to Rate at 7d. in the £, made at midsummer, 1880, and Arrears of former Rate collected at michael- mas 8269 7 1 Scavenging 6562 2 8 Paving Repairs and alterations 900 17 7 Lighting 4208 3 9 Amount of Rate at 7d. in the £, made at Michaelmas, 1880, and Arrears of former Rate collected at Christmas 8316 3 2 Incidentals—Repairs to Hall and Offices, Compensation, Trees, Gas Lanterns, Coal, and Petty Disbursements 242 7 7 Amount of Rate at 7d. in the £, made at Christmas, 1880, and Arrears of former Rate collected and paid into the Bank on the 25th March, 1881 5901 0 0 Watering—Repairs to Hydrants, &c. and for Water 382 5 5 One year's Rent of Wharf, less Tax 29 6 3 Expenses of perambulating Baoundaries 60 0 0 New Streets 112 3 0 Principal of Bond for £500 granted by late Paving Com- missioners 500 0 0 Paving Licences 86 12 2 Nuisances—Disinfectants, Bedding, Removing Dead Bodies, Inspectors' Disbursements, Returns, &c 653 15 8 Re-instating Eoads 2041 4 10 Mr. Whitmore, for Eemoval of Hydrant 12 0 0 Mortuary—Forming Foundations, Removing and Eeinterring Bodies, Laying out Ground adjoining Building, Planting, and Salary, &c 719 4 8 Mr. E. J. Ward, for broken Lamp Columns 9 12 0 Sale of Old Iron 7 4 0 Metropolitan Board of Works—Third Instalment of Loan for £20,000 1000 0 0 Carriageway Entrances 4 16 6 Improved Industrial Dwellings Company's Hire of Steam Roller 8 5 0 First Instalment of Loan for £15,00 730 0 0 Interest on Balance of Loan and Costs of Mortgage 491 0 2 Costs of Summonses paid to Collectors 17 14 6 Royal Exchange Assurance— Transferred from Special Mortuary Fund for payments out of General Rate 1013 12 5 Fifteenth Annual Instalment of £10,000 advanced on Mortgage, 6th December, 1865 500 0 0 Interest on balance of Mortgage for one year Thirteenth Annual Instalment of £10,000 advanced on 146 5 0 Mortgage, 11th July, 1867 500 0 0 Interest on balance of Mortgage for one year, at 5 per cent 182 16 3 London Life Association— Thirteenth Annual Instalment of Loan of £16,000 advanced on Mortgage, 5th December, 1867 800 0 0 Interest on balance of Mortgage for one year, at 4½ per cent 280 16 0 Eleventh Annual Instalment of £7,000 advanced on Mortgage, 8th April, 1869 350 0 0 Interest on balance of Mortgage for one year, at 4½ per cent 146 4 3 Eleventh Annual Instalment of Loan of £10,000 advanced on Mortgage, 3rd March, 1870 500 0 0 Interest on balance of Mortgage for one year, at 4½ per cent. 219 7 6 School Board for London 8368 17 3 Income Tax on Bonds and Mortgages to April, 1881 69 5 10 Expenses in relation to preparation of Quinquennial Valuation list 166 10 11 Old Bethnal Green Road Improvement—Purchase of Land and amount Paid to Tenants 860 0 0 Half of Payments for — Printing, Books, Stipends, Stationery, Overseers' Expenses, and Sundry Charges Common to general and sewers Rate 1177 15 11 Balance on 25th of March, 1881 73 13 4 £37,301 4 9 £37,301 4 9 SEWERS RATES. RECEIPTS. PAYMENTS. £ s. d. £ s. d. Balance in hand at Lady-day, 1881 99 17 5 Collectors' Poundage 66 14 2 Amount paid into Bank subsequently to Lady-day, 1880, of Rate made at Christmas, 1879 281 15 3 Cleansing, Repairs, Carting, and Flushing Sewers 817 1 2 Incidentals—Boots, Timber, &c 35 18 10 Amount of Rate at 2d. in the £, made at Midsummer, 1880, and Arrears of former rate collected at Michaelmas 2361 0 9 Urinals 151 8 0 London Life Association— Seventeenth Annual Instalment of £7000 advanced on Mortgage, 30th December, 1863 350 0 0 Amount of Rate at Id. in the £, made at Christmas, 1880, and Arrears of former Rate collected at Ladyday, 1881 873 0 0 Interest on Balance of Mortgage for one year, at 4½ per cent. 61 8 6 Licences 84 19 5 Income Tax to April, 1881, on Mortgages 3 6 8 Half of Payments for—Printing, Books, Stipends, Stationery, Overseers' Expenses, and Sundry Charges common to General and Sewer Rates 1177 15 10 1036 19 8 £3700 12 10 £3700 12 10 METROPOLITAN CONSOLIDATED RATE. RECEIPTS. PAYMENTS. £ s. d. £ s. d. Amount of Rate at 4d. in the £, made at Lady-day, 1880, and Arrears of former Rate collected and paid into the Bank at Midsummer, 1880 4758 19 5 Balance at Lady-day, 1880, being an excess of expendi- ture over receipts 272 14 9 Collectors' Paundage 188 15 4 Amount of Rate at 4d. in the £, made at Michaelmas, 1880, and Arrears of former Rate collected and paid into the Bank at Lady-day, 1881 4647 4 0 Metropolitan Board of Works, pursuant to their Precept 8533 11 2 Balance 411 2 2 £9406 3 5 £9406 3 5 SUMMARY. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Balance at Central Bank of London 1528 4 4 Balance of General Rate Account 73 13 4 Less Uncleared Cheque— „ of Sewers' Rate Account 1036 19 8 1881.