Parish of St. Matthew,Bethnal Green, IN THE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX. ACCOUNT IN ABSTRACT OF RECEIPT AND EXPENDITURE For the Year ending 25th March, 1883, 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-SEYENTH * ANNUAL * REPORT * OF * THE * VESTRY, WITH A LIST OF ITS SEVERAL MEMBERS AND OFFICERS. LONDON: FORSAITH BROTHERS, PRINTERS, 329, BETHNAL GREEN ROAD, E, 1883. THE VESTRY OF THE PARISH OF ST. MATTHEW, BETHNAL GREEN, In the Countg of Middleses, UNDER THE METROPOLIS LOCAL MANAGEMENT ACT. REV. SEPTIMUS C. H. HANSABD, M.A., RECTOR. Years to serve EAST WARD. from May, 1883. 3 Baugh, Mr. George 14G, Green street. 1 Bradbrook, Mr. Thomas Frederick 117, Green street. , 3 Edroff, Mr. William 26, Old Ford road. 2 Etridge, Mr. Joseph 492, Bethnal Green road. 1 Hall, Mr. John Old Ford road, 2 Hilditch, Mr. James George 208, Grove road. 2 Hughes, Mr. James Bonner road. 1 Loveday, Mr. George 210, Cambridge road. 3 Pitt, Mr. James 170, Grove road. 1 Riehardson, Mr. William 76, Bishop's road. 1 Rippin, Mr. Thomas Henry 203, Grove road. 3 Staines, Mr. Henry 200, Cambridge road. 3 Stoneley, Mr. Frederick George 28, Roman road. 2 Ward, Mr. Edwin 13, Victoria Park square. 2 Wright, Mr. Thomas Bridge Wharf, Old Ford road. Kemp, Mr. Cornelius, 85, Green street—Auditor. WEST WARD. 1 Chillingworth, Mr. Robert Jesse 20, Mount street. 3 Dyer, Mr. William 184, Bethnal Green road. 3 Ewin, Mr. Alfred 25, Columbia road. 2 Ewin, Mr. Alfred, Jun 25, Columbia road. 2 Francis, Mr. Thomas Watson 2, Hackney road. 1 Gould, Mr. Henry Collins 7A, Gibraltar walk. 2 Harrison, Mr. Lewis A Columbia Market. 3 Jacobs, Mr. Joseph 27, Fournier street. 1 Key, Mr. Thomas 165, Bethnal Green road. 2 Nicholson, Mr. George Henry 106, Bethnal Green road. 1 Payne, Mr. George Frederick 180, Bethnal Green road. 1 Perrin, Mr. William 162, Hackney road. 3 Richardson, Mr. John Charles Bayliffe 117, Brick lane. 2 Schmidt, Dr. Alfred Edwin 150, Bethnal Green road. 3 Smither, Mr. Daniel 142, Hackney road. Mean, Mr. Thomas, 328, Hackney road—Auditor. 3 Years to servo NORTH WARD. from May, 1883. 2 Attwell, Mr. Orlando Thomas 278, Hackney road. 2 Barnard, Mr. Alfred 76, Columbia road. 1 Beale, Mr. Robert Oval, Hackney road. 3 Bishop, Mr. James 97, Approach road. 3 Cook, Mr. Thomas 435, Hackney road. 1 Edwards, Mr. James Henry St. Peter's square. 1 Hooper, Mr. William 107, Old Ford road. 2 Lamb, Mr. Robert Baden place, Andrew's road, Cambridge Heath. 1 Latham, Dr. Charles William 442, Hackney road. 3 Luckhurst, Mr. Thomas 8, Providence place, Columbia road. 2 Milbourn, Mr. James 176, Columbia road. 3 Norris, Mr. Joseph 220, Cambridge road. Haslop, Mr. Thomas, 409, Hackney road—Auditor, SOUTH WARD. 2 Abbott, Mr. James 6, Old Bethnal Green road. 2 Beven, Mr. Thomas King Edward road and Pollard row. 3 Blain, Mr. John 311 & 313, Bethnal Green road. 2 Carter, Mr. Joseph 414, Bethnal Green road. 3 Coke, The Rev. Edward Francis The Vicarage, St. James the Great, Bethnal Green road. 1 Cook, Mr. John 2, Old Bethnal Green road. 2 Dobson, Mr. Harry Frederick 218, Old Ford road. 3 Eagle, Dr. Henry Frederick Charles 217, Bethnal Green road. 1 Forrest, Mr. Christopher 17, Victoria Park squar . 1 Jones, Mr. James Valentine Oval, Cambridge Heath 1 Link, Mr. John David 30, Weaver street. 2 Meadway, Mr. George 354, Bethnal Green road. 3 Pereira, Mr. Henry 1, Essex street, Cambridge' road. 1 Pikcard, Mr. Robert 210, Grove road. 3 Thurgood, Mr. Edward 450, Bethnal Green road. Kilbey, Mr. William Charles, 215, 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. 4 Public Analyst. Alfred Walter Stokes, Esq., Laboratory, Vestry Hall, Paddington. Surveyor. Mr. William Ilenry Gatkercole, The Vestry Hall. Surveyor's Clerk. Mr. George William Thompson, The Vestry Hall. Collectors of Poor, General, and Other Rates. Mr. William Isaac Shenton, 79, Gore road, Victoria Park (East Ward). Mr. Henry Liebrecht, 97; Approach road, Victoria Park (North Division, West Ward). Mr. William Nathaniel Eagles, 51, Approach road, Victoria Park {South "Division, West Ward). Mr. Eustace Shepherd Smith, 62, Bonner road (North Ward). Mr. Henry John Bliss, 1G4, 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 The Vestry Hall. • Mr. Joshua Lapworth, Hall Keeper. Mr. William Page. ROBERT VOSS, Vesthy Clerk. Offices—The Vestry Halt, 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, 1882, to the 25th day of March, 1883, 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 Eow, Bethnal Green Eoad, in the said Parish, and the same are true and correct. Given under our hands this 10th day of May, 1883. (Signed) THOMAS MEAN, THOMAS HASLOP, Auditors. JAMES HUGHES, The Vestry of Parish of St. Matthew,Bentgnal Green,in the Countg of Middleses. Abstract and Summary of Accounts from the 25th day of March, 1882, to the 25th day of March, 1883. GENERAL RATE. RECEIPTS. £ s. d. PAYMENTS. £ s. d. Interest on Mortgages by late Paving Commissioners 366 10 7 Balance in hand at Lady-day,1882 5754 16 2 Collectors' Poundage 759 13 11 Compensation Annuity to Collector of the late Paving Commission 29 3 9 Amount paid into Bank subsequently to Lady-day, 1882, of Rate made at Christmas,1881 2017 12 5 Eoads—Labour, Carting, Steam Roller, Granite, Hard Core,Ballast Trucks,Implements,&c. 7918 16 2 Amount of Rate at 7d. in the £, made at Lady-day, 1882, and Arrears of former Rate collected at Midsummer 9241 5 1 Scavenging 71 83 6 5 Paving Repairs and Alterations 654 14 9 Lighting 4073 15 2 Amount of Rate at 7d. in the £, made at Midsummer, 1882, and Arrears of former Rate collected at Michaelmas 9354 14 3 Incidentals—Parliamentary Agent's fees, Repairs to Hall and Office,Coal and Petty Disbursements 340 13 9 Watering—Repairs to Hydrants, &c. and for Water 413 14 9 Amount of Rate at 7d. in the £, made at Michaelmas, 1882, and Arrears of former Rate collected at Christmas 9269 17 3 Green Street Improvement—Taking Traffic by Police and Plants of Street,&c. 32 15 10 Holybush Gardens Improvement—Payments for Entrance during progress of Works 6 0 0 Amount of Rate at 6d. in £, made at Christmas 1882, and Arrears of former Rate collected and paid into the 6445 0 0 Wharf-One Years's Rent,less Tax 29 7 6 Principal of Bond for £400 granted by late Paving missioners 400 0 0 Carriageway Entrances 12 12 4 Nuisances—Disinfectants, Bedding, Removing Dead Bodies, Inspectors' Disbursements, Returns, Analyses, &c. 461 4 1 New Streets 689 13 5 Re-instating Roads 615 19 8 Mortuary Keeper's Salary and Sundries 29 6 0 Poplar District Board of Works, Rent of Hospital 48 0 0 Paving Licences 471 11 3 Digby Street Yard and Premises, for Fees, Stamps, &c. in relation to purchase of Yard, and Parochial Rates 40 19 3 Digby Street Yard—Rent of yard and houses adjoining 76 5 4 For proportion of paving in Whiteehapel Road d £25 35 0 0 School Board for London 23 13 0 8969 l1 10 Metropolitan Board of Works— School Board for London—For Materials in Somerford Street 20 0 0 Fifth Instalment of Loan for £20,000 1000 0 0 Interest on balance of Loan (five quarters) to April, 1883 731 5 0 Third Instalment of Loan for £15,000 750 0 0 Inquests— Amount paid for Five Inquests held in the Vestry Hall 1 5 0 Interest on balance of Loan (five quarters) to April, 1883 625 15 8 First Instalment of Loan for £14,000 700 0 0 Interest on Loan 518 8 9 Less for Hall Keeper 0 12 6 0 12 6 First Instalment of Loan of £4,500 90 0 0 Medway Road Balance of Returns 0 13 8 Interest on Loan 143 11 8 Royal Exchange Insurance— Scavenging-Fine 3 0 0 Seventeenth Annual Instalment of £10,000 advanced on Mortgage, 6th December, 1865 500 0 0 20 0 0 Cheque drawn for Sanitary Department cancelled Interest on balance of Mortgage for 1 year, less tax 97 5 10 Fifteenth Annual Instalment of £10,000 advanced on Mortgage, 11th July, 1867 500 0 0 Interest on balance of Mortgage for 1 year, at 5 per 133 17 1 London Life Association— Fifteenth Annual Instalment of Loan of £16,000 advanced on Mortgage, 5th Dec., 1887 800 0 0 Interest on balance of Mortgage for 1 year at 4½ per cent. 210 3 0 Thirteenth Annual Instalment of £7,000 advanced on Mortgage,8th April1869 350 0 0 Interest on balance of Mortgage for 1 year at 4½ per cent.,less tax 114 19 6 Thirteenth Annual Instalment of Loan of £10,000 vanced on Mortage,3rd March,1870 500 0 0 Interest on balance of Mortgage for 1 year, at 4½ percent. 175 2 6 Half of Payments for Printing, Books, Stipends, Stationery, Expenses of Quarterly Survey, Rates on Vestry Hall, and Sundry Charges common to General 1243 19 5 Balance 3002 1 7 £44 ,028 13 4 £44,028 13 4 SEVERS RATE. RECEIPTS. PAYMENTS. £ s. d. £ s. d. Balance in hand at Lady-day, 1882 426 15 2 Collectors' Poundage 49 13 3 Amount paid into the Bank subsequently to Lady-day, 1882, of rate made at Christmas, 1881 Cleansing, Repairs, Carting, and Flushing Sewers 1109 4 1 256 10 6 Incidentals-Boots,Timber,and oil 59 6 11 Amount of Rate at 1d. in the £, made at Midsummer, 1882, and arrears of former Rate, collected at Michaelmas Urinals—Water Supply, Painting, &c., and New Urinal, East end of Benthnal Green road 321 13 0 1587 7 0 Construction 515 14 2 Amount of Rate at Id. in the £, made at Christmas, 1882, and arrears of former Rate collected at Ladyday, 1883 1070 0 0 London Life Association— Nineteenth Annual Instalment of £7,000 advanced on Mortgage,30th Dec.1863 350 0 0 Licences 217 3 4 Interest en balance of Mortgage for one year, at 4½ per cent,less tax 30 12 11 Balance 122 7 8 Half of Payments for Printing, Books, Stipends, Stationery, Expenses of Quarterly Survey, Rates on Vestry Hall, and sundry Charges common to General 1243 19 4 £ 3680 3 8 £3680 3 8 METROPOLITAN CONSOLIDATED RATE. RECEIPTS. £ s. PAYMENTS. £ s. d. d. Amount paid into Bank subsequently to Lady-day, 1882, of Rate made at Michaelmas,1881 45 8 6 Balance on 25th March, 1882, being an Excess of penditure over Receipts 671 1 0 Amount of Rate at 4d. in the £, made at Lady-day, 1882, and Arrears of former Rate collected and paid into the Bank at Midsummer,1882 5199 17 2 Collectors' Poundage 198 6 0 Metropolitan Board of Works, pursuant to their Precept 9468 0 0 Balance 2166 9 3 Amount of Rate at 2d. in the £, made at Midsummer, 1882, and Arrears of former Rate collected and paid into the Bank at Michaelmas, 1882 2722 8 9 Amount of Rate at 2d. in the £, made at Michaelmas, 1882, and Arrears of former Rate collected and paid into the Bank at Christmas, 1882 2396 1 10 Amount of Rate at 2d. in the £, made at Christmas, 1882, Collected and Paid into the Bank at Lady-day, 1883 2140 0 0 £12,503 16 3 £12,503 16 3 LIABILITIES. Amount unpaid of Mortgages, granted by tbe late Paving Commission, and chargeable on the General Eate, £9,200. £350—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. £1500—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. £2500—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. £4000—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 percent, 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. £2450—Balance of Mortgage of Rates 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. percent, per annum on payment of the instalments of principal and interest within thirty days after they respectively become due. £3500—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. £15,000—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. £12,750—Balance of Mortgage for £15,000, borrowed of the Metropolitan Board of Works in March, 1880, £13,000 for defraying the cost of Carriageway Paving, and cost of Footway Paving between the Parks, and £2000 for constructing Mortuary, and to be repaid by twenty equal annual instalments, with interest at £3 15s. per cent, per annum. £13,300—Mortgage of Rates for £14,000, borrowed of the Metropolitan Board of Works in November, 1881, 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. £4410—Mortgage of Rates for £4500, borrowed of the Metropolitan Board of Works in March, 1882, for defraying the cost of purchase of property in Digby street, and to be repaid by fifty equal annual instalments, with interest at £3 10s. per annum. 13 RATES MADE BY THE YESTEY. LADY-DAY, 1882. Poor Rate at 0s. 9d. in the £ General ditto at 0s. 7d. „ Metropolitan Consolidated ditto at 0s. 4d. „ 1s. 8d. MIDSUMMER, 1882. Poor Rate at 0s. 9d. in the £ General ditto at 0s. 7d. „ Sewers ditto at 0s. 1d. ,, Metropolitan Consolidated Rate at 0s. 2d. „ Composition ditto at 0s. l-8th of a penny. 1s. 71-8d. MICHAELMAS, 1882. Poor Rate at 0s. l1d. in the £ General ditto at 0s. 7d. ,, Metropolitan Consolidated ditto at 0s. 2d. „ 1s. 8d. CHRISTMAS, 1882. Poor Rate at Os. l0d. in the £ General ditto at 0s. 6d. „ Metropolitan Consolidated ditto at 0s. 2d. ,, Sewers ditto at 0s. 1d. ,, 1s. 7d. Total Rates in the £ for the Year 6s. 6 8-1d. 14 CONTEACTS Entered into by the Vestry during the year ended 25th March, 1883. Date. With For 1882.—April Mr. Mansfield For Trucks „ —May Mr. Stevens Scavenging and Watering No. 1 District from 11th August, 1883, to 10th August, 1882, both inclusive, £1600. ,, ,, Mr. Parsons No. 2 District, £1820. ,, ,,, Ditto No. 3 District, £1928. ,, ,, Messrs. Forsaith Brothers Printing. ,, ,, Mr. J. Williams-Cook Stationery. ,, ,, Mr.Armstrong St. John Street Sewer. ,, Aug Mr. Standan Sewer, Wilmot Street. ,, —Oct Messrs. Warren & Co For Coals 1883.—Jan Popular Hospital For Six Beds in Hospital. EEDEMPTION OF MOETGAGES GEANTED BY LATE PAYING COMMISSIONEES. £ s. d. Amount payable at Michaelmas, 1882 311 0 0 1882. Oct. Mr. Thos. Eleman Principal of Bond 400 0 0 Overpaid £89 1883. To £4 per cent, on £9200 368 0 0 Loss overpaid 89 0 0 £279 0 0 Report OF THE Proceedings of the Vestry of the Parish of St. Matthew, Bethnal Green, from the 25th March, 1882, to the 25th March, 1883, SCAVENGING. The Vestry advertised for tenders for the execution of scavenging work and watering from the 10th August, 1882, to 10th August, 1883, The tender of Mr. Stephens for district No. 1, at £1,600, and the tenders of Mr. Parsons for districts Nos. 2 and 3, at respectively £1,820 and £1,928 were accepted. The total amount of the tenders is £255 less than the total amount of the tenders for the year ended 10th August, 1882. IMPROVEMENTS. The necessity for widening Green street has been long felt, and it has steadily become greater with the increase of buildings and population in and around the eastern part of the parish. At a public meeting, at which Mr. Churchwarden Bishop presided, held in the Vestry Hall on the 1st February, 1882, a deputation was appointed to wait on, and to present to, the Vestry a memorial asking the Vestry to set before the Metropolitan Board of Works the danger and inconvenience arising from the extreme narrowness of parts of Green street, and to urge that Board to take steps to remedy the evils. It appeared to the Vestry the time had come for the widening of Green street being effected by the Metropolitan Board of Works as a metropolitan improvement. The Vestry had the traffic through Green street taken 16 by men in the Police force between six a.m. and twelve at night, for the six days of the week ending 10th. June. The return shews:— Going Westward— From 6 a.m. to 12 at noon 2792 ,, 12 noon to 6 p.m 3084 „ 6 p.m. to 12 at night 1317 7193 Going Eastward— From 6 a.m. to 12 at noon 2534 „ 12 noon to 6 p.m 3478 „ 6 p.m. to 12 at night 1942 7954 Number of days, 6 15,147 Daily average 2524 A memorial by the Vstry urging theMetropolitan Board to undertake the wideing of Green street as a metropolitan improvement was prepared, and also a plan (to accompany the memorial), shewing the widths of the street at the various parts, and a copy of the plan was furnished to each member of the Metropolitan Board. A deputation from the Vestry attended to present the memorial and to support the prayer of it; and at the same time a deputation from the ratepayers attended to ask that the proposed widening should be undertaken by the Board as suggested by the memorial. Ultimately the Metropolitan Board determined to apply to Parliament for powers to widen the street from the western end to Globe road, and have introduced a Bill into Parliament accordingly. By the same Bill they seek powers to buy the house in Club row at the eastern end of little York street, and some ground in the rear, for the purpose of widening that street and making it quite open at the eastern end instead of merely an objectionable narrow passage as at present. The Metropolitan Board of Works have acceded to the application of the Vestry to contribute a moiety of the purchase-money of the ground required for opening Hollybush gardens into Jude street. Difficulties have arisen as to some of the provisions in the draft agreoment for sale, but they are now removed. THE COMPOSITION RATE. The question whether a Composition Rate can, since the passing of 17 the Compulsory Church Rate Abolition Act, be made for any other purpose than to provide for the Rector's stipend and the cost of making and levying the rate, was again considered when the rate for tho year 1882-83 had to be made. At the meeting of the Yestry on the 15th June, 1882, it was moved: " That the Composition Rate for the current year be Id. in the pound." To that motion was moved an amendment: "That a rate of one-eighth of a penny in the pound be made, from the proceeds of which, together with the balance of Mr. Churchwarden Bishop's account of £284 16s. 6d., the sum of £400 be handed to the Churchwardens of the parish in settlement of the Rector's stipend for the current year, and the residue be handed over to the succeeding Churchwardens, to be applied for the like purpose, as neither the Yestry nor the Churchwardens have power to authorise the expenditure of any further sum of money raised beyond the £400 per annum directed to be paid to the Rector of this parish in accordance with the Act of 8 and 9 Vic., cap. 180, sec. 2." Before the conclusion of the debate the Yestry adjourned to tho 22nd June, when the debate was resumed, and ultimately the amendment was carried. A rate of one-eighth of a penny was made accordingly. Somo gentlemen, ratepayers of the parish, decided to obtain the opinion of tho Queen's Bench Division on the question raised. With this view a formal demand was served, requiring the Churchwardens to make a sufficient rate to meet the other purposes beyond payment of the Rector's stipend provided for by the Composition Rate Act. The Churchwardens declined to act except under the direction of the Court. A rule nisi calling upon the Churchwardens to shew cause why a mandamus should not issue commanding them to make a sufficient rate was obtained. The Yestry decided to appear to oppose the Rule being made absolute; and, considering it advisable under tho special circumstances that they should be represented by persons unconnected with the Yestry, instructed Messrs. Shepheard and Sons, of 32, Finsbury circus, Solicitors, to act on behalf of the Yestry. The Rule came on for argument in the Queen's Bench Division, before Barons Pollock and Huddleston, on the 5th March, when the court ordered a peremptory mandamus, requiring the Churchwardens to make the rate, to issue. The case was argued on behalf of the applicants for a mandamus by Mr. Arthur Charles, Q.C., and Mr. Beven, and on behalf of the Vestry 18 by Mr. Bompas, Q.C., and Mr. Arnold Morley. Mr. Poland appoarod for the Church.wardens. Tho Vestry have appealed to the Lords Justices against the decision of tho Queen's Bench Division. ELECTRIC LIGHTING. Notices of intention to apply for Provisional Orders for the supply of Eloctricity woro given by— Ferrante, Thompson, & Ince, Limited ; The Metropolitan (Brush) Electric Light and Power Company, Limited ; The Gulcher Electric Light and Power Company, Limited ; The Edison Light Company, Limited ; The Swan United Electric Company, Limited ; but of thoso live companies one only, viz., The Metropolitan (Brush) Electric Light and Power Company, deposited plans by the 30th November, the time prescribed by the Act, so that in fact there was but one applicant for a Provisional Order for the supply of electricity to the parish. The Vestry considered whether it was advisable for them to obtain power to supply electricity for lighting the parish, but concluded, as other Boards and Vostries have, that it was not advisable to undertake the enormous outlay, as the return was uncertain, and the development of electric lighting not sufficiently advanced to justify an enormously costly experiment at the cost of the ratepayers. It was determined to oppose the grant of the Provisional Order to tho Brush Company unless such conditions as the Vestry deemed advisable for tho protection of tho intorosts of tho parish were inserted. When at last the draft of tho proposed Provisional Order came it was carefully considered, and under advico it was formally objected to generally with a view of opposing in Parliament the confirmation Bill. After the formal objections were lodged the Board of Trade gave notice that an enquiry would bo held, of which ton days' notice would bo given. Subsequently, the Board of Trade issued a Model Order. This was not satisfactory, and negotiations as to the terms proceeded with the Company. It was not until almost the last moment that the Company defined the area to which they desired the Provisional Order should extend, and then the proposed that they should be compelled to light only part of the western end of Hackney road and a very small 19 area adjoining, but asked the Order should give them the option to light the area bounded by Peter street and Pollard's row, Bethnal Green road, and the parish boundary from the north end of Peter street to Bethnal Green road. The Company ultimately withdrew their application for the Provisional Order, but intend to make another application next session. PARMITER'S CHARITY. Tho Special Committee mentioned in the last annual report reported as follows:— "Your committee have considered the draft scheme referred to them for consideration. Shortly after the death of the founder a suit was instituted to establish the Will and provide for the administration of the Charity. " It appears from the Will that the testator estimated the income of the property devised upon trust for the Charity at £46 6s. Of this income £10 only was to be appropriated for educational purposes, £30 for the endowment of six almshouses, and the surplus (if any) was to be disposed of by the trustees to the other poor of Bethnal Green. It therefore appears that the idea of the testator was to give as nearly as possible one-fourth of the incomc for educational purposes, and the remaining threefourths for the almshouses and other poor. The draft schemc provides that onethird of the net future income shall be applied for purposes not educational, and the other two-thirds for educational purposes. "The scheme provides that no free education, as provided by the founder, shall hereafter be given, and also provides for a higher standard of education than the elementary schools, and for scholarships and exhibitions for boys and girls who have been for three years in any of the public elementary schools of Bethnal Green. "The object of the testator, as shewn by his Will, was to benefit the poor of Bethnal Green; and he manifested his desire to benefit them by requiring that on the rings to be given to his trustees there should be engraved the motto, 'Be just to the poor.' "Your committee are of opinion and recommend that a communication should be addressed to the Charity Commission, pointing out that three-fourths of the net income should be applied for the benefit of the almsmen and poor of Bethnal Green instead of one-third, being of opinion that such a Charity, judiciously administered, would be of great benefit in this parish in which there is such a large number of poor and industrious persons. "With regard to the appointment of trustees, the testator directed that new trustees should be nominated by the trustees of his Will; but this being found inconvenient it was provided by the Decree of the Gourt of Chancery that the ten trustees should be elected by the Yestry, which has been done since the year 1705. "The scheme provides that in future there shall be twelve trustees : two to be nominated by the Committee of Council on Education, 'two being residents in Bethnal Green' by the School Board for London, two by the Yestry, and the other six to be the present five trustees and one other person; and that when any vacancy shall occur with respect to any of the last six named governors, the vacancy shall be supplied by the future trustees or governors, subject to the approval of the Charity Commission. 20 "Your committee are of opinion that as the Charity was intended exclusively for Bethnal Green, that the Vestry should submit that eight of the future governors should be elected by the Vestry of Bethnal Green. "Your committee arc also of opinion that some provision should be made for the free education of the same number of scholars as have hitherto been educated free, viz., 70." This report was adopted, and a communication in accordance with the report mado to the Charity Commissioners. As directed by the Act of Parliament, the scheme prepared "by the Charity Commissioners has been submitted by them to the Committee of Council on Education, and the Vestry havo also submitted to the Committee of Council the views and suggestions contained in the report of the Special Committee. PEEL GROVE CEMETERY. In June, 1882, a deputation attended the Vestry and presented a memorial, alloging that the vacant ground on tho oast side of Peel Grove, formerly used as a cemetery, had become a nuisance from being frequently let for shows or exhibitions of a low character, causing noiso and leading to indecent scenes. Tho memorial was referred to tho Sanitary Committee, who reported that, in addition to the nuisance caused by the shows, filth and garbage were deposited on the ground. Tho committeo recommended that the owner of tho ground should be required to hoard it in, and that if he failed to do so the Vestry should erect tho hoarding at tho cost of the owner, and it was referred to the Sanitary Committee to take tho necessary steps with reference to tho hoarding. Tho ground being again lot for a circus—causing a very great nuisance—tho Clerk was directed to take steps to compol the removal of it. Notices servod boing disregarded, the Clerk issued a writ, claiming the penalty of £100 under the Act of 25th Geo. II., cap. 36, and also took the preliminary steps, in conjunction with the Overseers, for prosecuting, under the same Act, the owner of tho circus. He then moved away. After formal notice to Mr. Gibbons, tho owner of Peel grove, requiring him to erect tho necessary hoarding, and a long subsequent correspondence with him, in which ho promised to erect it, tho Vestry erected it at a cost of £26 12s. Mr. Gibbons not having paid the amount, an action to recover it has been brought against him, and is now pending. 21 The owners of the factory at the north end of Peel grove have, with the view of obviating a nuisance, been permitted to enclose with a fence and gates the recess at the north-east corner, on condition of paying the Vestry £1 1s. a year. The Vestry declined an offer made to lay out the old Cemetery as a pleasure ground if the Vestry would purchase the ground and provide for its future maintenance as a recreation ground. At the end of February the Vestry received from Messrs. Hills aud Fletcher, the Architects of Mr. George Chambers, a plan, shewing a proposed new street to be formed, and houses to be built on the ground. At the Yestry meeting on the 1st March the Sanitary Committee reported they had visited the ground with the Medical Officer of Health, and found excavations were being made previous to building, and recommended that the sanction of the Yestry to any building scheme be withheld until all the human remains have been removed to the satisfaction of the Medical Officer, and that the Clerk be instructed to communicate with the proper authorities, with a view of obtaining their assistance in the matter. At the same meeting a deputation from residents in Peel grove and places adjacent attended, and complained of the smell from something burning day and night on the vacant ground. The Yestry have caused letters to be addressed to the Home Office, to the Metropolitan Board of Works, and the District Surveyor, informing them of the intention to build on the ground, and pointing out the serious objection to doing so unless all bodies be properly removed and every precaution taken. It appears there are nearly 20,000 bodies in the ground, closely packed, and that many are near the surface. CHALET BE NECESSITE. The Chalet was completed and opened in June, 1882. Before opening it the ground about the Chalet was paved, the Chalet Company contributing £25 towards the cost of the paving. 22 RE-NUMBERING AND RE-NAMING STREETS. During the year orders have been made by the Metropolitan Board of Works for Re-numberine Morpeth road. Re-numbering and abolishing subsidiary numbers in Abbey street. Ditto ditto ditto Derbyshire street. Naming Hereford and New Derbyshire streets throughout and abolishing subsidiary names. Hereford street. Naming Old Castle street and Virginia row throughout Virginia road. and abolishing subsidiary names. Naming Tyssen and Turk streets throughout Turk street. and abolishing subsidiary names. Naming Vincent and Mead streets throughout Mead street. and abolishing subsidiary names. Re-naming Collingwood street, Boundary street and re-numbering and abolishing subsidiary names. Jacobs street. TRAMWAYS BILL. A Bill was introduced into Parliament by the North Metropolitan Tramways Company, seeking powers to lay down tramways along Bethnal Green road from the existing lines in Cambridge road to the existing lines in High street, Shoreditch; and a Bill was introduced by the East London Tramway Company, seeking powers to lay down tramways along Bethnal Green road, and from Shoreditch along Commercial street to the Docks; but no provision was made for a junction with, or for running powers over any part of the existing lines of the North Metropolitan Tramways Company lines. A difference of opinion existed as to the advisability of permitting tramways to be laid down in Bethnal Green road. At the meeting on the 7th December, when the plans of the proposed lines had been deposited only a few days, a memorial, purporting to be signed by 242 persons, objecting to tramways being laid in Bethnal Green road, was presented by a deputation from inhabitants of the road. The subject of the proposed tramways was referred to a committee of the whole Vestry. At the Vestry meeting of the 18th January a deputation, consisting of Mr. John Hales and several other gentlemen, attended and urged the Vestry not to consent to tramways being laid in Bethnal Green road; and a petition, purporting to be signed by 2,000 inhabitants, praying the Vestry to consent to the construction of the tramways in Bethnal Green road, proposed to be laid down by the 23 East London Tramway Company, which had been sent, was submitted and read. The Committee of the Whole Yestry roported: "They had proceeded on the reference made to them, and considered whether or not it was desirable that tramways should be laid down in Bethnal Green road. "That they had been attended by the solicitor and engineer of the North Metropolitan Tramways Company and of the proposed East London Tramway Company, and were of opinion that it was desirable to have lines of tramways laid down in Bethnal Green road; that the scheme of the North Metropolitan Tramways Company was preferable to that of the proposed East London Tramway Company, but recommended that the consent of the Yestry should not be given to the North Metropolitan Tramways Company until satisfactory terms had been arranged with that company." The report was received and adopted. Terms were subsequently arranged between the North Metropolitan Tramways Company and the Yestry, and an agreement was executed on which the requisite consent by the Yestry was given, and the Bill proceeded, but part of it—including the part relating to this parish— was not passed by the House of Commons. YARD AND PREMISES IN DIGBY STREET. The purchase was completed in April, 1882. Part of the property was let to Mr. E. J. Ward at a weekly rental, clear of outgoings, of £2, with a proviso for determining the tenancy by a four weeks' notice on either side. In October the Yestry decided to have possession of the whole of the premises. A notice to quit was given accordingly, and the Yestry now have the entire property in hand. The wall dividing the two yards and some of the old buildings have been pulled down, the old timber sold, and the bricks cleaned and stacked. It is in contemplation to make the yard the sole depot of material belonging to the Yestry, and to make other arrangements respecting the yard, but the plans are not at present matured. SURVEYOR'S DEPARTMENT. Mr. J. A. Tharp, the assistant Surveyor, gave notice in July of his intention to resign his office at Christmas. It was decided to elect in Mr. Tharp's place a clerk—not an assistant surveyor—at a salary of £100, increasing by yearly sums of £10 up to £150. Mr. George William Thompson, of Camberwell, was 24 elected on 16th November, and entered on the duties of his office at Christmas. The junior clerk in the Surveyor's office, who had originally been elected temporarily, left in November. RAILWAY BILLS. The Regent's Canal Railway City and Docks Bill.—The efforts of the various Vestries through whose parishes the canal passes to have the privilege of the land of the Company being assessed only as land abolished were not successful. The Metropolitan Board of Works, without communication with the Vestry, asseuted to terms as to the "skew bridge" and the bridge crossing Grove road, and all the efforts of the Vestry to get those terms improved were unavailing. The Company declined to make any concession, alleging that the proposed works would not interfere with the surface. The Great Eastern Railway Bill.—Tho Bill mentioned in the last report has passed. East London Railway Bill.—The Bill, seeking power to abandon the construction of the line from the Great Eastern Railway at Cambridge Road to Whitechapel, mentioned in the last report, was passed. METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS. The amount required by the Board's precept is £9,607 13s. 7d., being £154 19s. 3d. more than the amount of the last precept. Tho Board has returned to the original practice of making the amount of the precept payable by half-yearly instead of quarterly instalments. SCHOOL BOARD FOR LONDON. The amount required by the precept of the Board, to be paid by quarterly instalments, is £10,420 15s. 10d., being an increase of £1584 4s. on the precept of last year. FOOD AND DRUGS ACT. A copy is appended of the quarterly reports of the Public Analyst for the year ended at Lady-day, 1883. SALE OF FOOD AND DRUGS ACT. QUARTERLY REPORTS OF ANALYST FOR THE YEAR ENDING MARCH, 1883. For the Quarter ending 24th June, 1882. Article submitted for Analysis. State whether the Sample was submitted to the Analyst by an Officer acting under the direction of a Local Authority. under Section 13 of Act, and if so. the name of such Authority. Result of Analysis, shewing whether the Sample was Genuine or Adulterated, and, if Adulterated, what were the nature and extent of the Adulteration. The sum due in respect of the Analysis. OBSERVATIONS. £ s. Milk, No. 2/26 Inspector for Vestry Contained 12 per cent. of added water, and ¼th of the cream had been abstracted 1 1 Vendor prosecuted and fined 5s. and costs. „ 2/27 „ „ Contained 13 per cent of added water 1 1 Vendor prosecuted and fined 5s. and costs. „ 2/28 „ „ Genuine 1 1 Of very good quality. „ 2/39 „ „ „ 1 1 Of very good quality. „ 2/40 „ „ „ 1 1 Of very good quality. „ 2/41 „ „ Contained 10 per cent. of added water 1 1 Vendor prosecuted and fined £1 10s. and costs. „ 2/42 „ „ Contained 11 „ „ 1 1 Vendor prosecuted and fined £ L 10s. and costs. „ 2/43 „ „ Genuine 1 1 „ 2/44 „ „ Contained 6 per cent. of added water 1 1 Vendor prosecuted and fined £1 and costs. „ 2/45 „ „ Contained 7 „ „ 1 1 Vendor prosecuted and fined £1 and costs. „ 2/29 „ „ Genuine 1 1 „ 2/30 „ „ „ 1 1 „ 2/31 „ „ 1 1 „ 2/32 „ „ „ 1 1 Total number of Samples Analysed during the Quarter, 14. Total number of Samples Adulterated, 6. Signed, Alfked W. Stokes, Public Analyst—July 4th, 1882. For the Quarter ending 29th September, 1882. Article submitted for Analysis. state whether the sample was submitted to the Analyst by an Officer acting under the direction of a Local Authority, under Section 13 of Act. and if so, the name of such Authority. Result of Analysis, shewing whether the Sample was Genuine or Adulterated, and, if Adulterated, what were the nature and extent of the Adulteration. The sum due in respect of the Analysis. OBSERVATIONS. Milk No. 2/46 Inspector for Yestry Genuine £ 1 s. 1 Unusually good sample. „ 2/47 „ „ „ 1 1 Of very poor quality. „ 2/48 „ „ One quarter of the cream had been abstracted 1 1 Vendor escaped conviction through a legal flaw „ 2/49 „ „ Half of the cream had been abstracted 1 1 „ 2/50 „ „ Genuine 1 1 Of very poor quality. Mustard . 2/51 „ „ „ 1 1 „ 2/52 „ „ „ 1 1 ,, 2/53 „ „ „ 1 1 „ 2/54 „ „ „ 1 1 „ 2/55 „ „ „ 1 1 „ 2/56 „ „ „ 1 1 „ 2/57 „ „ Contained 55 percent. of wheaten flour, and a trace of turmeric 1 1 Vendor fined £5. Arrowroot 2/58 Genuine 1 1 Mustard . 2/59 „ 1 1 Arrowroot 2/60 „ „ „ 1 1 Mustard . 2/61 „ „ „ 1 1 „ 2/62 „ „ „ 1 1 Arrowroot 2/ 62** „ „ „ 1 1 Mustard . 2/63 „ „ „ 1 1 Arrowroot 2/64 „ „ „ 1 1 Mustard . 