—Bradbrook 6 9 2 „ of Metropolitan Consolidated Rate Account 411 2 2 1521 15 2 £1521 15 2 £1521 15 2 MONEYS DUE TO, AND DEBTS OWING BY, THE VESTRY ON THE 25TH MARCH, 1881. MONEYS DUE TO. MONEYS OWING BY. £ s. d. £ s. d. Central Bank of London, as per foregoing Summary 1528 4 4 Stipends 474 14 5 Amount of Rates made at Christmas, paid after Quarterday by Five Collectors into Central Bank of London 2617 11 6 Poundage to Five Collectors 193 16 9 Compensation Annuity 15 0 0 Arrears of General Rate at Lady-day, 1881 167 2 1 Gas Light and Coke Company 895 1 4 Ditto Sewers Rate ditto 20 12 7 Mr. Joseph Brooks—Smith's Work 12 9 5 Ditto Metropolitan Consolidated Rate 2 17 2 R. Wright's Executors—Rent of Wharf 15 0 0 Gas Light and Coke Company, for Trenches 136 14 8 Commercial Gas Company 79 19 8 East London Water Company, for Trenches 52 2 2 Mr. Ward-for Carting 42 6 0 Mr. Cramp-for Bedding 22 19 5 Mr. Lee-for Bedding 20 6 9 Forsaith Brouthers-Printing 39 1 9 Mr. J. J. Griffiths For Bills passed 2043 6 10 Not passed Burrows—Removing Dead Bodies and care of Mortuary 15 0 0 School Board for London—one quarter of Precept 2173 3 4 East London Water Company—Flushing Sewers 36 12 0 Sundry Small Bills 20 0 0 Mr. Wire-Carpenter 23 12 0 Mr. C. Thomerson-Plumber's Work 10 1 6 Mr. Crane-Wagons for Sunday Scavenging 55 16 0 Mr. Blain-Lanterns 30 2 6 Messrs. Aird and Sons-Repairs to Pipes 6 17 6 LIABILITIES. Amount unpaid of Mortgages, granted by the late Paving Commission, and chargeable on the General Rate, £10,100. Compensation Annuity of £30, payable for life to a Collector of the late Paving Commission. £1050—Balance of Mortgage of Rates for £7000, borrowed of the London Life Association in December, 1863, for defraying costs of construction of New Sewers, and to be repaid by twenty equal annual instalments, with interest at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, to be reduced to £4 10s. per cent. per annum on payment of the instalments of principal and interest within thirty days after they respectively become due. £2500—Balance of Mortgage of Rates for £10,000, borrowed of the Corporation of the Royal Exchange Assurance in December, 1865, towards defraying cost of Paving Footways of "Old Streets," and to be repaid by twenty equal annual instalments, with interest at 5 per cent. per annum. £3500—Balance of Mortgage of Rates for £10,000, borrowed of the Corporation of the Royal Exchange Assurance, in July, 1867, towards defraying cost of Paving Footways of " Old Streets," and to be repaid by twenty equal annual instalments, with interest at 5 per cent. per annum. £5600—Balance of Mortgage of Rates for £16,000, borrowed of the London Life Association in December, 1867, for defraying the cost of Paving the Carriageways of Hackney Road and Whitechapel Road, and to be repaid by twenty equal annual instalments, with interest at 5 per cent. per annum, to be reduced to £4 10s. per cent. per annum on payment of the instalments of principal and interest within thirty days after they respectively become due. £3150—Balance of Mortgage of Bates for £7000, borrowed of the London Life Association in April, 1869, for defraying the cost of Paving the Carriageway of Green Street, and the unpaved portion of the Carriageway of Bethnal Green Road, and to be repaid by twenty equal annual instalments, with interest at 5 per cent. per annum, to be reduced to £4 10s. per cent. per annum on payment of the instalments of principal and interest within thirty days after they respectively become due. £4500—Balance of Mortgage of Rates for £10,000, borrowed of the London Life Association in March, 1870, for defraying the cost of Paving Footways of " Old Streets," and to be repaid by twenty equal annual instalments, with interest at 5 per cent. per annum, to be reduced to £4 10s. per cent. per annum on payment of the instalments of principal and interest within thirty days after they respectively become due. £17,000—Balance of Mortgage for £20,000, borrowed from the Metropolitan Board of Works in March, 1878, for defraying the cost of Paving the Carriageways of various Streets, and to be repaid by twenty equal annual instalments, with interest at £3 15s. per cent. per annum. £14,250—Balance of Mortgage for £15,000, borrowed of the Metropolitan Board of Works in March, 1880, £13,000, for defraying cost of Carriageway Paving and cost of Footway Paving between the Parks, and £2,000 for constructing Mortuary, at £3 15s. per cent. 57,550 13 RATES MADE BY THE VESTRY. LADY-DAY, 1880. Poor Rate at 0s. 8d. in the £ General ditto at 0s. 7d. „ Metropolitan Consolidated dittoat 0s. 4d. „ 1s. 7d. MIDSUMMER, 1880. Poor Rate at 0s. 9 d. in the £ General ditto at 0s. 7d. „ Sewers ditto at 0s. 2d. „ Composition ditto at 0s. 0¾. „ 1s. 6¾d MICHAELMAS, 1880. Poor Rate at 0s. 8d. in the £ General ditto at 0s. 7d. „ Metropolitan Consolidated ditto at 0s. 4d. „ 1s. 7d. CHRISTMAS, 1880. Poor Rate at 0s. 9d. in the £ General ditto at 0s. 7d. „ Sewers ditto at 0s. Id. „ 1s. 5d. Total Rates in the £ for the Year 6s. l¾d. 14 CONTRACTS Entered into by the Vestry during the year ended 25th March, 1881. Date. With Foe 1880.