2/65 „ „ „ 1 1 Arrowroot 2/66 „ „ „ 1 1 „ 2/67 „ „ „ 1 1 Milk 2/68 „ „ „ 1 1 A very good sample. Lard l/l „ „ Contained 18 per cent. of added water 1 1 Vendor ordered to pay 23s. as costs. „ 1/2 „ „ Contained 17 ,, ,, 1 1 Vendor fined £1 and costs. „ 2/1 „ „ Genuine 1 1 „ 2/2 „ „ „ 1 1 Milk 2/3 „ „ Contained 12 per cent of added water 1 1 Lard 3/1 Genuine 1 1 „ 3/2 „ 1 1 Total number of Samples Analysed during the Quarter, 31. Total number of Samples Adulterated, 6. Signed, Alfred W. Stokes, Public Analyst—October 21, 1882. For the Quarter ending 25th December, 1882. Article submitted for Analysis. State whether the Sample was submitted to the Analyst by an Officer acting under the direction of a Local Authority, under Section 13 of Act, and if so, the name of sueh Authority. Result of Analysis, shewing whether the Sample was Genuine or Adulterated, and, if Adulterated, what were the nature and extent of the Adulteration. The sum due in respect of the Analysis. OBSERVATIONS. £ s. Milk No. 1/5 Inspector for Vestry Contained 33 per cent. of added water, and only 1/10th of the usual proportion of Cream 1 1 The Company alleged that one of their servants added the water; hence summons dismissed. „ 1/6 „ „ Genuine 1 1 Very good sample. „ 2/4 „ „ Contained 20 per cent. of added water 1 1 Vendor fined 5s. and costs. „ 2/5 „ „ Contained 35 per cent. of added water, and 1 1 Case dismissed on a legal informality. „ 2/6 „ „ only 1/5th of the usual proportion of cream. Contained 30 per cent. of added water 1 1 Vendor fined 30s. and costs. „ 2/7 „ „ Genuine 1 1 Butter 2/8 „ „ Consisted of 90 per cent. of foreign fat 1 1 Vendor fined 10s. and costs. „ 2/9 „ „ „ „ „ 1 1 Vendor fined 10s. and costs. „ 2/10 „ „ „ „ „ 1 1 Case adjourned to February 28th, 1883. „ 1/7 „ „ „ „ „ 1 1 Vendor fined 10s. and costs. „ 1/8 „ „ Genuine 1 1 „ 1/9 „ „ „ 1 1 ,, 1/8A „ „ „ 1 1 „ 1/9A „ „ „ 1 1 Milk 2/7 „ „ „ „ 1 1 2/11 „ „ „ 1 1 Of very poor quality. Butter 3/9 „ „ Contained 80 per cent. of foreign fat 1 1 Vendor fined 10s. and costs. Milk 3/10 „ „ Contained 30 per cent. of added water 1 1 Vendor fined £5 and costs. 3/11 „ „ Contained 12 per cent. of added water, and only 2/5ths of the usual proportion of cream 1 1 Vendor fined £10 and costs. Total number of Samples Analysed during the Quarter, 19. Total number of Samples Adulterated, 11. Alfred W. Stokes, Public Analyst—February 6th, 1883. For the Quarter ending 25th March, 1883. Article submitted for Analysis. State whether the Sample was submitted to the Analyst by an Officer acting under the direction of a Local Authority. under Section 13 of Act, and if so. the name of such Authority Result of Analysis, shewing whether the sample was Genuine or Adulterated, and, if Adulterated, what were the nature and extent of the Adulteration. The sum due in respect of the Analysis. OBSERVATIONS. £ s. Milk, No. 2/12 Inspector for Vestry Contained 10 per cent. of added water 1 1 The vendor was fined £1 and costs. „ 2/13 „ „ ,, 35 ,, „ 1 1 ,, ,, £1 10s. and costs. „ 2/14 „ „ „ 30 „ „ 1 1 „ „ £1 10s. ,, „ 2/15 „ „ „ 28 „ „ 1 1 „ „ £1 10s. ,, „ 2/16 „ „ Genuine, but of poor quality 1 1 „ 2/17 „ „ Contained 8 per cent. of added water 1 1 The vendor was prosecuted and fined 10s. and costs. „ 2/18 „ „ Genuine 1 1 A sample of poor quality. „ 2/19 „ „ Genuine 1 1 A sample of good quality. „ 2/20 „ „ Genuine 1 1 Of very good quality. „ 2/21 „ „ Genuine 1 1 „ „ „ 2/22 „ „ Genuine 1 1 „ 2/23 „ „ Genuine 1 1 Of unusuallv high quality. „ 2/24 „ „ Genuine 1 1 „ 2/25 „ „ Genuine 1 1 „ 2/26 „ „ Genuine 1 1 „ „ „ „ 2/27 „ „ Genuine 1 1 „ 2/28 „ „ Contained 12 per cent. of added water 1 1 Vendor prosecuted and fined £2 and costs. „ 2/29 „ „ One-third of the cream had been abstracted 1 1 Dismissed on appeal to Somerset House. „ 2/30 „ „ Genuine 1 1 A very good sample. „ 2/.31 „ „ Contained 30 per cent. of added water 1 1 Vendor prosecuted and fined £2 and costs. „ 2/32 „ „ „ 16 „ „ 1 1 ,, ,, and fined 10s. and costs. „ 2/33 „ „ „ 10 „ „ 1 1 ,, ,, and fined £1 and costs. ,, 2/34 „ „ Genuine 1 1 An unusually rich sample. „ 2/35 „ „ One-third of the cream had been abstracted 1 1 Dismissed on appeal to Somerset House. „ 2/36 „ „ Contained 23 per cent. of added water 1 1 Vendor prosecuted and fined £2 and costs. Total number of Samples Analysed during the Quarter, 25. Total number of Samples Adulterated, 12. Signed, Alfred W. Stokes, Public Analyst—May 26th, 1883. 29 NEW PART ST. JOHN STREET. The Vestry have, at the request and cost of the Great Eastern Railway Company, formed the new street (being the authorised diversion of tho western part of the street), with proper paving-, drains, &c. SCARLET FEVER. During the prevalence last autumn of scarlet fever, the Fever Hospital in Liverpool road became full. The Vestry to provide against a probable necessity arranged with the Poplar Board of Works to appropriate for this parish in the Poplar Hospital, six beds, for six months, on payment of £3G, and for each case £4 4s.; to include medical and other attendance, and food. Happily there was not occasion to send any case to the Hospital. FOURNIER'S CHARITY. The following were the thirteen candidates who were elected, and received tho gift of £10 each:— Mr. James Dabbs, 39, Mape street. Mr. E. Elsworthy; 169, Columbia square: Mr. G. Hollington, 10, Scott street. Mrs. Ann Johnson, 487, Cambridge road. Mr. James Long, 9, George street. Mrs. Sarah Mackay, 49, Green street. Mr. James Nadal, 13, George street. Mr. Edward Sharp, 26, West street. Mrs. Ann Slater, 4, William street. Mr. John Taylor, 28, Hackney road. Mr. William Town, 12, Bayst terrace, Old Ford road. Mrs. Caroline Watkins, 2, Derby place, Old Ford road. Mr. James Whitten, 59, Squirries street. Mrs. Susan Witt, 16, Hague street. LEVERINGTON CHARITY. Tho thirty-six surviving qualified recipients of last year were elected recipients for this year. To make the number of forty, there were elected by ballot the persons following:— Forecast, Ann, 40, Mansford street. Johnson, Ann, 487, Cambridge road. Morley, William, 38, Tagg street, Bonner lane. Ramback, Martha, 7, Hartley street. 30 SEWERS. An 18-inch pipe sower has been laid down in Wilraot stroet from Finnis street to the main sewer, in Bethnal Green road. Twelve tenders were sent in, and the tender of Mr. Charles Standan at £240 was accepted. By arrangoment with the Vestry of Mile End, a 12-inch pipe sower has boon laid in tho old sewer in Devonshiro street, and the old sewor filled up. The cost is to bo borne in moieties by tho two Vestries. By arrangement with tho Whitechapel Board of Works, a now 18-inch pipe sewer is being laid in Spicer street; a 15-inch pipe sower in William street, and 12-inch pipe sewers in White's court and Butler's buildings. Tho cost (except that as to White's court, which is to be defrayed by this parish) is to bo borno equally by this Vostry and tho Whitechapol Board of Works. LIGHTING. Tho various alterations of and additions to lamps will be stated with Surveyor's Report. TREASURER. Mr. James Goorgo Hilditch has been appointed a treasurer, in place of Mr. W. D. Collins, deceased. STEAM ROLLER. Tho Gas Light and Coke Company in May, 1882, wrote alleging that the weight of the roller injured their mains and pipes, and giving notice that tho Company would hold the Vestry responsible for all damages immediate and consequent, and of the Company's intention to apply if necessary for an injunction. No steps havo been taken by the Company against tho Vestry, but the Company are proceeding against the Vostry of Kensington, and it is understood that case will practically raise and decide any question between local authorities and gas companies, as to the use of the steam roller. 31 MISCELLANEOUS. The Vestry presented a petition to the House of Commons against the clause inserted by the House of Lords in the London Riverside Fish Market Bill, providing for compensation being made to the City of London, for diminution of tolls and dues, and providing for transfer to the City of all the powers conferred by the intended Bill, within six months after the passing of this Bill at the option of the City. Three claims have been made for compensation in respect of injuries alleged to have arisen from the state of the paving. In every case the Vestry refused the application. In April the afternoon lecturer of the parish resigned his office. No successor has been appointed. The Yestry has lost by death, during the year, three of its members, viz : Mr. William Davis Collins, Mr, William Dyer, and Mr. George Samuel Webb. Mr. Collins and Mr. Dyer had been members of the Vestry from its creation, and Mr. Webb had been a member for many years. A new urinal has been erected at the east end of Bethnal green road. It was proposed to use the old urinal at the junction of St. James's and Old Ford roads, but it was found to be unfit. ROBERT VOSS, Vestry Cleric. St. Fnttherm Beihttal Crectt. SURVEYOR'S REPORT OF WORKS EXECUTED From Lady-day, 1882, to Lady-day, 1883. Forsaith Brothers, Steam Printers, 329, Bethnal Green Road. 1883. Surbenor's Department. Report of Works executed from Lady-day, 1882, to Lady-day, 1883. Gentlemen, I have the honour to report upon the principal works carried out under the supervision of this department during the past year. As will be found from the statements of works executed, the greatest portion has been carried out by men in the employ of the Vestry; and these works, especially those relating to sewers, have been considerable. I enumerate below the principal places where the pipe sewers have been cleansed, and also relaid where found necessary:— Old Nichol Street. Derby Place. Teesdale Street. Abbey Street. Princes Street. North Passage. Brady's Buildings. Cumberland Place. Baden Place. Duke Street. Salisbury Place. Robert Street. Ely Place. Ion Square. Gloucester Street. Pedley Street. Emma Street. West Street. Satchwell Street. Half Nichol Street. Braemar Street. Queen Street. Gloucester Gardens. The Oval. Digby Walk. George Street. Gosset Street. Scott Street. 4 The following brick sewers have also been cleansed:— Brick Lane. Three Colts Lane. Collingwood Street. Warner Place. Brady Street. Hackney Road. Old Ford Road. Winchester Street. Warley Street. Mape Street. Globe Road. Sundry new gully gratings have been fixed and gullies re-constructed, 46 new frontages have been connected with the Parish sewers, the work in all cases having been carried out by men in the employ of the Vestry, at the cost of applicants. A new 18-inch pipe sewer has been laid in St. John Street, at the cost of the Great Eastern Railway Company. New 18-inch and 12-inch pipe sewers have been constructed in Cross Street and Busby Street respectively by men in the employ of the Vestry. A new 18-inch pipe sewer has been laid in Wilmot Street, by Mr. Stanton, at a cost of £281 15s. 3d. URINALS. A new urinal has been erected opposite St. John's Church, by Messrs. Jennings, at a cost of £250. The sum paid the East London Water Company for water used at the various urinals in the Parish amounted to £367 15s. 3d. 5 LIGHTING. New Lamps have been erected in— Wilmot Street. Morpeth Street. Old Castle Street. Shacklewell Street. William Street. Blythe Street. Chester Street. Auckland Road. Collingwood Street. Jobbing repairs to footways and carriageways have been carried out as under by Vestry's men:— FOOTWAYS. Abbey Street. Bethnal Green Road. Brady Street. Brick Lane. Cheshire Street. Chilton Street. Columbia Road. Collingwood Street. Darling Row. Derbyshire Street. Fleet Street. George Street. Gosset Street. Grove Road. Globe Road. Hackney Road. Hague Street. Hare Street. Hart's Lane. Lisbon Street. Morpeth Street. Northampton Street. Old Bethnal Green Road. Old Nichol Street. Prospect Place. Punderson Gardens. Sclater Street. Spicer Street. Squirries Street. Shipton Street. Three Colts Lane. Turin Street. Turville Street. Tyssen Street. Turk Street. Virginia Road. Weaver Street. The necessary repairs to the footways after the removal of scaffolding and hoardings have also been carried out at the cost of persons erecting same. 6 CARRIAGEWAYS. The following streets have been made up with macadam and steam-rolled:— Sydney Street. The Oval. Old Ford Road (part of). Globe Road. Minerva Street. Kay Street. Darling Row. Russia Lane. Gore Road. The cubes forming the carriageways of Austin Street and Pedley Street have been relaid by men in the employ of the Vestry. MISCELLANEOUS. The sum paid the East London Water Works for watering roads, including use of meters, amounted to £101 9s. 0d. The amounts received from the Gas and Water Companies is as follows:— £ s. d. Gas Light and Coke Company 372 14 1 East London Water Works 187 8 1 Commercial Gas Company 64 7 8 Total amount £624 9 10 71 The flushing of the pipe sewers through the Parish has been carried out at night by men in the employ of the Vestry. I am, Gentlemen, Yours obediently, W. H. GATHERCOLE, Surveyor. Report on the Sanitary Condition and Vital Statistics of the parish of ST. MATTHEW, BETHNAL GREEN, DURING THE YEAR 1882, 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 ; Vice-President of the Society of Medical Officers of Health; Fellow and Member of Council of the Obstetrical Society of London ; and Medical Officer of Health for the Parish of Bethnal Green. London: Forsaith Brothers, Steam Printers, 329, Bethnal Green Road, 1883. Summary. 1881. 1882. Estimated Population of Bethnal Green—Adults 127,180 128,000 Estimated Population of Bethnal Green—Young Children under 5 years 19,209 19,300 Area—755 Acres. Number of Inhabited Houses 17,739 17,739 Average Number of Persons to each House 7.2 7.2 Average Number of Persons to each Acre 179.4 169.5 Total number of Deaths in the year 3,054 3,094 Total number of Births in the year 5,237 5,256 Marriage Rate 20.4 20.3 Death Rate 24.0 21.4 Birth Rate 41.1 41.0 Infantile Death Rate (on Births) 153.5 164.7 Young Children's Death Rate (on estimated number of Young Children) 78.0 82.6 Zymotic Death Rate 5.2 4.4 Synopsis OF MEDICAL OFFICER'S ANNUAL REPORT, 1882. Page Population 2 Births and Deaths 3 Annual Death Rate 4 Births and Birth Rate 5 Marriages 5 Deaths of Infants 5 Deaths of Young Children 6 Special Causes of Death:— Summary of Table III 6 Specific Febrile or Zymotic Diseases 7 The Seven Principal Zymotic Diseases 7 Closure of Board Schools 11 Small Pox 12 Measles 13 Scarlet Fever 13 Diphtheria 13 Fever 13 Whooping Cough 13 Diarrhoea 14 Dietetic Diseases:— Alcoholism 14 Constitutional Diseases 14 Tubercular Diseases 14 Developmental Disease 15 Diseases of the Nervous System 15 Respiratory Organs 15 Childbirth 17 Wasting Diseases of Infants 17 Inquests 17 Deaths in Public Institutions:— Bethnal Green Infirmary 18 Queen Adelaide's Dispensary 18 Mildmay Mission Hospital 18 Bethnall House Lunatic Asylum 19 City of London Hospital for Diseases of the Chest 19 Pauper Illness 19 iv. Page Bakehouses 19 Cowsheds 24 Slaughter Houses0 25 Fish Curers 26 Cellar Dwellings 26 Water Supply 27 Offensive Trades 28 Disused Burial Crounds 32 Peel Grove Burial Ground 34 Putrid Provisions 44 Diseased Meat 44 Bedding Purified during the year, 1882 44 Bedding Supplied during the year, 1882 45 Mortuary 48 Sanitary Work during the year 48 Tables:— 1.—Shewing Population, Inhabited Houses, Births, Deaths, and Marriages for 1882 and ten years preceding 49 II.—Annual Birth Rate, Rate of Mortality, Death Rate among Children, and Deaths in Public Institutions for the year 1882 and ten years preceding 50 III.—Deaths registered at several groups of ages, from different causes, during the year 1882 51 IV.—Shewing the Mortality from certain classes of Diseases, and proportions to Population, and to 1000 Deaths, 1882 57 IV. (a)—Total Births and Deaths, and Deaths from some Zymotic and other causes 58 IV. (b)—Total Marriages, Births, and Deaths, and Deaths from some Zymotic and other causes, by Quarters 60 IV. (c)—Total Births and Deaths, and Deaths from some Zymotic and other causes in London, during the year 1882 61 V.—Shewing the number of Deaths from the Seven principal Zymotic Diseases, inclusive of Hospital Deaths, in the ten years, 1871 to 1880, and in the year 1882 62 VI.—Inspector's Report of Sanitary Work, &c. 63 VII.—Vaccination 64 VIII.—Analysis of the Mortality in London during the year 1882 65 IX.—Area, Population, Density, and Mortality in England and London. 66 Precautions against the Infection of Cholera 67 Report. Gentlemen, I have the honour to present my Eighth Annual Report upon the Vital Statistics of the Parish of Saint Matthew, Bethnal Green. The Tables of Mortality in the Appendix will be found somewhat modified. The whole six have been carefully revised by the Council of the Society of Medical Officers of Health, and the present forms decided upon after much discussion. They are intended to take the place of those issued in 1874, which, with a few minor modifications, I have been in the habit of using in my previous reports. The Society of Medical Officers of Health is of opinion that certain changes are rendered necessary as the result of a new nomenclature of diseases prepared by the Royal College of Physicians, and a new method of classification adopted by the Registrar General of England and Wales. This altered classification of registered causes of death was adopted by the Registrar General, in his weekly returns, at the commencement of the year. The principal alterations will be found in Tables I., III. and IV. Table I. now shews, in addition to the information previously given, the deaths at certain groups of ages, and also the deaths in public institutions. Table III., which is the basis of the whole statistical report, is now almost identical with the table of registered causes of death in the weekly returns issued by the Registrar General. Table IV.—In my previous reports this table has always been drawn so as to shew the mortality from certain groups of diseases amongst young children under five years of age, calculated upon an estimated population of persons living at that age. In this respect it differed from the 1874 official table, which shewed infantile mortality 2 from the same groups of diseases, but calculated upon the gross population. I should have very much preferred in this instance to retain my old form, as mortality rates at well-marked groups of ages thus calculated are most valuable sanitary statistics. I endeavoured to get my own form adopted by the Council of the Society, but the opinion of the members was against me, as the mortality rate of young children would have to be calculated upon a population capable of being only approximately estimated. The Council therefore decided that the table should shew infantile mortality calculated upon the registered births, as being so much more exact. POPULATION. I estimate the population of this parish at 128,000. This figure is arrived at by the addition to the numbers furnished by the census in March, 1881, of five-fortieths of the decennial increase of the years 1871 to 1881. This is for the purpose of raising the population to the middle of 1882, and the increment is that of the five quarters (one year and three months) which have elapsed between that period and the last census. TABLE A. No. 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. Eastward W. I. Shenton 4976 32 13 13 West Ward (North Division) H. Liebrecht 2618 84 10 7 West Ward (South Division) W. N. Eagles 1664 10 9 5 North Ward E. S. Smith 3020 5461 18 174 21 5 South ward H. J. Bliss 3 9 Total, 1882 17,739 318 56 39 Total, 1881 17,739 318 56 39 3 As will be seen by an inspection of Table A, the data for which have been kindly furnished me by the rate collectors, we have this year 17,739 houses assessed : precisely the same number as last year. Since that period, however, a number of small houses have been demolished, and larger ones erected in their places ; so that the house-room, if not the actual number of dwellings, is considerably increased. The extent of the parish is 755 acres, and each acre has an average population of 169.5 persons, and each house of 7.2 inhabitants. BIRTHS AND DEATHS. The number of deaths registered in this parish during the year was 3,094 against 3,054 last year—an increase of 40. This number, however, includes 128 non-parishioners who had been placed for purposes of medical treatment in the various public institutions within our bounds. These non-residents I have included in the total deaths to compensate for the deaths of those of our own parishioners who died in other metropolitan hospitals, but the exact number of whom I have in past years had no means of ascertaining. I am happy to say that, in future reports, I shall be able to state the exact numbers of extra parochial deaths; as, owing to the representations of Mr. Shirley Murphy, the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Mr. Noel Humphreys, of the General Register Office, has consented to furnish Medical Officers of Health with particulars of all deaths in public institutions situated beyond the limits of their districts; thus enabling them to make their statistical returns more accurate and of greater value than heretofore. I receive these returns monthly, and am able to utilize them in making out my periodical reports for the monthly meetings of the Vestry. I have decided to discontinue the weekly printed returns, and to substitute a four or five-weekly one, containing some statistics of mortality and other information. The births during the year were 5,256 against 5,237 in the preceding year. The excess of the births over the deaths was 2,162—21 fewer than in the preceding year, as is shewn by the subjoined table. 4 TABLE B. 1881. 1882. Estimated population in the middle 127,800 128,000 of the year Total Births 5,237 5256 Total Deaths 3,054 3 094 Excess of Births over Deaths, shew- 2,183 2,162 ing the natural increase of the Population ANNUAL DEATH RATE. Taking the estimated population as the basis of our calculation, we shew an annual death rate for the year 1882 of 24.1 per thousand, almost the same as last year, but above the average rate for the ten years, 1872 to 1881, which is only 23.3. The corresponding rates for the whole of London were 21.2 in 1881 and 21.4 in 1882. The rate for 1882 in the western districts of the metropolis was 19.9; in the north, 19.7 ; in the central, 23.9 ; in the south, 20.7 ; and in the east, 25.3, so that the mortality in Bethnal Green was slightly more than one per thousand below that of the whole of the eastern districts taken together. The following table compares the mortality for London and for Bethnal Green by quarters. TABLE C. London. Bethnal Grn. March Quarter 25.6 30.2 June Quarter 19.5 19.8 September Quarter 18.6 21.5 December Quarter 21.8 25.0 5 BIRTHS AND BIRTH RATE. The number of births registered during the year was 5,256, a rate of 41 per thousand estimated population. This rate is precisely that of last year, which was calculated upon the census population ; and as birth rates are known to vary only very slightly, it shews that my estimate of population is fairly correct. The metropolitan birth rate for the corresponding period was 34.3, a difference in our favour of 6.7. MARRIAGES. In Bethnal Green we have 14 churches, 15 chapels, and one Register office licensed for marriages. Of these there were in the First quarter 505 Second ,, 658 Third ,, 666 Fourth „ 773 Total 2,602 One fewer than last year. This indicates a marriage rate of 20.3 to every thousand persons, or, as each marriage necessitates two persons as contracting parties, 40.6 of every thousand of our population entered the bonds of matrimony. Of these weddings 53 were civil contracts, and required the presence of the Registrar in order to render them legal. Half of them took place in the office of that functionary and the remainder in dissenting places of worship. The marriage rate for the whole of the metropolis was 18.2 per thousand. DEATHS OF INFANTS (Under One Year). Of the total deaths from all causes 27.3 per cent. were those of infants, aged less than 12 months; for out of 5,256 children born, 886 died before reaching that age, 4,390 surviving. This gives a death rate, calculated upon the births, of 164.7 per thousand, or of 6.7 per thousand population at all ages. The diseases most fatal to infants were—Atrophy and Debility, 180; Bronchitis and Pneumonia, 148; Diarrhoea, 65; Convulsions, 96; Whooping Cough, 79 ; Premature Birth, 58; Consumption of the Bowels, 35; Suffocation, 35 ; Water on the Brain, 17. 6 DEATHS OF YOUNG CHILDEEN. Out of the total number of deaths registered in this district, 1596— more than half—(51.5 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 figures for 1881 are not published), the numbers in 1882 would be 19,300. Taking this estimate as the basis of our calculation, we shew a death rate of 82.6 per thousand children living. SPECIAL CAUSES OF DEATH. SUMMAEY OF TABLE III. No. of Deaths. Orders. Classes. I.—Specific Febrile, or Zymotic Diseases .. 600 1. Miasmatic Diseases 459 .. 2. Diarrhceal ,, 95 • • 3. Malarial ,, .. • • 4. Zoogenous ,, .. • • 5. Venereal ,, 19 • • 6. Septic ,, 27 • • II.—Parasitic Diseases • • 4 III.—Dietic Diseases • • 15 IV.—Constitutional Diseases • • 533 V.—Developmental Diseases .. 216 VI.—Local Diseases 1392 1. Diseases of Nervous System 356 .. 2. Diseases of Organs of Special Sense • • .. 3. Diseases of Circulatory System 127 .. 4. Diseases of Respiratory System 716 .. 5. Diseases of Digestive System 120 .. 5. Diseases of Lymphatic System 1 .. 7. Diseases of Gland-like Organs of Uncertain Use .. .. 8. Diseases of Urinary System 44 .. 9. Diseases of Reproductive System .. .. (a). Diseases of Organs of Generation 3 .. (b). Diseases of Parturition 12 .. 10. Diseases of Bones and Joints 11 .. 11. Diseases of Integumentary System 2 .. VII.—Violence .. 74 1. Accident or Negligence 61 .. 2. Homicide 1 .. 3. Suicide 12 .. 4. Execution • • .. VIII.—Ill-defined and not specified Causes • • 260 Total 3094 7 Class I.—SPECIFIC FEBRILE OR ZYMOTIC DISEASES. The total number of deaths referred to this class of diseases was 600, of which 487 were those of young children under five years of age. Amongst these 189 occurred during the first year of life. Sixty-five of these deaths were from Diarrhoea, and 79 from Whooping Cough. THE SEVEN PRINCIPAL ZYMOTIC DISEASES. The deaths registered from diseases grouped under the heads of Miasmatic diseases and Diarrhœal diseases were 555, against 678 last year, a decrease of 123. The subjoined table shews the mortality for this year contrasted with last. TABLE D. 1881. 1882. Small Pox 57 2 Measles 185 58 Scarlet Fever 82 132 Diphtheria 9 11 Whooping Cough 192 229 Typhus Fever 4 — Enteric Fever 37 23 Simple Fever 5 4 Diarrhoea 107 88 Cholera 0 8 Totals 678 555 From the returns of the Asylums Board we find that 43 cases of Small Pox and 135 cases of Fever have been removed from the parish, and that five of those suffering from Small Pox and 13 of the Fever patients died in Hospital. These 18 must therefore be added to the 555 Zymotic deaths, raising the total to 573, and giving a Zymotic death rate of 4.4 against 5,2 last year. The corresponding rate for London was 3.49. 8 Report of Cases admitted into Small Pox Hospitals during the year 1881. HOSPITALS. No. of cases remaining at end of 1881. No of cases admitted. Died. Discharged. No of cases remaining at end of 1882. Deptford 0 8 0 6 2 Fulham 0 1 0 0 1 Ship Atlas 8 25 5 27 1 Homerton 3 9 0 10 2 Totals 11 43 5 43 6 Report of Cases admitted into Fever Hospitals daring the year 1881. HOSPITALS. No. of cases remaining at end of 1881. No. of cases admitted. Died. Discharged. No. of cases remaining at end of 1882. Deptford 0 17 1 12 4 Homerton 13 113 12 90 24 Stockwell 0 2 0 1 1 Totals 13 132 13 103 29 Of the total deaths from all causes, 18.1 per cent. (181 per thousand) were referred to the groups of diseases under consideration, against 16.3 per cent. for the whole of London. The decennial average of Zymotic mortality for the years 1872 to 1881 is 554.3, a number identical with the registered deaths, but 18.7 below the true number for 1882, which includes Hospital deaths. The high Zymotic mortality of the previous year was due to Measles and Small Pox; these had in 1882 fallen considerably below the average numbers; but Scarlet Fever and Whooping Cough were prevalent and very fatal, the latter causing more than twice as many deaths as in 1881. Enteric Fever and Diarrhoea both shew a considerable decrease, though eight deaths were referred to English Cholera. 9 Of the cases admitted to Hospital, 68 were Scarlet Fever, 27 Enteric, and 14 Typhus ; and the remainder were suffering from diseases other than Fever, such as Measles, Febricula, Pneumonia, etc. The total deaths from the groups of Zymotic diseases were equal to 184.8 per thousand from all causes. In the subjoined table is shewn the percentage of each of the total number of Zymotic deaths including Hospital cases. TABLE F. Small Pox 1.30 per cent., or 1 in 71.5 deaths. Measles 10.13 „ ,, 9.86 ,, Scarlatina 23.06 „ „ 4.33 „ Diphtheria 1.02 ,, ,, 52.0 ,, Whooping Cough 40.03 „ „ 2.49 „ Fever 4.77 „ „ 21.18 „ Diarrhoea 16.6 ,, ,, 6.02 ,, By the courtesy of Mr. Jebb, I now regularly receive the minutes of the Asylums' Board ; and I note from the report of the London Fields Ambulance Station that from the opening of the Establishment on July 14th, 1881, to December 31st, 1882, (335 days), 275 patients were removed from this parish:— 82 Small Pox cases to Atlas Ship. 136 Fever cases to Homerton. 33 Small Pox cases to Homerton. 16 Fever cases to Deptford. 6 Small Pox cases to Deptford. 1 Fever case to Stockwell. 1 Fever case to Fulham. 275 Total. The approximate number of miles travelled by the ambulance in order to remove these patients was 2,100. 10 The following is the report of the committee appointed by the Asylums Board to enquire into the desirability of establishing ambulance stations:— "The committee beg to state that, from enquiries made as to the ambulance system of the metropolis, and from facts which came to the knowledge of the managers from time to time, it appeared that, with few exceptions, the ambulance arrangements of the parishes and unions were different, defective, and, in a few cases, most objectionable. Some of the vehicles were entirely unsuited to the purpose, being old street cabs ; many were so constructed as not to allow of the patient lying down ; some districts used the same ambulance for both Fever and Small Pox, and cases of both diseases had been found together in the same conveyance. In nearly every case a nurse did not accompany the patient, and sometimes a female was placed in the sole charge of the driver. Few vehicles were supplied with hot-water bottles, stimulants, or a sufficiency of blankets. Friends were allowed to travel with the patient, and to return home as they thought best, many no doubt doing so by rail or omnibus. Some of the drivers were not officers of the Guardians, being hired with the horses ; they were, therefore, not under much contiol or supervision : they had no special uniform, and doubtless wore the same clothes when not engaged in the removal of cases. Ambulances were often found outside, and the drivers and patients'friends inside, public houses; and not infrequently drivers and friends were not in a sober state upon their arrival at the hospital. The ambulances when not in use were not isolated, being sometimes kept amongst a number of other vehicles in an ordinary mews. Many cases were not removed so promptly as their needs required. Each parish and union had to bear the whole expense of the removal of its cases. " Since the Board have taken over the removal of the infectious sick from a portion of the metropolis, an uniform system has been established. Separate premises have been provided for the purposes of an ambulance station, where the officers employed in the removal of cases are lodged. The Board's ambulances are so constructed as to allow of the patient being removed in a recumbent position ; they are well ventilated, lighted, and capable of easy disinfection ; they are supplied with an air bed and pillow, hot-water bottles, blankets, and stimulants, and are disinfected at the hospital after each journey, by being thoroughly washed with carbolic soap and water. An experienced nurse accompanies the ambulance, and when the patient is very ill a male attendant is also sent. All the ambulance officials are supplied with uniform, which they are not allowed to wear when off duty. Friends are not allowed to accompany the patient : the drivers are forbidden, on pain of dismissal, to stop at public houses, and the police have instructions to report any breach of this regulation which may come to their knowledge. The whole cost of the station is charged upon the Metropolitan Common Poor Fund. " To obtain the removal of a case, the relieving officer telegraphs the particulars, if on week days, between eight a.m. and eight p.m., to the chief office of the Board ; or if between eight p.m. and eight a.m. on week days or on Sundays, to the station. Telephonic communication has been fixed between the chief office and the station, and immediately a telegram is received, instructions for the removal are sent to the station, and within afew minutes afterwards a properly-equipped ambulance is on its way to the case. 11 "The committee think the above circumstances prove that the ambulance system, as established and carried out by the Board, fully and satisfactorily meets the requirements of the sick and the public. "From the establishment of the station on the 14th July, 1881, to the 31st December, 1882, 3014 removals have been effected, details of which are appended. "In conclusion, the committee would again draw the attention of the Board to the fact that the experience of the last twelve years has shown conclusively the inadequacy of the accommodation at the Eastern District Fever Hospital for meeting even the ordinary requirements of the district; and the Board having, on February 17th, approved the decision of the committee to use the Eastern District Small Pox Hospital in future for the accommodation of a limited number of severe Small Pox cases, in accordance with the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Infectious Hospitals, virtually prevents that hospital being again utilised for the reception of Fever cases. "In their report for the year 1881, as in previous years, the committee have mentioned the urgent need of an additional Hospital for the Eastern District, and the Royal Commission also state in their report (p. 32) that another Fever Hospital for the East End of London appears to be almost indispensable. "The committee submit these facts to the serious consideration of the Board. "(Signed) Thomas W. Hodges, Chairman CLOSURE OF BOARD SCHOOLS. Under section 98 of the new code of regulations, contained in a minute of the Education department of March 6th, 1882, it is enacted that the managers of schools*1 must comply with any notice of the sanitary authority of the district in which the school is situated, requiring them, with a view of preventing the spread of disease, either to close the school for a specified time, or to exclude any scholars from attendance. If the school managers consider the notice to be unreasonable, they may appeal to the Education department. As regards the actual closure of a school, this would be a very strong step, and under ordinary circumstances would not be called for if the children attending a particular school come from localities where it is possible to isolate individual cases of infectious disease in a fairly satisfactory manner ; but where such is not the case, the power given by the new regulations will be found useful in checking the spread of disease. There is, however, a great objection to close such schools as the Wilmot street school, which is situated near some large blocks of * By the 1883 Code this is extended to all schools receiving Government grants. 12 Industrial Dwellings, for the children, released from school attendance, would bo certain to congregate (as they do now in play hours) in the large paved yards at the back of tho dwellings, and upon the staircases of the buildings, for purposes of play; though probably the risk of contagion would not be so great in the open air as in close schoolrooms ; still, tho benefits of closure would be greatly minimised. On / the other hand, tho power to prohibit the attendance of children from houses or streets known to bo infected is a very useful one, though it is simply an extension of what, in conjunction with the School Board authorities, we havo been doing for some time past. We continue to receive from the School Board visitors information of such cases of infectious illness as come within their knowledge; and in return your Sanitary Inspectors are instructed to forward to the superintendent of visitors early information of houses in which cases of infectious disease have existed ; and children rosiding in such houses are not allowed to attend school. "Infectious Disease in Hoard School Children.—At a recent meeting of the London School Board, Mr. Mark Wilks (the chairman of the school management committee), moved, 'That article 133(v) of the Code of Regulations for the guidance of managers and teachers he amended, so as to read as follows:—Any child shewing symptoms of an infectious disease, or any child coming from a house where infectious disease exists, must be sent home at once. The medical officer of health for the district must at the same time be informed of the child's exclusion, and furnished with the name and address of the child, and the reason for its exclusion. Where there is not a medical officer of health the information must be forwarded to the sanitary authority. Any child suffering from scarlet fever, diphtheria, small pox, or typhus fever, and excluded under this rule, should not be allowed to resume attendance at school within two months, unless a certificate from the medical officer of the sanitary authority or of the union is produced to shew that it may safely be re-admitted ; but when a child has been attended by a duly-qualified medical practitioner, his signature shall be sufficient. If the school fees are remitted for such child, or paid by the guardians of the union at the time of its exclusion, the cost of the above certificate will be defrayed by the Board.' The proposition was agreed to without discussion."