—June 19 Mr. Crane Scavenging and Watering No. 1 District from 11th August, 1880, to 10th August, 1881, both inclusive, £1650. „ „ 19 Mr. Parsons No. 2 District, £1600. Ditto No. 3 District, £1700. „ Oct. 7 Messrs. James and Co. For 15 Tons of Coal at £1 per ton. „ Dec. 16 Messrs. Doulton and Co. For Lime, Pipes, &c. „ „ „ Mr. Key, jun For Brooms. REDEMPTION OF MORTGAGES GRANTED BY LATE PAYING COMMISSIONERS. Amount payablo at Michaclmas, 1880 £523 0 0 Paid at Michaelmas, 1880. Mortgage to Wm. Carter £200 0 0 Ditto Thos. Washington 200 0 0 Part of Mortgage for £600 to II. Booth, now Towne & Booth 100 0 0 500 0 0 23 0 0 To 4 per cent. on £10,100 404 0 0 Amount payable at Michaelmas, 1881 £427 0 0 REPORT of the Proceedings of the Vestry of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green, from the 25th March, 1880, to the 25th March, 1881. SCAVENGING. The Contractors for the year ending in August, 1880, consented to enter into contracts for the year ending in August, 1881, at the prices paid for the year ending in August, 1880; but the Vestry, at the meeting of the 15th April, decided to refer the subject to a committee of the whole Board ; and subsequently advertisements inviting tenders were issued, and the tender of Mr. Crane for District No. 1, and the tenders of Mr. Parsons for Districts Nos. 2 and 3 were accepted. The amount of these tenders exceeded the amount payable under the then current contracts by £190. The attention of the Vestry is still directed to the subject of making improved arrangements with regard to scavenging. During the year the Works Committee have visited Whitechapel, Mile End, St. Luke's, Islington, and Paddington. In Islington part of the refuse is taken to a wharf by the Canal Basin, near the City Road, and there sorted. Some part is then destroyed in a furnace, and other parts removed in barges. The most striking thing in Islington is the mode of dealing with the slop, and for this purpose the Vestry have fortunately a large piece of ground. There the slop is "washed," by which process the grit is separated, and after being screened, the residuum, which is large, is a readily saleable product. At the same place there are furnaces for destroying some of the stuff collected, and a large part is sent away by the railroad close by. The Vestry have "a siding" from the line into their ground. The Paddington Vestry have purchased at a very large cost the lease of a wharf on the Canal, near Paddington Green, at a heavy rent; and have also bought land a few miles distant, but near the canal. At the wharf the useful material in the slop is separated, and as a rule is found saleable. There, too, the dust and ashes are sifted by machinery, and the part 16 which, from its nature, or from want of a market, cannot be sold is taken away in barges into the country. At Islington and at Paddington the Vestry have their own horses and carts. Great trouble was taken by the officers at Islington and Paddington to show and explain everything to the Committee, and the same desire to oblige was manifested by the officers at each of the other places visited by the Committee. So far as has been ascertained it does not seem safe to conclude that expense is saved by a Vestry doing the scavenging work with their own men, horses, and plant, instead of contracting for the execution of the work. Much depends upon the existence of special local facilities for getting rid of the refuse, or the absence of such facilities. The ultimate refuse, after the most ingenious separation and utilization of component parts, must be large, and the difficulty and cost of getting rid of it, great, unless it becomes possible to destroy such by fire. For some time past, in Leeds, Bradford, Birmingham, Nottingham, and some other large towns, destruction by fire has been resorted to by the use of Fryer's Patent Destructor. The Committee have had an interview with the assignee of the patent, and by the kindness of the Town Clerk of Leeds have been supplied with copies of a report as to the working of the "Destructor" in Leeds. The Vestry of Paddington, it was understood, contemplated having a "Destructor."* It was felt it might be wise to wait for the result of the experiment by that vestry; but it is suggested that in the meantime steps should be taken to ascertain clearly the results of the actual working of the "Destructor" at places where it is in use. Should the "Destructor" be adopted, and answer, the scavenging work will present in future quite a different aspect. The cost would be chiefly that of collection, and the difficulty of finding "a shoot," or otherwise getting rid of the immense amount of refuse, be removed. The immense quantity of snow which fell in the memorable storm of the 18th January made the roads almost impassable. It came suddenly, and the only course open to the Vestry was to employ extra men to sweep the snow so as to leave passages for traffic. Until the snow was removed by the contractors, 155 men were employed for this purpose, and though, *NOTE.