—The Lancet, August llth, 1883, p. 254. SMALL TOX. (Decennial average, 66.8). The number of cases of Small Pox reported to us during the year was 40; of these throe died in their own homes; 43 were removed to hospitals, of whom five died; 32 were discharged cured; and six remained under treatment at the end of the year. 13 MEASLES. (Decennial average, 92.4). This disease was less fatal than usual; still, 58 persons, except two young children, died from it. SCAELET FEVEE. (Decennial average, 86.7). Scarlet Fever caused the large number of 132 deaths, 101 of which were amongst young children. The number of cases reported to us was 208; of these 68 were removed to hospital; but I have no information as to the mortality, as they are all lumped together in the official return as " Fever." DIPHTHERIA. (Decennial average, 1.2). There were 11 deaths registered as Diphtheria : amongst them are probably some cases of Scarlet Fever, accompanied by Diphtheritic symptoms. In every instance the dwellings in which the sufferers had resided were found to be in an unsanitary condition. FEVER. (Decennial average, 53.1). The deaths from the various forms of continued Fever were 27, against 50 last year; 23 of the deaths were from Enteric Fever, and four from Simple Fever. There was no death in the parish from Typhus; but as 14 patients suffering from this disease were removed to the Fever Hospital, in all probability some of them succumbed; but for reasons previously mentioned I am unable to state the exact mortality, though I trust next year to be able to do so. The number of cases reported to us during the year was 512; of these 41 were removed to hospital. WHOOPING COUGH. (Decennial Average, 124.8). This disease was rife, and very fatal: it caused 229 deaths—more than double the mortality of the previous year. Of the sufferers no less than 135 were young children, 79 of them being under one year of age. 14 DIARRHOEA. (Decennial average, 123.2). This disease caused 87 deaths, 73 of which were amongst young children—no less than 62 of whom were infants. DIETETIC DISEASES. ALCOHOLISM. Five deaths were returned as either due to, or accelerated by, drink. Four were the subject of enquiry by the Coroner, and one was a case of Delirium Tremens. The deaths of nine children were attributed to want of breast milk ; but I have no hesitation in saying that this represents only a very small proportion of the true number, as many of the infantile deaths from Diarrhoea and Convulsions were undoubtedly due to intestinal irritation, caused by the inability of the tender nurslings to digest the artificial substitutes for mother's milk. In one instance want of proper nourishment was returned by the Coroner as the cause of death. CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. The deaths registered under this head numbered 533. Cancer caused 51 deaths. the principal organs affected were—Uterus, eleven; Stomach and Intestines, eight; Liver, five; Rectum, seven; and Mouth, four. Six cases were certified simply as " Cancer," or " malignant disease." TUBERCULAR DISEASES. ( Vide Table IV.) The principal tubercular diseases—a group which includes Phthisis, Scrofula, Tuberculosis, Rickets, and Tabes Mesenterica—are credited with causing 424 deaths; of these 330, more than three-fourths of the total number, were due to that scourge of youth, Pulmonary Consumption. This number, however, for reasons previously mentioned, includes the deaths of a number of non-parishioners in the Victoria Park Hospital. In my next report I shall be able to exclude these. 15 / In only four of these deaths was haemoptysis mentioned in the certificate; but as in several other instances hemorrhage from the lungs was given as the only cause of death, in all probability some of them were cases of Phthisis; but, as no mention was made of this disease, I I have classed them under the heading of "other diseases of the respiratory system." The total deaths from the tubercular group of diseases formed 13.7 per cent. of the total deaths from all causes, a mortality of 3.3 per thousand population. DEVELOPMENTAL DISEASE. Fifty-eight children died through being prematurely born. In five others the lungs never expanded properly. Fifteen came into the world so deformed as to be unable to continue a separate existence for more than a limited period, though one child born without a brain (or rather with only a very small portion of one), did not die till 13 hours after its birth. Nine had deformed hearts (one child born in this condition fourteen years ago died of Phthisis). Two had cleft palates and one imperforate anus. DISEASES OF THE NEEVOUS SYSTEM. ( Vide Table IV.) This group of diseases was responsible for 356 deaths—a very large proportion : 137 were caused by Convulsions. These, except three were amongst young children, of whom 96 were infants. The convulsive diseases of infants—a group which includes those just mentioned—and also the deaths from Hydrocephalus, Infantile Meningitis, and Dentition, caused 143 deaths, a mortality of 27.2 per thousand births, 16½ Per cent. of the total infantile mortality. RESPIRATORY ORGANS. Exclusive of Phthisis, the deaths from this group of diseases were 665, a mortality of 5.1 per thousand population, or 21.4 per cent. of the total deaths from all causes. The following table shews the pulmonary deaths distributed over the four quarters, and also indicates the mean temperature of each and of the whole year. 16 TABLE H. Quarter ending Children under five years. Persons from five to fifty-five Persons above fifty-five. Total. Mean Temperature Fahrenheit. Kainfall in inches. March 122 56 87 265 42.7 3.63 June 42 24 27 93 53.0 6.13 September 65 24 27 116 58.1 601 December 94 41 56 191 44.8 9.39 Total. 1882 323 145 197 665 49.6 25.16 Mean Temperature for Year 1882. Total, 1883 288 120 182 590 48.7 25.24 Mean Temperature for Year 1883. The weather during the year was somewhat exceptional: the early part was unusually warm, the summer was cold and unseasonable, and the latter part of the year very variable. January was very mild, having a mean temperature of 40.4; there was less rain than usual, and the ordinary north and north-easterly-winds were comparatively absent. February and March were similarly mild; in April the weather was warm and rainy; May was warm and dry, with less rain than usual; June was cold, with a temperature nearly three degrees lower than the average, and very little rain fell. July and August were both cold months, as was September. October was warmer than usual, and November was an average month, as was December. During October the rain-fall, four-and-a-half inches, was greater than in any other month, and snow fell on the 24th. In November the rainfall was three inches, and in September two-and-a-half inches. The highest temperature recorded during the year was 83.2 degrees, and was reached in the month of August; the lowest was 24.6 in December. The mean temperature of the year was about one degree higher than in 1881, but the rainfall was very nearly the same. 17 CHILDBIRTH. Eighteen women died from the various diseases and accidents of childbirth. Six were recorded as Puerperal Fever, Hemorrhage caused a like number, and the remainder were attributed to Convulsions, Embolism, Exhaustion, &c. WASTING DISEASES OF INFANTS. (Vide Table IV.) This group includes Marasmus, Atrophy and Debility, Want of Breastmilk, and Premature Birth. The deaths numbered 246, a mortality of 46.8 per thousand births, or 28.4 per cent, of the total infantile mortality. INQUESTS. During the year 205 inquests were held, a percentage of 6.6 on the total deaths, the Metropolitan percentage being 5.3. Of these deaths 79 were returned by the Coroner as "Violent." I have only classed 74 as such, and have preferred to return the others under their appropriate headings; one of the deaths returned as " Violent " was a case of "Convulsions from internal disease" in a female aged 42. In one instance no inquest was held, and the death was registered upon a medical certificate; the cause was stated to be ''fracture of thigh" in a male aged 82. Twelve deaths were suicides, of these, four hanged themselves, three took poison (one alcohol, two hydrochloric acid), two jumped into the canal and were drowned, and the remaining three were cases of cutthroat. One verdict of murder was returned; this was in Bethnall House where one lunatic killed another. Thirty-seven persons were suffocated, 35 of whom were infants. Ten deaths was returned as " uncertified ; " each case was referred to the Coroner who declined to hold inquests. The causes of death entered on the register were one Phthisis, one Acute Diarrhoea, one unknown, and the remainder Premature Birth, registered upon the certificate of the attendant midwife. DEATHS IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. The number of deaths in the various public institutions in the parish was 486; of these, 364 happened in the Workhouse (20S males, 156 females); 71 in the City of London Hospital for diseases of the Chest (48 males, 23 females); 39 in Bethnall House Asylum (24 males, 15 females); and 12 in the Mission Hospital (seven males and five females). B 18 BETIINAL GREEN INFIRMARY. Quarter ending. Admissions. Discharges. Deaths. Births. 25th March, 1882 617 433 122 16 24th June, 1882 386 390 79 16 29th September, 1882 465 351 68 17 25th December, 1882 525 321 100 21 Total 1993 1495 369 70 To the kindness of Dr. Knox I am indebted for these particulars. There were 149 admissions in excess of the previous year, and the cases treated were of increased gravity, as is shewn by the increased number of deaths, which was 27 above last year. The births were 10 more. QUEEN ADELAIDE'S DISPENSARY. The Medical Report of the Charity gives the following results :— Patients under medical treatment at the commencement of 1882, 996 New patients admitted who have had advice and medicine gratis at the Dispensary or at their own home 3,722 Visited at their own homes 660 Have died 55 Still under medical treatment 1,520 MILDMAY MISSION HOSPITAL. Cases treated from January 1st to December 31st, 1882. Cured. Relieved. Unrelieved. Dead. Under Treatment. Total. Medical cases 92 44 4 7 20 167 Surgical cases 52 23 3 1 9 88 Total 144 67 7 8 29 255 19 BETHNALL HOUSE LUNATIC ASYLUM. Return for 1882. Male. Female. Number of patients, 1st January, 1881 157 241 Admitted during year 124 87 Discharged 118 87 Died 24 16 Number on 1st of January, 1882 139 225 Average resident during year 150 236 CITY OF LONDON HOSPITAL FOR DISEASES OP THE CHEST. Medical Report for the year 1883. Number of patients treated in Hospital for 1882 965 Died 72 Relieved 894 PAUPER ILLNESS. The following return, extracted from the books of the District Medical Officers, shews the number of new cases attended by them. District. March 31. June 30. Sept. 30. Dec. 31. Dr. Berdoe No. 1 195 132 108 161 Dr. Welch No. 2 240 242 215 259 Dr. Schmidt No. 3 157 130 117 115 Mr. Defriez No. 4 114 75 142 101 Dr. Burgess No. 5 124 83 103 145 Mr. Owen No. 6 204 142 173 241 BAKEHOUSES. All the bakehouses in the parish were visited, carefully examined and reported upon to the Sanitary Committee. In several instances our right of entry was questioned by the occupiers, who seemed to have an idea that our power of inspecting 20 their premises had been taken away by the repeal of the Bakehouse Regulation Act, 1863. They were, however, given to understand that, under the Nuisance Removal Act, 1855, and the amending Act, 18G3, Sanitary officials have power to inspect any article of food, such as bread or flour, in process of manufacture, or intended for the use of man ; and that anyone obstructing them in the execution of their duty is liable to a heavy penalty.* In one instance I found part of an underground bakehouse divided oil by a slight partition, and used as a sleeping room. Under the old Bakehouse Act this would have been clearly illegal; but since its repeal we have, ordinarily, no control over such objectionable arrangements. This room, however, being an undergrounddwelling, came within the provisions of the 103rd section of the Metropolis Local Management Act; and as the requirements were not carried out, it was an illegally-occupied cellar dwelling. We had great difficulty in persuading the owner that this was the case, and that he could not be permitted to continue the use of the room for sleeping purposes. A summons was actually taken out, but before the hearing the owner changed his mind, and gave up the use of the room. In three instances improperly - placed closets were removed. Numerous defects of drainage were remedied under notices served on the occupiers, though legal proceedings had to be taken in four instances before the work was completed to our satisfaction. November 15th, 1882, it was resolved:—"That the Sanitary Committee having considered the communications from the Vestry of St. Pancras respecting the present state of the law for regulating bakehouses, and having also taken into consideration the report presented to them by their own Medical Officer of Health upon the same subject, are of opinion : "(1st) That the present condition of things is most unsatisfactory. "(2nd) That fresh legislation upon the lines of the Bakehouse Regulation Act of 1863, but with increased powers, is urgently needed. "(3rd) That any new Act should compel the registration and licensing, not only of bakehouses, but of all businesses which involve the preparation and cooking of human food for public consumption ; and such new Act should also direct the issuing of proper bye-laws for the regulation, management, and periodical inspection of all premises licensed under the Act." The following account of the transactions of the St. Pancras Vestry upon this important subject will be read with interest, especially as it gives the opinion of the whole of the Metropolitan Vestries upon the matter. *lhe Factories and Workshops' Amendment Act, passed August 25th, 1883,hands back the control of the Bakehouses to the sanitary authorities. 21 "PARISH OF ST. PANCRAS. "Vestry Hall, St. Pancras, " 9 th December, IS82. " To the Vestry: "Gentlemen,—I have the honour to report that, pursuant to the instructions of the Vestry, I sent to each of the Vestries and District Boards of the Metropolis a copy of the report of the Medical Officer of Health, dated 5th July last, calling attention to the unsatisfactory state of the law relating to bakehouses, ' with a view to ascertaining, in the first instance, how far the present position of legislation concerning bakehouses is considered satisfactory by them, and afterwards for adopting the course which then seems best.' " In most cases the subject was considered of such importance that the communication was referred by the Vestries and District Hoards to Committees, and copies of reports of Committees and of the Medical Officers Health of several districts have been received. "In other cases the communication was simply acknowledged, and in others the subject is still under consideration. " On the other side I forward an epitome of the opinions expressed in the replies received other than those which are simply acknowledgments. " I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, " Your obedient servant, " Thos. Eccleston Gibb, " Vestry Clerk." VESTRY OF ST. PANCRAS. Return of replies received from the various Local Authorities of the Metropolis in answer to the letter and report of this Vestry on the necessity for an amendment of the law relating to the inspection and regulation of bakehouses. Name of Local Authority. Opinions expressed. Chelsea That the inspection under the Factory and Workshops' Act is not of an efficient kind. That the bakehouses in this parish have been rarely visited by Government inspectors since the passing of that Act. In several cases the occupier could not recall any official visit. There are 62 bakehouses here, of which 27 were found in an unsatisfactory condition on inspection, being generally in a dirty, and sometimes filthy, state. There were cases of defective water supply and defective drains, bad ventilation, and in two cases dirty W.C.'s. St. George, Hanover Square That the inspection should be under the direction of the sanitary authority. In nearly every bakehouse visited the owner stated that no inspection at all had been made by the Government inspector since the repeal of the Bakehouses' Regulation Act in 1878. The bakehouses here are, however, in a fairly satisfactory state, except in a few cases, where the necessary cleaning, &c., has been attended to. 22 Bethnal Green That the present system of inspection is most unsatisfactory. That fresh legislation upon the lines of the Bakehouses' Regulation Act, 1863, hut with increased powers, is urgently required. That any new law should compel the registration and licensing of bakehouses and of all businesses which involve the preparation of food for public consumption. St. Mary Abbott's, Kensington. That the present legislation as to inspection is not satisfactory. That the Bakehouses' Regulation Act, 1803, should not have been repealed. That the parliamentary report shews the necessity for systematic inspection and sanitary supervision of bakehouses, and also shews that the inspection by Government ollicials is inadequate. That what is required is a Bakehouse Regulation Act, providing for the licensing of bakehouses, and conferring on the sanitary authority the power for regulation by bye-laws. This Vestry have, liowever, always continued to inspect the bakehouses in their parish. St. Luke's That the present legislation affecting bakehouses is unsatisfactory. That this Vestry agree with St. Pancras in the opinion expressed, and are prepared to co-operate in obtaining larger powers of control. Bermondsey That the present inspection is not satisfactory, and that the regulations should be made by the local authorities. Clerkenwell Visits have been made to the bakehouses in this parish by the Medical Ollicer of Health and the Chairman of the Sanitary Committee, who are of opinion that the inspection made by the factory inspector is most unsatisfactory, especially as compared with that of the local sanitary authorities previous to the transfer of the duties in 1878. That the recent legislation on the subject is of a retrograde character. St. George - in - the East. That as the duty of inspection of bakehouses for ordinary sanitary purposes is vested in the local authorities, the same authorities should have the enforcement of regulations with reference thereto. The Vestry of St. George is prepared to consider any course proposed to be taken for alteration of the law. Plumstead This Board, without expressing any distinct opinion, forwards copy of letter sent to the Home Secretary and the Metropolitan Board of Works, dated 19th October, 1882, calling attention to the unsatisfactory state of the law, and pointing out that further legislation is now required to secure efficient inspection. 