—Since the date of this Report, Dr. Saunders, the Medical Officer of the City of Loudon, has, after visiting various towns where the "Destructor" is in use, and also the works of the assignees of the patent, made a valuable, full report. He decidedly recommends the adoption of the " Destructor" by the City of London. 17 notwithstanding much inconvenience must have arisen from the state of the streets after the storm, the streets and roads in this parish were dealt with as speedily and well as those in any other parish or district. FOURNIER'S CHARITY. The following were the thirteen candidates who were elected and received the gift of £10 each:— Ambrose, John, 2, Gale's gardens. Beavis, Samuel, 4, South street. Cherry, Sarah, 40, Warner place. Dabbs, John, Sen., 47, Seabright street. Davies, Mary, 1, Ann street. Gaisford, Maria, 1, St. Peter's square. Hicks, Thomas, Globe Cottage, Russia lane. Leach, John, 33, Canrobert street. Murphy, Martha, 65, Peter street. Nix, George, 200, Columbia road. Simson, George, 1, Grosvenor street. Toole, Robert, 42, Bacon street. Willson, Elizabeth, 33, Columbia road. Tho subject of the mode of conducting the annual election of recipients having been referred to the Finance Committee, a report was brought up, and regulations as to taking the ballot on future elections laid down. LEVERINGTON CHARITY. The 35 surviving qualified recipients of last year were elected recipients for this year. To make up the number of 40, there were elected by ballot the persons following:— Griffin, William, 2, Gibraltar place. Lindon, Amelia, 42, Menotti street. Stanbrook, Eliza, 4, Bennett's place, Pollard row. Thornton, Edward, 174, Green street. Willis, Alexander, 63, Squirries street. Alexander Willis, one of the recipients, died after having received four weeks' payments, and Mary Ann Bond, of 78, Old Ford road, who, of the unsuccessful candidates, had the greatest number of votes at the last election, was elected a recipient in the place of Willis. METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS PRECEPT. The amount required by the Board, to be paid in equal instalments in 18 July and December, 1881, is £8,880 16s. 6d., being £347 5s. 4d. more than the amount of the last procept. SCHOOL BOARD PRECEPT. The amount required by the Board, to be paid in quarterly instalments in the year 1881, is £8,741 13s. 10d., being an increase of £372 16s. 7d. on the precept of last year. NEW CARRIAGEWAY AND FOOTWAY PAVING. The paving of the carriageways of the streets mentioned in the last report, and the paving of the footways of Grove road, between the parks, has been completed. The entire cost was £12,985 2s. 9d. MORTUARY. The building was completed, and after the necessary fittings for the postmortem room, &c., had been supplied, it was, on the 1st day of June formally dedicated to the uses for which it had been erected. From the day of opening to the date of this report, 127 bodies had been taken there, and 12 post-mortem examinations made. Mr. J. W. Burrows, who had been keeper of the temporary mortuary, at a salary of 5s. a week, was continued as keeper of the present mortuary; but in consequence of the increase of work of cleansing and keeping in order the present mortuary, his salary has been fixed at 10s. a week. A book is kept at the mortuary in which the keeper is to make an entry of every body brought there, with particulars of name, age, residence, date, and cause of death, and any special circumstances connected with the case. LIGHTING. The following is a revised list of charges by the Gas Light and Coke Company:— Size of Light—Feet per hour. Description. Number of lighting hours per annum. Total. £ s. d. 5 feet Square 4300 4 6 1 5 „ Circular 4300 4 10 4 5 „ Square 4300 4 3 I 3 „ Square 4300 2 18 10 4 „ Square 4300 3 12 6 19 IMPROVEMENTS. The trustees of the will of Mr. Nathaniel Walker King, in whom the two old houses at the North-West corner of George street were vested, claimed £1000; but tho amount to be paid for the purchase and compensation was agreed at £850. The trustees (the vendors) having no power to sell and give discharges, the purchase-money had to be paid into court. The two tenants were paid £5 each on giving up possession, which was obtained in November. The tender of Mr. Crane to pay £29 for the materials of the old houses, for pulling them down and removing the material and rubbish, and for £13 to provide and fix the requisite hoarding, was accepted. After the improvement was completed, there remained, between the inner edge of the pavement and the next house, a small strip of land, varying from 10 feet to 3 feet 4 inches, and it was referred to the Works Committee to arrange for a sale of it. The subject of acquiring the house in Club row, at the Eastern end of Little York street, was again