23 Islington That the transfer of the control over bakehouses from the Vestries to that of Her Majesty's Inspector was decidedly a step in the wrong direction, and has proved very unsatisfactory in its results. Lewisham Concurs in the views expressed by the Vestry of St. Pancras, and are of opinion that legislative powers as to regulation of bakehouses should be given to Vestries and District Hoards, in addition to the powers now vested in the Government officers uuder the Factories Act. Fulham That it would be an advantage if bakehouses were licensed, and the consent of the local sanitary authority obtained before the licence is granted. As tar as the Fulham District Board is concerned the repeal of the Bakehouse Regulation Act has not done much harm, and the sanitary defects have been remedied uuder the provisions of the Nuisance Removal Acts. St. Giles', Camberwell. Concurs generally with the opinion of the Vestry of St. Pancras, and states that, since the repeal of the Bakehouses' Regulation Act, about four years ago, no periodical inspection has been made by the factory inspectors, and that practically no supervision whatever is being exercised. That even where a visit has been made it is doubtful if a second visit is made to ascertain if suggested improvements have been carried out. There are 179 bakeries in Cambenvell, and only 29, as far as can be learned, have been visited by H. M. Inspector, and they are not now in as good a condition as they were three years ago. Poplar That the Vestries and District Boards ought to have control over bakehouses, and that the inspection under the Factories and Workshops' Act is a retrograde step. That no opposition has, however, been met with here in entering and inspecting bakehouses. Marylebone Have decided to take no action in the matter. St. Mary, Nevvington. That provided the inspection by the Government inspector was carried out in a more systematic manner, no alteration in the existing legislation is necessary. Wandsworth District. Does not express an opinion, or give any information to the inspection under the Factory and Workshops' Act, but forwards a report of an inspection made of the bakehouses in this district. The report shews that they are generally in a fairly good sanitary state. 24 St. Giles' District. Is of opinion that the control over bakehouses by Vestries and District Boards should not have been taken away; that bakehouses should be regulated by the sanitary authorities, and that measures ought to be taken to effect the same. St. Olave's, Southwark. That the present legislation with regard to bakehouses is very unsatisfactory, and that it is desirable that these establishments should be placed again under the control and supervision of local sanitary authorities. Thos. Eccleston Gibb, Vestry Clerk. COWSHEDS. There are 39 cowsheds in the parish : these have all been kept Under careful observation, and many of them have been visited by the Sanitary Committee. I am happy to report that, in most instances, the sheds have been maintained in a fairly satisfactory condition. If not constantly attended to, the paving- and drainage arrangements rapidly deteriorate. At my last visit I found the paving defective in twenty-two instances, and either the drainage arrangements or the traps were defective in six ; nine were in a dirty condition, and required lime-washing. Most of these defects were remedied under notices, but at the annual Licensing Sessions it was necessary to oppose renewals to the following licensees, the paving and drainage of whose sheds was defective : Lockyer, Minerva street. I Bunn, Lisbon street. Wisby, Brady street. I Boakes, Columbia road. Mason, Hassard street. In this last case, in addition to other defects, the water supply to the mangers was a temporary and unsatisfactory arrangement. By the date of the adj ournment all the sheds, with one exception, had been satisfactorily repaired, so our opposition was withdrawn. Mr. Boakes, however, had not completed his, and his licence was impounded. The following is a complete list of the cowsheds in the parish. Seven were empty, and the remainder contained 361 cows, against 422 last year. 25 LICENSED COW HOUSES. Summary. Number of Licensed Cow Houses, 39. Number of Licensed Cow Houses empty, 7. Total number of Cows .. 361. Bailey, J 56, Coventry street. Bogus, Susannah 15, Norfolk street. Bunn, John 35, Lisbon street. Champness, Felix Roman road. Charapness, Felix and Horace . 5, Gloucester street. Davis, Thomas 100, Sclater street. Edwards, John 5a, Mount street. Griffiths, Humphrey 8, VVarley street. Griffiths, Maria 23, Temple street. Harrington, Thomas 12, Gibraltar walk. Havard, Howell 47, Columbia road. Havard, Howell 1, Gibraltar walk. Hodges, W. M 34b, Green street. James, W. T 21, The Oval. James, Thomas 25, Pritchard's road. Jenkius, Evan 32, Edward street. Jones, David 45, Gloster street. Jones, Bros 2, Seabright street Jones, Evan Penelope House, Hamilton road. Jones, Thomas 5, Virginia row. Jones, Daniel 204, Columbia road. Lockyer, J. H 34, Minerva street. Morris, Joseph 8, James street, Hackney road. Mason, Richard 3, Hassard street. Moss, John 3, Essex street. Powell, John 64, Squirries street. Powell, John Russia lane. Pritchard, John 46, Somerford street. Robinson, D. E 44, Squirries street. Robinson, D. E. William street. Richards, Mary Ann 381, Cambridge road. Rice, Edward 113, Coventry street. Skinner, William Wright's Wharf. Skinner, Frederick 63, Bishop's road. Ward, Joseph 31, Austin street. Williams, William 42, Cheshire street. Williams, John 8, Boundary sireet. Webb, Robert Three Colt lane. Wisby, Benjamin 81, Brady street. SLAUGHTER HOUSES. These, numbering 22, have been frequently inspected. "With a few exceptions they have been kept in a cleanly condition, and at my last round of visits I only found one dirty; but in 12 instances the paving was defective, and in four the drainage was unsatisfactory. 26 The application for the renewal of a licence for a slaughter house at the back of a butcher's shop at 326, Hackney road, was withdrawn, and the licence was allowed to lapse, thus saving us the trouble of opposing the renewal. The Sanitary Committee had decided not to sanction the further use of these premises for the purpose, as the slaughter house was very small, and the window of the living-room of the house looked right into it. A complete list is given below. LICENSED SLAUGHTER HOUSES. Ansel], J. G 125, Brick lane. Attwell, O. T 278, Hackney road. Button, Edward 266, Hackney road. Dupuy, William 218, Green street. Goram, J. J 515, Hackney road. Gregory, G 291, Cambridge road. Harris, John William 479, Cambridge road. Kingston, A. 360, Bethnal Green road. Knight, Charles 145, Brick lane. Mason, E. 416, Bethnal Green road. Mazengarb, G 47, Green street. Meadway, George 354, Bethnal Green road. Mercer, William 53, Green street. Perfect, J 202, Hackney road. Pawsey, F. William 24, Roman road. Pollard, J 224, Bethnal Green road. Read, J 294, Bethnal Green road. Watson, William 470, Bethnal Green road. West, Frederick 397, Hackney road, Wragg, J. H 274, Bethnal Green road. FISH CURERS. All the premises in the occupation of fish curers were visited by the Sanitary Committee, and notices were served upon them to effect certain improvements in the construction of the smoke houses by the erection of shafts of sufficient height to convey the smoke above the adjoining houses; they were also required to amend their paving and drainage arrangements. Many of the fish curers complied with the notices, but it was necessary to summon several. I am happy to be able to report a marked improvement in the condition of most of them since the action of the Committee. CELLAK DWELLINGS. In accordance with instructions received from the Metropolitan Board of Works, the District Surveyors transmitted to the Vestry a 27 detailed list of about 70 under-ground dwellings, nightly occupied, in their district; they were all visited, carefully examined, and reported upon. The Sanitary Committee afterwards went'round and viewed a large number of these. In some instances the sanitary conditions were very bad indeed, but in many others, although the legal requirements were not fully carried out, the Committee declined to take proceedings against the occupiers ; but whenever the rooms were found to be damp, overcrowded, ill-lighted, or badly ventilated, notices were served, and the use of the rooms, for sleeping purposes, was almost immediately discontinued. WATER SUPPLY. The East London Water Company now gives a constant supply to about 106,043 services. The Directors have given instructions for steps to be taken to give the whole of their district, within the Metropolitan area, a constant supply. The whole of the parish of Bethnal Green is now, and has been for some years, so supplied. During the past year the reconstruction of filter beds five, six, and seven, has been carried out upon the most approved principles, and the filtering establishment of this Company is now complete. The supply of water is drawn from impounding reservoirs at all times, and the intake is closed during floods. Water Companies unprovided with such reservoirs have to draw from the river at all times, and during floods have to take in dirty water. The Southwark and Vauxhall Company are in this condition; consequently, their filter beds rapidly become choked up. The East London Company have the power to draw water from the Thames, if they require to do so, and for this purpose they have auxiliary works at Sunbury. These woi'ks were closed during the whole of the year, excepting the month of July ; and during this month the water in the Thames was reported to be in good condition, even before filtration. The water in the river Lea, from which the chief supply of the Company is taken, was reported to be in bad condition during the months of January, February, March, October, November, and December. During the remaining months it was good. These remarks, of course, refer to the condition of the water before filtration. "The exercise of Government supervision tends materially to the effectual filtration and delivery of good water by the Companies to 28 their respective districts, but from many causes the supply frequently deteriorates after having been delivered by the Companies into the cisterns of the consumers. -An inspection of the cisterns often reveals their neglected condition and a stato of foulness altogether unsuspected, due sometimes to the position of the cistern, the absence of any proper covering, and other local defects. It is of the utmost importance that the cisterns should, from time to time, be cleaned and flushed, and that the overflow and waste-pipes should not, in any case, be in direct communication with the house drains. The purity of the water cannot be preserved if these precautions be neglected." We are continuing to serve notices and, if these are neglected, to take legal proceedings against owners of property where we find cisterns placed over water-closets, or where the house supply is drawn from the cistern which supplies the closet flush. Now that the East London Water Company provide a constant service of water to every house in the parish, a cistern for domestic purposes is not necessary, and when we find people drawing their drinking water from a closet cistern, notices are invariably served upon the owners calling upon them to provide a water supply direct from the Company's main, thus obviating entirely the possibility of the water being fouled by improper storage. The Sanitary Committee resolved to recommend the Yestry to authorise the Inspectors to give notice to house owners requiring them to provide a water supply to all closets. This is compulsory for all houses built subsequently to the passing of the Metropolis Local Management Act in 1855, for under that Act it is not lawful to erect any house or to rebuild any house without a sufficient water-closet furnished with suitable water supply and water supply apparatus But, for houses built before the passing of this Act, owners can only be compelled to provide water supply to closets by special resolution of the Yestry. Jhe Act also requires the Yestry to exercise this authority with regard to the circumstances of each particular case, and not merely to lay down a general rule, such as that all closets in the parish shall have water laid on. The Yestry, however, declined to entertain the recommendation. OFFENSIVE TEADES. The use of Messrs. Palmer's brickfield has been discontinued, and the site is being rapidly covered with houses. 29 Messrs. Cook's tallow-melting factory having been destroyed by fire, it was considered a good opportunity to disestablish an oldstanding nuisance. There is, however, no law to prevent the reconstruction of such premises upon the old foundations, but Messrs. Cook undertook to adopt the latest improvements in the new works so as to minimise the offensive odours as much as possible. In the new works all the floors are constructed of concrete and laid with Victoria stone instead of timber; they are, therefore, nonabsorbent, and can readily be cleansed. The melting operations are now conducted in a close chamber; and not only is the steam from the coppers passed through the furnace and destroyed, but the air from the close chamber is withdrawn by means of a fan, and treated in the same manner. In the old works, the greatest nuisance arose whilst the fat was being ladled out of the coppers, as the lids had to be thrown open for that purpose ; this is now unnecessary, as the melted fat is pumped up and run into coolers. Mr. Link's cat-gut factory has been several times inspected, and found to be in a fairly satisfactory condition. Upon my recommendation the metal inlet valves to the close chamber have been replaced by Boyle's mica valves, these do not get out of order as they cannot corrode, and whilst allowing free ingress for fresh air, they preclude the escape of noxious fumes. Some new regulations for the conduct of this business have been issued; they will be found over leaf. METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS. The Slaughterhouses, &c. (Metropolis), Act, 1874, 37 & 38 Vic., c. 67. Bye-Laws for regulating the conduct of the business of a Gut Scraper, that is to say, any business in which gut is cleansed, scraped, or dealt with, otherwise than for the manufacture of cat-gut; and the structure of the premises on which such business is being carried on ; and the mode in which application is to be made for sanction to establish such business anew, within the limits of the Metropolis (except the City of London and the liberties thereof). In pursuance of the Slaughterhouses, &c. (Metropolis^, Act, 1874, by which the Metropolitan Board of Works are constituted the Local Authority for the Metropolis (except the City of 30 London and the liberties thereof), the said Metropolitan Board of Works do hereby make the following Bye-Laws :— Bye-Laws for regulating the conduct of the business. Receiving' and keeping the gut 1.—Every Gut Scraper shall cause all gut, and every other offensive material which may at any time be brought or kept upon the premises, to be so brought or kept in close vessels or receptacles; and shall in all other respects adopt such precautions in the bringing or keeping of any such gut or other material upon the premises as effectually to prevent the emission of any offensive smell from such gut or other material. Vessels, &c. 2.—Every Gut Scraper shall cause every vessel or receptacle which may be used for the bringing, keeping, or manipulation of such gut or other offensive material upon the premises, to be constructed of galvanized iron or other nonabsorbent material, and to be furnished with tight and close-fitting covers. Prevention of stench. 3.—Every Gut Scraper shall cause his business to be so carried on, and shall in all other respects cause such precautions to be taken, as may be necessary to prevent the emission of any offensive smell into the external atmosphere from any part of the premises where such business may be carried on. Disposal of refuse. 4.—Every Gut Scraper shall cause all offensive gut, garbage, filth, refuse, or other offensive matter upon the premises, to be placed in proper vessels or receptacles constructed of nonabsorbent materials and effectually closed. Cleansing of utensi s, &c. 5,—Every Gut Scraper shall cause the floor of any part of the premises where gut scraping may have been carried on, and every tank, tub, vessel, or receptacle, scraping board, and other utensil or instrument which may have been in use, or which may be in a foul or offensive condition, to be effectually cleansed, and to be disinfected by the application thereto of a sufficient quantity of chloride of lime, carbolic acid, or other effectual disinfectant. Removal of refuse 6.—Every Gut Scraper shall, from time to time, as often as occasion may require, cause all garbage, filth, or refuse, to be removed from his premises in properly closed vessels or receptacles, constructed of galvanised iron or other nonabsorbent material. Water supply and cleansing, 7.—Every Gut Scraper shall cause the premises on which his business is carried on to be constantly provided with an adequate supply of water, and he shall cause every part of such premises to be thoroughly washed, from time to time, as often as may be necessary, and to be kept at all times thoroughly clean. Walls. 8.—Every Gut Scraper shall cause every inner wall of the premises on which his business is carried on to be kept at all times thoroughly clean and in good order and repair. He shall cause the upper part of every inner wall and also every ceiling in every part of his premises where any process of his business may be carried on, to be thoroughly washed with hot lime-wash in the first week of each of the months of March and September, and also as often as may be necessary for the purpose of keeping such part of the premises in a clean and wholesome state. 31 9.—Every Gut Scraper shall cause every vessel, receptacle, Cleansing of utensils, &c. utensil, or instrument, provided or used upon, or in connection with, the premises on which his business may be carried on, to be kept, when not actually in use, at all times thoroughly clean, so as to prevent the emission of any offensive smell from such vessel, receptacle, utensil, or instrument. 