considered ; but at the meeting of the 3rd of June a proposal to acquire the house under compulsory powers was negatived. In October a letter came from the clerk of the Metropolitan Board of Works, written by direction of the Works and General Purposes Committee of that Board, asking for a reply to the enquiry previously made—Whether the Vestry would put in force their powers for acquiring the house ? The letter was referred to the Works Committee. After the death of Mr. Jesse Lacey, Mr. Green, his son-in-law, attended the Works Committee, and stated that he and Mrs. Green were willing to sell sufficient of the ground at the north end of Hollybush Gardens to make a thoroughfare into Jude's Place. Mr. Green promised before the next meeting of the Committee to satisfy the clerk of the power of Mrs. Green and himself to sell, but did not do so; and it afterwards appeared the sale could be made only by the trustees of Mr. Lacey's will. In September a petition was presented to the Vestry praying that negotiations might be opened with the representatives of the late freeholder, with a view of acquiring the small piece of ground for making the thoroughfare ; and the subject was referred to a special committee, consisting of the members of tho Finance and Works Committees. 20 Communications were had with one of the trustees, who expressed his willingness to sell ; but delay was caused by the illness of the other trustee. On his recovery the Committee were informed that any arrangement must be made with the trustees' solicitors, who, by direction of the Committee, were seen by the Clerk. It was pointed out that the formation of the thoroughfare would greatly improve the estate of the testator; but it was intimated that the trustees would require a full price. The special committee recommended that the further consideration of the subject should be adjourned, and the recommendation was adopted at the Vestry meeting of the 3rd March. The Metropolitan Board of Works have acceded to the application, made last year by the Vestry, to give the forty-four feet space at the south end of Gibraltar walk with a view to the walk being widened. The ground has been gravelled and enclosed with iron posts. The Vestry decided not to oppose the closing of the east side of Wilmot square, on condition of the south end of Blythe street being widened a little on both sides. Negotiations are pending for a similar improvement at the north end of Blythe street, and for setting back the line of buildings in Old Bethnal Green road at the north-west corner of Blythe street. BOUNDARY SEWER (MILE END). The old sewer, or culvert, in the ditch forming the boundary between Bethnal Green and Mile End, and running from Bethnall House Asylum to the Great Eastern Railway, required to be reconstructed. It was, in fact, a mere brick arch, without an invert. A yard belonging to Bethnall House drained into the culvert, but no other property in Bethnal Green ; and of that yard a small piece only is in this parish, nearly the whole being in Mile End. But a great number of houses in Mile End were drained into the culvert. It had become very foul, and wanted to be reconstructed as well as cleansed. The Mile End Vestry claimed that half the cost of constructing the new sewer, and the incidental work, and of the future maintenance should be borne by this parish, alleging that the old culvert was a sewer jointly used, and that this parish and the Hamlet of Mile End were bound to contribute equally to cleanse and repair it. What tho obligations of this parish were is not clear. After some negotiations it 21 was proposed that the Vestry should pay a certain sum towards the cost of filling up the sewer, and the construction of a new sewer in Mile End instead; but afterwards the Vestry of Mile End found it impossible to do this. Ultimately this Vestry agreed to contribute £250 towards the cost of cleansing and constructing a new sewer on the line of the old one, on condition that the new sewer should hereafter be cleansed, maintained, and repaired, and exclusively used by Mile End. CHALET DE NECESSITE. In February, the Vestry decided to have a Chalet erected as an experiment on the waste ground at the junction of Cambridge Road and Mile End road, and it was referred to the Sanitary Committee to make the necessary arrangements. The draft of an agreement with the Company was submitted to the Vestry, and approved. By the agreement the Company is to pay the Vestry a rent of £10 a year ; and the management of the Chalet is to be under the control of the Vestry, so as to prevent it becoming a nuisance. The spot on which it was proposed to erect the Chalet being alleged to be waste of the Manor of Stepney, the Clerk was directed to communicate with the Lord of the Manor, with a view of obtaining his consent to a Chalet being erected. RE-NAMING AND RE-NUMBERING STREETS. Application was made to the Metropolitan Board of Works for renumbering the houses in Hope street Minerva street. Treadway street. Middle ton street. St. Jude street. Three Colts lane. Suffolk street. And orders were subsequently made by the Board for naming and numbering Hope street and Treadway street throughout as Treadway street; for naming and numbering Suffolk street and Coventry street throughout as Coventry street, and for re-numbering of Minerva street, Three Colts lane, St. Jude street, and Middleton street. GROVE ROAD BRIDGE. The improvement to the Bridge has been carried out according to the provisions of the Act of Parliament. 22 By arrangement with the Vestry of Mile End, the footway paving, under and 011 each side of the bridge, has been improved, the Vestry of Mile End and this parish agreeing to divide between them the total cost, estimated at £684 19s. 7d. PUBLIC ANALYST. In November Dr. Tidy gave notice of his intention to resign at Christmas his appointment as Analyst. The subject of the appointment of an Analyst was referred to a Committee, who recommended that the Analyst should be elected on the same terms as Dr. Tidy held his appointment, viz. .— An Annual Retaining Fee of £10 10 0 And for Analyses : For the 1st 100 in each year each 110 2nd ,, ,, ••••.»o ••••)> 0 10 6 For all above 200 ,, „ 0 6 0 There were several candidates for the office, and Mr. Alfred Walter Stokes, the Analyst for Paddington, was elected as the Analyst for this parish, and his appointment has been approved, as required by the Act of Parliament, by the Local Government Board. RAILWAY BILLS. A plan was deposited by the Great Eastern Railway Company for, amongst other things, certain alterations in this parish, and negotiations have been entered into for securing the requisite provision as to drainage, and as to forming and paving a proposed new street. By the Bill the Company proposed to extend their line from Chingford to High Beech, through a part of the forest. On this scheme there is a diversity of opinion; but the Vestry came to the conclusion that the injury to the Forest would be trifling compared with the immense advantage that would be secured to the inhabitants of the East of London, and resolved to present a petition in favour of the proposed extension, but ultimately that part of the Bill was withdrawn. PRIVATE DRAINAGE WORKS. The Vestry determined that in future all drainage works in any public place shall be executed by the Vestry, instead of allowing private persons to make excavations and fill them up ; and further, that in every case in which any drainage work is executed on private premises, the laying or construction of the drain shall be inspected by an officer of the Vestry before the work is covered in. 23 Regulations were made for carrying this arrangement into effect, and providing that a Schedule of Prices to be charged by the Vestry shall be put up in the Surveyor's Office. TRANSVERSE BOUNDARY, CHURCH STREET. A transverse line of boundary has been arranged between the Vestrv and the Vestry of Shoreditch, up to which the Vestry of Shoreditch and this Vestry have agreed for the future to repair and cleanse the street. IMPROVEMENT, PATRIOT SQUARE. A claim was made on behalf of a gentleman, who alleged ho had a lease for 900 years of a strip of ground at the South-east end of Patriot square, which had been thrown into the public road ; but the Vestry declined to recognise the claim. MISCELLANEOUS. Mr. Arthur Harston, of 15, Leadenhall street, was appointed to assist as Surveyor in determining for tho Quinquennial Valuation List the Assessments to be made on the North Metropolitan Tramway Company and the East London Water Company. r The Gas Light and Coke Company gave notice, that the repairs to trenches opened by the Company would henceforth be done by their contractor, and required that in future all vouchers should besent to the Company. As the Company had no right to do this, the Vestry refused, and insisted on continuing to do the repairs. The Company had at last to give way, and it was arranged that in future the Vestry should fill up the trenches " from the pipe upwards," as well as do the work necessary for re-instating the surface of the footway and carriageway. In October an accident occurred in Arthur street, in consequence, it was alleged, of a person being thrown from a cart, owing to rubbish having been deposited by some unknown person. A claim for compensation was made, and ultimately the claim was settled by payment of £20. An accident was alleged to have been caused to Mrs. Carr by defect in the paving in Wolverley street. Notice of action was served, but the Vestry decided to resist the claim, and no further proceedings have been taken in the matter. 