10.—Every Gut Scraper shall afford access to every part of Access, the premises on which his business is carried on to every Member and Officer of the Hoard, authorised in writing under the hand of the Clerk of the said Board, at any reasonable time during the hours within which such business may be carried on. 11.—Every person who shall not comply with any of these Penalties. Bye-Laws shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable for every such offence to a penalty of Five pounds ; and in the case of a continuing offence, to a penalty of One pound for every day during which the offence may be continued after the conviction for the first offence. 12.—Every Court of Summary Jurisdiction, as defined in the Suspension, &c. Slaughterhouses, &c. (Metropolis), Act, 1874, may, as a penalty for the breach of any of the foregoing Bye-Laws, by Summary Order, suspend or deprive any person altogether of the right of carrying on the business of a Gut Scraper. Bye-Laws for regulating the structure of the premises. 13.—Every Gut Scraper shall cause every floor upon which Paving and any process of his business is carried on, in any part of his prem- drainage, ises, to be properly covered with a layer of concrete, or other suitable jointless, impervious material, laid (in the case of a ground floor) upon a suitable bottom of at least four inches in thickness. He shall cause every such floor to have a proper slope towards a channel or gully ; and shall cause every part of his premises wherein any such floor may be constructed to be effectually drained by adequate drains communicating with a public sewer. He shall also cause every drain to be properly trapped, and the entrance thereto to be covered with a fixed grating, the bars of which shall not be more than three-eighths of an inch apart. 14.—Every Gut Scraper shall cause the inner walls of every Walls, part of his premises within which gut scraping is carried on, to be covered with hard, smooth, impervious material, to the height of four feet at the least; and such covering shall be always kept in good repair. 15.—Every Gut Scraper shall cause all needful works and re- Alteratlons' pairs to the premises to be forthwith done and executed as and when the same shall become requisite, but shall not allow any alteration whatsoever to be made in respect of the structure of the premises, without the consent of the Board. 16.—Every person who shall not comply with any of the fore- Penaltiesgoing Bye-Laws relating to the structure of the premises shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable, for every such offence, to a penalty of Five pounds, and in the case of a continuing offence, to a penalty of One pound for every day during which the offence may be continued after the conviction for the first offence. 32 Thje-Law Jor regulating the mode of application for sanction to new establishment of the business. Application for sanction to establish business a new, 17—Every person who may apply to the Board for sanction to establish anew the business of a Gut Scraper, shall furnish with the application a plan of tlie premises and sections of the buildings in which it is proposed to carry on such business, such plans and sections being drawn to a scale of a quarter of an inch to the foot, and showing the provision made, or proposed to be made, for the drainage, lighting, ventilation, and water supply of such premises ; and shall also furr isli a key plan of the locality, showing the buildings and streets within one hundred yards of the premises, drawn to a scale of five feet to the mile. Dated this Twenty-first day of July, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty-two. Sealed by Order, J. E. Wakefield, Clerk of the Board. Confirmed by the Local Government Board, this Twentieth day of November, 1882. John T. Hibbert, J. G. Dodson, Secretary. President. DISUSED BURIAL GROUNDS. About the year 1844, the custom of burying within the bounds of thickly-populated districts was attacked by Mr. Chadwick and others, and Bills were carried through parliament for closing graveyards so situated, and cemeteries in open spaces were instituted. In 1850 the Board of Health was made a Burial Board for the metropolis, and power was given to the Privy Council to close city graveyards. In 1853 the Act was extended to the provinces, and in 1855 to Scotland. In addition to the graveyards attached to the various churches there are, within our boundaries, three disused cemeteries : one is known as the Victoria Park Cemetery, the other as the Peel Grove Burial Ground, and the third is attached to a chapel in Gibraltar walk. The Victoria Park Cemetery was opened in 1845. The first interment was that of Francis Holland, of Trinity street, Islington, aged 70 years: he died on December 4th, 1845. This ground, which was excepted from the operation of the Act of 1852, by being placed in schedule B., was kept open long after others, 33 and was finally closed on December 31st, 1876. Since that time a few burials have taken place, by special permission, in private graves> that were not filled. The last interment was that of John Stroud, who died on May 28th, 1882. The cemetery, which was never consecrated, is 12£ acres in extent* A small portion of the land near Salisbury place was originally used as a brickfield, but the remainder Was a market garden. The soil is very good—dry gravel; but when first used the graves could not be sunk more than ten feet without coming to water* Subsequently to the construction of the main sewer the depth of the graves was increased to 18 feet without reaching water. The ground is very full indeed. Most of the roads and gravel paths have been changed in direction, and the subjacent soil utilised for burial purposes. Even the foundations of a chapel have been removed for the same purpose. It seems this chapel was to have been consecrated, but owing to some misunderstanding this was never done. The large majority of the bodies are in common wooden coffins; some are oak, and there are a few (about 20) leaden ones. The common interments were conducted upon the plan known as " pit burial," that is to say—a hole is dug about 18 feet deep ; this is filled with coffins, one on top of another, till it is full. An ordinary grave would hold about ten full-sized coffins, or as many as 50 children. Before the ground was closed it was visited by the Sanitary Com' mittee, and many of the graves were examined by means of the searcher. No coffin was found to be less than three feet from the surface, but they are said to lie very close to one another—almost touching. The Burial Acts require that no coffin shall be less than four feet from the surface unless it is a lead coffin, and also that there must be one foot of earth all round, separating that grave from contiguous ones. I feel sure this has been disregarded in the Victoria Park Cemetery. An enormous number of bodies have been buried here. The average number of funerals was over 30 per diem the whole year round. During the Cholera epidemic in 1866 as many as 80 have been buried in one day. It is stated upon good authority that over half-a-million of bodies lie buried within the walls of this cemetery, o 34 ✓ The place is now in a fearfully-neglected condition : the vegetation is rank and luxuriant, and the trees are large. The wall separating the ground from " Collins's place " is in a very dilapidated condition, and boys easily obtain access. In many cases the iron railings have been stolen and the monuments dismantled and smashed. The ground is littered with refuse, and serves as a clandestine playing-field for the youth of the neighbourhood, and a happy hunting-ground for their fowls to scratch in. PEEL GROVE BURIAL GROUND. This was opened under the title of the "North East London and Cambridge Heath Cemetery." Its original area was seven-and-a-half acres. The Moravian Brethren are the ground landlords or freeholders. Yery old inhabitants recollect it as a brickfield. About 43 years ago a lease was procured by a Mr. Kelday, who drained the ground, which was little better than a swamp, and made a cemetery of it. After a time he endeavoured to get it consecrated, but as interments had already taken place when the application was made, the Bishop declined to perform the ceremony : it was therefore never consecrated. The land was never held by any trustees, but was and is simply the private property of an individual, and used by him as a commercial speculation. I print below a copy of a handbill, issued by the owner as an advertisement. It has about as much truth in its composition as many other more modern productions issued by pushing tradesmen, and further on I will relate how its promises have been carried out. THE NORTH EAST LONDON CEMETERY, On the North Side of Bethnal Green, near Cambridge Heath, Hackney. This FREEHOLD CEMETERY, which ia securely dedicated FOR EVER to the purpose of sepulture, has obtained a much larger amount of public favour than any other cemetery, as nearly one thousand interments have taken place within it during the short period (little more than two years), that has elapsed since the opening, and very many family graves have been purchased in perpetuity. Being most convenient of access by the Turnpike roads from Shoreditch Church and Mile End Gate to Hackney, and also by the road through Church street from Shoreditch to Bethnal Green, and combining all the advantages of an open and airy situation with contiguity to town, whereby the inconvenience and expense of a long journey are avoided, it has peculiar claims upon the public attention. 35 Regulations. All orders are to be given at the office, and the fees paid, before the ground be opened or vault built. The person ordering the interment will be required to give the deceased's name and last residence. Notice of interment must be given at the office by two o'clock on the preceding day. No interment in any vault except in coffin of lead. In common graves no other coffins can be allowed than those of wood ; nor can a grave stone or monument be permitted -except by special agreement. In all cases where the exclusive right of burial may have been purchased, grave stones or monuments may be used ; but if not erected within six months the exclusive right will not be continued, unless further time be granted. All grave stones and places of burial must be kept in repair by the owner; and if not so repaired, after three months' notice, the right of interment will be forfeited. The friends of the deceased will be permitted to appoint the officiating minister if notice of their intention be given at the time of ordering the interment. Mr. Kelday, who was a pawnbroker, himself officiated as chaplain at first, but the Rev. T. J. E. Temple was afterwards appointed. He acted in this capacity for many years ; indeed, until the closure of the ground, 27 years ago. The date of the last interment was September 20th, 1855. Mr. Temple can prove by records that he buried 17,000 persons here, and he estimates that previously to his appointment upwards of 3,000 interments had taken place. The soil is gravel, but very wet. The graves vary in depth from 20 to 25 feet, and on an average about 14 bodies of grown persons have been buried in each, or when children have been interred about five times this number. An undertaker tells me that the way in which they manage to get such a large number of children into one grave is the following:—In an ordinary-sized grave four small coffins are placed, two with their broad ends to the head of the grave and two others with their broad ends to the foot; this leaves room in the centre for a fifth, which is accordingly wedged in, and then they lie like bits of a child's puzzle: in this manner as many as 70 can be placed in one grave. The topmost bodies lie from two to three feet from the original surface: this surface has, however, been raised during the last few years by earth and rubbish being deposited upon the ground. The cemetery is so full that in most of it the bodies lie shoulder to shoulder and head to foot. 36 The plan of burial was—to dig a grave, line it with boards, then fill up with coffins, removing the planks from one side only; when full another grave was dug alongside, and close enough to make the lining boards of the one just filled do duty for one side of the new grave— and in this manner the whole ground has been occupied. Large numbers of persons who died of Cholera were buried here in 1849. The cemetery was closed by an Order in Council, in the year 1855. For many years it remained unaltered; but afterwards the road called Peel grove was formed as a street, and some houses were built upon a portion of the ground in which interments had not been made. In July, 1868, an Order in Council was made, which is as follows:— AT THE COURT AT WINDSOR, the 7th day of July, 1868. Now therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, is pleased to order, and it is hereby ordered that the Churchwardens or such other persons as may have the care of the undermentioned burial grounds do adopt or cause to be adopted the following measures, viz : All such parts of the Peel Grove Cemetery, Cambridge Heath, in the Parish of Bethnal Green, and of the Globe Road Burial Ground, in the Hamlet of Mile End, in the Parish of Stepney, as are not covered by existing buildings, monuments, grave stones, or path, to be covered with a living vegetation. I am informed that this Order was ultra vires, and of no effect. So well were the promises made in the prospectus before referred to carried out that, during Mr. Kelday's lifetime, several attempts were made to sell the land for building purposes. All the tombstones were removed and the surface levelled. Since his death it has been in the market on more than one occasion. In March, 1882, I received an intimation from the Burial Acts department of the Home office that a client of Messrs. Pilgrim & Co., of 19, Coleman street, E.C., had been enquiring whether houses could be legally built upon this land if the remains were taken up and removed to a cemetery. On the 24th of the month Dr. Hoffman visited the ground on behalf of the Home office, and met by appointment representatives of the intending purchaser and the Sanitary Committee of this Yestry. Such information as could be gathered was placed before Dr. Hoffman, and he thought that, before giving an opinion, it would be 37 advisable to cut a trench through the ground and ascertain the exact condition of the remains. Instructions were accordingly given for this to be done, and Dr. Hoffman arranged to again visit the spot on the 4th of April. In the meanwhile, however, notice was received from the Home Office that Messrs. Pilgrim's client had declined to proceed further with the proposed building, and the matter was allowed to drop. The present owner of the land has, however, now agreed to let it on a building lease to a Mr. Geo. Chambers, who seems determined to build, and indeed has commenced excavations for the purpose of laying foundations. He has prepared and sent for the approval of the Vestry several plans for the drainage of the proposed houses, which are to be a block of industrial dwellings for the accommodation of 400 persons. He proposes simply to lay a bed of concrete, and to build upon that without removing the remains. If this be permitted, subsidence of the ground will certainly take place from time to time, creating fissures even in concrete foundations, whereby not only will the stability of the houses be endangered, but noxious emanations will arise from the mass of putrefying human remains below. It will be useful here to consider what is the probable condition of bodies buried in the earth after the lapse of many years, and upon the authority of Casper I give the following particulars:— When the body dies putrefaction sets in at once, and continues so long as it is allowed to remain exposed to the air. If this be excluded the process is arrested; but if the air be re-admitted the process goes on again. Other things being the same, newly-born children putrefy more rapidly than others; aged people yield slowly ; women who die soon after or during childbirth are said to putrefy very fast. Thin, spare people resist decay longer than fat, flabby ones. Drunkards keep well. Death from extensive injuries or very exhausting diseases means rapid decay. Moisture accelerates the process within certain limits, as no decomposition can take place without it; and bodies buried in dry sand, as in the desert, simply dry up and become mummified. Much water, however, retards decay; and at the same temperature putrefaction will be found to have advanced as far in one week in the open air as in two weeks under water. Extremes of cold and heat are unfavourable to decay; but warmth, combined with moisture, accelerates it most. 38 The nature of the soil exerts groat influence upon the rapidity of decay by promoting or retarding the access of air to bodies buried in the earth. A loose, porous soil, such as gravel, promotes, while firm, compact clay retards decomposition; but the degree of moisture present may equalize the conditions, or even turn the scale in the opposite direction : thus, a body would probably decay faster in dry clay than in wet gravel. For the same reasons, bodies buried near tho surface putrefy faster than those interred in deep graves. Clothing retards decay; but the coffin or case in which the body is enclosed exerts greater influence than anything else: for bodies buried in the earth quite naked perish rapidly, and are resolved into their elements in a very few years: even the bones quickly break down and become friable. On the other hand, if the bodies are enclosed in hermotically-sealed cases, such as leaden coffins, putrefaction will be arrested at the point it had then attained, and will remain almost stationary so long as the air is excluded by the material of the coffin: thus, a body fifty years after burial will, if the coffin be intact, be found in the same state of advanced, but almost unprogressive, putrefaction as when first laid in the earth. So with well-made wooden coffins—whilst they remain whole they prevent resolution; but so soon as the woodwork decays and falls in, the earth does its duty and absorbs the contents. But wooden coffins last for an immense time, occasionally, as long as lead, and their contents are then found in a similar condition. Lead is very seldom used now, except in tho case of vaults, when it is compulsory by Act of Parliament. Zinc is occasionally used: it does not last nearly so long as lead. Stone is never used now. For wooden coffins oak or teak is said to be the most durable material: yellow deal is almost equal to these. Elm—the wood