24 The parish boundaries were perambulated on Ascension Day, in accordance with the practice of the Vestry to perambulate every seventh year. On application of the Police Authorities, permission was given to put up on a lamp post in Old Ford road, and on another in Palmer's road, plates indicating the four-mile cab radius. The salary of Mr. Page, the Hall Keeper, has been raised from £105 to £120 a year. ROBERT VOSS, Vestry Cleric. SURVEYOR'S REPORT OF WORKS EXECUTED FROM LADY-DAY, 1880, TO LADY-DAY, 1881. Gentlemen, I beg to submit report upon the principal works carried out under the supervision of this department during the past year. The paving works referred to in my previous report have been satisfactorily carried out by Mr. Griffiths. I give hereunder a list of the streets paved, and the cost of executing the work:— Name of Street. Material used. Cost. £ s. d. Columbia road, from Hackney road to 3 in. by 7 in. pitching, with 4 in. by 7 in. channels 3075 15 9 London street, Brady street Do 675 12 3 Brady Street Do 213 3 8 Three Colts Lane Do 2349 2 0 Cleveland street Do 885 14 9 Devonshire street Do 389 14 0 Bacon Street Do 355 16 4 James street, Green street Do 1170 11 3 The Broadway, i. e., the ends of Columbia road, Hassard street, Wellington row, and Gibraltar walk Do. 661 11 10 Gibraltar walk 4 in. by 4 in. pitchings, with 4 in. by 6 in. channels 133 2 11 Vincent street Do 285 13 2 Turville street Do 396 13 5 Half Nichol street Do 357 471 17 12 7 2 New Nichol street Do Old Nichol street Do 632 3 2 New Turville street Do 45 7 3 Nicholl's row Do 179 18 10 Grove road, between the Parks Patent Victoria stone 705 12 5 12,985 2 9 The carriageway paving of Brick lane, from Bethnal Green road to Sclater street, has been taken up, part re-dressed, and re-laid by the Contractor. 26 The carriageway paving of Bath street within this parish has been re-laid, and new granite tramway provided and laid by Contractor. New 3 in. by 7 in. granite pitchings have been laid upon the land given up by the Metropolitan Board of Works to form an improved entrance to Gibraltar walk. The carriageway of Fleet street has been entirely re-laid with new 3 in. by 7 in. pitchings on a bed of Portland cement concrete 9 in. thick. The carriageway of Wheeler street, under the new portion of the Great Eastern Railway Company's arch, has been re-paved by and at the cost of the Company with new 3 in. by 9 in. granite cubes on a bed of concrete; and the carriageway from the old arch up to the boundary with Whitechapel parish has been re-paved at the cost of the Vestry. A portion of the carriageway paving of Church street, at the boundary of the parish with the parish of Shoreditch, has been taken up and new paving laid by the contractor. The footway paving of Darling row, opposite Model Dwellings recently erected, has been taken up, and new Victoria paving laid, £25 of the total cost being paid by the building contractor. The foot and carriageway paving in Grove road, under and adjacent to the new railway bridge, has been repaved by the contractor, at the joint cost of the Vestry of Mile End and this parish. Baker's Rents has been entirely repaved with old stone re-dressed. The following streets have been coated with granite, broken by men in the employ of the Vestry, and channels formed with the old stone removed from streets that have been paved:— Bonner lane Wood street Old Ford road, from the Wood's close Greyhound to the bridge Church row Russia lane Hereford street The carriageway of Approach road has been entirely re-coated with ballast, and rolled with steam roller. TRENCHES. The work of repairs to the Gas and Water Companies' trenches has been proceeded with, and I submit below the particulars of work done during the year by the Vestry's workmen. I give below some particulars of the work done for the various Companies: — Date. CARRIAGEWAYS. FOOTWAYS. Amounts paid. Grouted and Concrete. Relaid and Grouted. Macadam. Pebbles. Relaid. New. Curb. Yds. Feet. Yds: Feet. Yds. Feet. Yds. Feet. Feet. In. Ft. In. Ft. 1 n. £ s. d. From March, 1880, to March, 1881 The Gas Light Coke Compy. 233 7 297 5 857 8 269 5 16,464 9 1187 10 234 0 354 8 2 Ditto East London Water Compy. 368 1 421 0 567 1 137 1 5759 4 367 10 62 0 22S 6 0 Ditto Commercial Gas Compy. 71 1 319 8 3 7 1377 6 135 11 5 0 46 7 1 Total 673 0 1038 4 1425 0 410 4 ' 23,601 7 1691 7 301 0 630 1 3 27 Amount paid by Gas Company for men's time filling in Trenches: — £ S. d. September to Christmas 34 15 7 Christmas to March 18 14 6 £53 10 1 28 Notioe was given by the Inspector to the Gas Light and Coke Company, that it was the intention of the Company to repair the trenches opened by that Company; but the Vestry determined to act upon its undoubted right to do the work. The Company then insisted that if the work of repairing the surface of foot and carriageways was done by the Vestry, the Vestry should also fill in the ground removed by the Company's workmen for the purpose of laying mains or service pipes. The work of filling in each opening made by this Company is still carried on, though at some considerable inconvenience to both the Vestry and the Company. LIGHTING. The public lamps in Cambridge road have been re-arranged at an average distance of 150 ft., in accordance with a plan prepared. The price of gas supplied by the Gas Light and Coke Company has been reduced from the Christmas quarter from 3s. 4d. to 3s. 2d. per thousand cubic; and a proportionate reduction has been made in the price paid for lighting public lamps. The Commercial Gas Company have reduced the price of lamps lighted by them Is. per lamp per annum. The amount paid to the Gas Light and Coke Company for gas supplied to 824 public lamps, including repairs to lamps; the lighting of St. John's Church clock, for Mortuary and Hall and offices amounts to £3629 16s. 4d. The amount paid to the Commercial Gas Company for gas supplied to 77 public lamps was £320 14s. 5d. New Lamps have been erected as under:— Column lamp, Peacock place Column lamp, Viaduct street Do. Thoydon road Do. Gosset street Do. Corfield street (2) Do. Old Ford road (2) Do. Fleet street Do. Green street Do. Russia lane Do. Corfield street The public Lamps in the following streets have been fitted with burners consuming four cubic feet per hour:— Martha court Corfield street Mace street Ainsley street Robinson road Grove road (5) Lark row (2) Gale's gardens (2) Hare row Abingdon street Claremont street Cleveland street 29 Two of the lamps erected were for the purpose of defining the new four-mile cab radius. HE-NAMING AND RE-NUMBERING STREETS. Orders have been issued by the Metropolitan Board of Works for altering the names and numbers of houses in the following streets: — Name Abolished. New Name. No. of Houses. Suffolk street, Carron's buildings, Herbert terrace Coventry street 121 St. Jude's place Middleton street 56 Minerva street 68 St. Jude street 33 Adam's place, Birkett's terrace Hope street Three Colts lane 72 Treadway street 108 New name-plates have been fixed up at several streets. SEWERS. The various Sewers throughout the parish have been cleansed and repaired where necessary. A new 12 in. pipe Sewer length has been laid in Marian square by men in the employ of the Vestry, to fall into the Sewer in Pritchard's road. A new 12 in. pipe Sewer has been laid in Marian street, to fall into the Sewer in Hackney road. A new 12 in. pipe Sewer has been laid in Glass street, to fall into Sewer in Abingdon street. New Gullies have been constructed— Bennett's place Mape street Pollard street Coventry street Columbia road George street, Old Bethnal Green Bethnal Green road, by Wheeler road street Various Gullies have been repaired and re-constructed where necessary. Sixty connections have been made with the public Sewers to drain private property. 30 Six hundred and eight loads of Sewer dirt have been removed from the various Sewers by the Yestry's workmen, and carted away by the Contractor. It has been decided, upon a recommendation of the Works Committee, that the Vestry's workmen shall make all excavations in the public thoroughfares for the purpose of examining or laying in new drains to private property, at a scale of charges approved by the Committee, instead of permitting private persons to make such openings and fill them up. MORTUARY CHAPEL. The work of erecting the Mortuary in the Churchyard has proceeded satisfactorily, and the Mortuary was formally opened in June last. MISCELLANEOUS. The Hydrant in Bethnal Green road, corner of Mansford street, has been removed and re-erected at the corner of White street and Derbyshire street, £12 towards the expenses incurred being paid by Mr. Whitmore. The Hydrant in Thoydon road has been removed and re-fixed. The Urinal erected at the corner of Turville street and Old Nichol street has been taken down and removed to the Vestry's stores. The sum paid to the East London Water Company for water for flushing the various Sewers amounts to £36 12s.; for watering the roads, including use of meters, £345 2s. 3d.; for water used at the various urinals, including the use of meters, £105 9s. The new street to be called Herat street is in course of formation, and will shortly be thrown open for public traffic. A new paved street for foot traffic only is also being formed east of Herat street, connecting Virginia row with Columbia road. A new street on the Improved Industrial Dwellings Company's Estate, called Corfield street, has been thrown open for public traffic. Plans, showing a widening of the south-end of Blythe street, on the east and west sides, have been submitted by the Surveyors to the Remington Mills' Estate. 31 The two houses at the corner of George street, at the east end of Old Bethnal Green road, have been purchased. The property has been pulled down, and so much of the site as was considered necessary has been thrown into the roadway, and the small piece remaining has been sold. I am, Gentlemen, Yours most obediently, W. H. GATHERCOLE, Surveyor.