used in nine cases out of ten—is very lasting if well seasoned, but common spruce soon decays. All woods last much longer if well seasoned. A few days ago, accompanied by Mr. William Bradbrook, I visited that portion of the Globe Fields Burial Ground to the north side of the Great Eastern Railway, and found some excavations there in progress on account of railway extension. This cemetery was closed about tho year 1850, after being open about half-a-century. It was coeval in use with, and was included in the same Order in Council 39 (July 7, 1868), as the Peel Grove Cemetery. As the two are situated within a few hundred yards of one another I considered that the state of the bodies buried and the condition of the soil would probably be almost identical in the two cemeteries. The new line of railway is intended to be carried upon a series of arches, and we were fortunate enough to hit upon a time when a deep trench was being dug to receive a foundation of concrete for the purpose of building one of the piers. One part of this trench was outside the limit of the old burial ground, and the other portion within its walls, at the time of our visit. The trench was about 8 feet wide, 12 feet deep, and about 20 feet long. The first thing that struck the observer was that the portion of the trench without the walls presented a section of previously undisturbed maiden soil, shewing on the surface the pathway, beneath that a seam 30 inches thick of loamy earth, and below that again good gravel. The bottom was quite dry, but in other portions of the ground water had been reached at a depth of 15 feet. Then upon regarding that portion of the trench within the gravevard it was seen that the surface of the soil was between three and four feet above that outside, and that it consisted of mixed earth. About four feet below the level of the graveyard surface—that is to say, within 18 inches of the original surface of the ground—the trench simply cut through a mass of coffins: these were laid with their heads to the west, shoulder to shoulder, and head to foot, and piled closely one on top of another. The coffins lie at right angles to the trench, which was here irregularly expanded laterally owing to the necessary removal of two piles of coffins. About eight bodies seem to have been placed in each grave, and they took the place of the gravel mentioned as existing at a similar level outside the cemetery wall. The interstices batween the coffins were filled with what might once have been gravel, but was now a dull-coloured, tenacious, and heavy clay-like soil—a material without doubt consisting of original gravel, mixed with organic matter to saturation. The workmen were removing those coffins only which were in their way, and were re-interring them in a deep pit a short distance off, piling them one upon another, just as they were in their original place of sepulture. The disinfectants used were sanitas and quick-lime. The coffins seem to be in a fairly good state of preservation so far as the woodwork is concerned, but the nails have rusted away. When deprived of contiguous support the coffins easily fall to pieces, exposing their contents. 40 Most of the coffins were constructed of inch elm; some few were of oak, and one deal coffin was found; this had been buried about 50 years and was in as good preservation as any. Some of the coffins had been made quite water-tight, probably by means of pitch; these, upon receiving injury during removal, were found to be full of a viscous liquid. The oldest coffin examined had beon buried in 1826, as was proved by the name plate. When one coffin, more rotten than another, permitted the removal of a portion of its structure, its contents were plainly recognisable. The human remains in several I examined were in a somewhat peculiar condition, the flesh had fallen away from the bones of the extremities, which wore quite bare; but the trunk was, in each instance, transformed into a groasy mass. This is, probably, what is known as adipocere, and is an aminoniacal soap formed of a peculiar oil, combined with ammonia. I believe this material is only produced when bodies are accumulated together in common graves, as it is not found when the bodies are isolated from one another by a proper amount of earth. The workmen describe the stench as something awful, but there does not seem to be much illness amongst them; plenty of disinfectants had been used, and at the time of our visit we were unable to perceive anything disagreeable, though we were in the trench standing upon and surrounded by coffins. There seems to bo very little risk to the work-people who remove bodies thus buried. Mr. Ayton, of Mile End, informs me that he has conducted the removal and reinterment of bodies from many of the city churchyards. He thinks the removal should be done in the early spring, when sharp winds prevail, and that no removal ought to take Place in the summer; but that it is of great importance to keep good fires burning during the operations. His method is the following:—The coffin is taken up as perfect as possible and without breaking tho remains; if got out in this condition it is at once placod in another larger coffin with about an inch space all round; this is filled in with charcoal or whatever disinfectant is being used at tho time. Frequently, however, the coffins fall to pieces as soon as the surrounding oarth is removed; the remains are then replaced in a fresh deal coffin, well pitched inside, and having a two-inch layer of charcoal 41 at the bottom. The new coffin is then filled up with a mixture of yellow deal sawdust and charcoal and the lid fastened down. When possible, care is always taken to keep the remains of each individual separate; but when they are mixed up and indistinguishable, square cases, about the size of an ordinary coffin, are filled with them and some of the charcoal and sawdust mixture; such cases would often contain all that is left of the bodies of from seventeen to twenty people. Mr. Ayton considers that the more perfect the coffin, the greater is the danger to the remover, and this is especially so with leaden coffins; these are frequently found to be full of a horribly offensive black liquid. The action of lime upon the lead coffins, for any length of time, impairs their hermetic efficiency, and makes the operation of removal difficult and dangerous. No permanent ill effects have been experienced either by Mr. Ayton or his employes in these removals; the men say they feel less ill from the nature of the work than from the smell of the disinfectants used: these have usually been McDougal's powder and ordinary carbolic powder, but Mr. Ayton says that in any future operations he shall use sanitas, which he thinks quite as effectual, and, moreover, is free from the disagreeable odour of the others. The men are always allowed to smoke as much as they please. On one occasion a plentiful allowance of rum was served out, but the result was so unsatisfactory that it was never repeated. The greatest difficulty is found in large closed vaults, which frequently contain numbers of bodies in leaden coffins; many of them get broken in the process of removal, the air of the vaults then becomes foul and oppressive, and the men get faint but soon recover in the open air. No permanent ill effects are known to have occurred to any one. About 14 years ago a portion of the Globe Fields Cemetery was built over; the ground was excavated so as to allow the building of piers upon solid foundations; arches were thrown over, and upon them the main walls of the houses were constructed; the bodies were not removed, but the ground was covered with a thick layer of concrete, upon which the partition walls were built; as may be readily imagined, the result has been disastrous; the houses are constantly under repair, the floors sink, and the partition walls crack. The ground is just outside this parish, so that my information is not very exaot, but I cannot 42 hear that any special form of illness is prevalent, though the houses can scarcely be healthy habitations. At the time of the erection of these houses the matter was brought before the Burial Board at the Home Office, and though the builder was allowed to complete the houses already commenced, further building operations were forbidden, and the order in council, cited on page 36, was issued. Where AYhite street now is was formerly a cemetery, but only about forty* bodies have been buried, and they were all removed to the graveyard of St. Matthew's Church before the houses were built. Another cemetery existed at Gibraltar walk; part of this has been built over. I understand the bodies were never removed, but I can obtain no information upon this point, though I believe the interments were few in number, and that no bodies lie under the houses. As I before observed, the condition of the buried bodies in Peel grove is probably the same as what I saw in Globe fields; and upon this festering mass of human remains Mr. Chambers proposes to build houses for working people to live in. Now, landlords are proverbially careless about the health of their tenants; and, so long as the rents come in regularly, are not much concerned about the sanitary condition of their property; but a more horrible disregard of the laws of health than this proposal to build on Peel grove, without removing the bodies, I never knew. The Yestry has passed a resolution to this effect; but as proposed by the editor of the British Medical Journal "It is repulsive to contemplate such a wholesale desecration of the dead; and it would be much better for the land to be purchased as an open space for recreation, than to cover with buildings even under the restrictions mentioned, a ground which contains so many human remains;" and this, the Yestry have power to do. But it seems that nothing can be done to prevent owners from building upon disused burial grounds,† except under the bye-laws of the Metropolitan Board of Works, unless human remains are disturbed; and Mr. Chambers, the lessee of the Peel grove ground, intends to build without so disturbing these remains; but should these be in any way interfered with, the sanction of the Home Secretary would have to be obtained before the work could be continued. Under the bye- *12 adults, 28 children. † Jasker v. Dodd, and the Queen v. Jacobson. 43 laws of the Metropolitan Board of Works it is laid down that no house can be erected upon any made ground until any animal matter or refuse, which may have been deposited upon the "Site," shall have been properly removed by excavation, or otherwise, from such "Site;" and also that the foundation of the walls shall be formed of a bed of good concrete nine inches thick. At first glance, this seems quite to meet the case; but, unfortunately, the Metropolis Management and Building Acts Amendment Act, 1878, under which these bye-laws are made, defines in section 14— "The term 'Site,' in relation to a house, building, or other erection, shall mean the whole space to be occupied by such house, building, or other erection between the level of the bottom of the foundation, and the level of the base of the walls. ''The term 'foundations' shall mean the space immediately beneath the footings of a wall." By section 3 of the Metropolitan Building Act, 1855, "the base of the wall" means the course immediately above the footings. Mr. Glen has been consulted upon this point; he thinks that the Metropolitan Board of Works have power, under their bye-laws, not only with respect to the mode in which the "Site" is to be excavated, but also, generally, with respect to such "sites," and also with reference to the foundations of buildings, particularly with respect to the mode in which they are to be made and prepared for securing stability and for purposes of health. The term "foundation" is not limited to any particular depth, and Mr. Glen considers that the Board can require the foundations to be excavated to as low a depth as that occupied by any material impregnated with animal matter, which may lie above the virgin soil. But a good deal hinges upon the meaning of the word "Site." The intention of the bye-laws is clearly to require the whole of the impregnated material, above the virgin soil, to be removed before a house is erected upon the site, but it is doubtful whether the meaning of the word is to be strictly limited to the definition in the Statute, or whether the natural and ordinary meaning of the word is to be taken. Should Mr. Chambers determine to proceed, the matter will probably become the ground of an action at law; and should the decision be still adverse to us, we shall have power, when the houses are finished, to have them closed as unfit for human habitation, under the 13th section of the Nuisance Removal Act. 44 PUTRID PROVISIONS. In March, some premises in the occupation of a provision dealer in Reuben street, consisting of a coach-house and stable, were visited, and 13 pigs were found kept in a most filthy condition. Upon these premises were found a quantity of putrid provisions, consisting of several casks of pickled tongues, tins of preserved Australian meat, and a number of hams and cheeses, in all weighing about 15 hundredweight. The pigs were being fed with a portion of this putrid stuff. The whole was seized and submitted to Mr. Bushby. The defendant, in his sworn evidence, declared that it was not his intention to offer these articles for sale for human food, but that he was about to dispose of them for fat melting. Mr. Bushby gave the man the benefit of the doubt, and made no order. DISEASED MEAT. In October the carcase of a sheep was found in a stable in Swan street, in the occupation of a butcher, who keeps a stall in Brick lane. I inspected the meat and found it to be in an unsound and diseased condition. It was accordingly submitted to Mr. Hannay, who condemned it and made an order for its destruction. The owner was summoned to Worship street and fined £10. Mr. Hannay gave notice that in the next case of this nature brought before him he would send the defendant to prison without the option of a fine. BEDDING PURIFIED DURING- THE YEAR 1882. NEW TICKS SUPPLIED WHERE NECESSARY. Quarter ending 24th March : Beds 5 £ s. d. Bolsters 9 Pillows 1 New Ticks 3 Number of Articles 18 2 18 0 Quarter ending 24:th June : Beds 2 Bolsters 1 Pillows 5 New Ticks 1 Number of Articles 9 1 8 8 45 Quarter ending 29th September : Beds 3 £ s. d. Bolsters 2 Pillows 4 New Ticks 1 Number of Articles 10 1 12 4 Quarter ending 25th December : Beds 6 Bolsters 3 Pillows 7 New Ticks 5 Number of Articles 21 4 4 11 Total Number of Articles 58 10 3 11 BEDDING SUPPLIED DUKING THE YEAR 1882. Quarter ending 25th March : Beds 13 £ s. d. Bolsters 13 Pillows 20 Palliasses 12 Sofa Cushions 3 Number of Articles 61 10 3 6 Quarter ending 24th June: Beds 25 Bolsters 25 Pillows 30 Palliasses 16 Mattresses 2 Chair Cushions 3 Sofa Cushions 1 Number of Articles 102 18 15 3 Quarter ending 29th September : Beds 76 Bolsters 76 Pillows 136 Palliasses 62 Mattresses 3 Chair Cushions 6 Sofa Cushions 1 N umber of Articles 360 58 18 3 46 Quarter endinq 25th December: Beds 104 £ s. d. Bolsters 105 Pillows 130 Palliasses 48 Mattresses 3 Chair Cushions 9 Quantities of Flock 1 Number of Articles 400 157 6 8 Total Number of Articles 923 245 8 8 I regret that I am still obliged to include a disinfector amongst our sanitary requirements. I trust, however, that the Vestry will shortly see its way to provide this very necessary apparatus. My high opinion expressed in previous reports of the value of Messrs. Lyon's steam disinfector remains unchanged, and I note with pleasure that both Dr. Franklin Parsons and Dr. Buchanan, medical officers to the Privy Council, recommend this apparatus for the purpose of disinfecting rags; and 1 give the following extract from the Sanitary Record:— "This patent differs so materially from all other disinfectors that it deserves most careful consideration. This difference consists in the application of the moist heat of high-pressure steam as opposed to a dry heat for disinfecting purposes, which enables a higher temperature to be applied without injury to the most delicate fabric, and by the application of this higher heat to entirely annihilate all germs of disease. Apart from the question of cholera, we are induced to return to the consideration of this method of disinfection as a result of a series of comprehensive tests which were carried out some time since at Messrs. Lyon's works, by order of the Local Government Board, by Dr. H. Franklin Parsons, with the patent disinfector, in reference to an outbreak of small pox that occurred amongst the rag sorters at the St. Mary Cray Paper Mills, the object also being to see what precautions could be taken to prevent the spread of infection from rags. Dr. Parsons' report leaves no doubt that the epidemic was attributable to the rags, which it appears are sometimes of the most offensive character, being not only the cast-offs from poultices, etc., but in some instances containing undoubted appearances of human excrement. Dr. Parsons' view is strengthened by the fact that no concurrent outbreak of the disease occurred in the neighbourhood among persons unconnected with the mill. The report goes on to recommend that all rags should be disinfected before the process of sorting is carried out, since it has been clearly demonstrated that the danger lurks in this preliminary separation, which it appears must be done before any of the cleansing processes adopted by paper manufacturers are carried out. In reviewing the available modes of disinfection Dr. Parsons recommends that method applied in the form of high-pressure steam, as securing the rags against scorching, and of greatly shortening the time required for the penetration of heat; and he goes on to 47 say that, from experiments he has made, it is practicable with steam at 15 lbs. pressure (=251° F.) to disinfect rags without unpacking the bales— an important advantage both as regards saving of labonr and avoidance of risk. The texture of the rags is not injured, they would not be wetted to a serious extent by the steam, and the cost of the process would not exceed 2s. 2d. per ton of rags, even if it were necessary to erect special apparatus for the purpose. Mr. Lyon's appliance is the available one alluded to. But it is quite possible, and indeed is constantly done, to apply as much as 20 lbs. pressure (261° F.) in the Lyon's disinfector without injury to the most delicate and even coloured fabrics. As it is well known that few textile articles will bear a dry heat of more than 250° F. without becoming scorched or singed, or, in other words, virtually destroyed, the advantages of steam disinfection, where a so much higher temperature can be obtained, is of immense importance. We are glad to see that the Board of Trade, by the advice of Dr. Buchanan, medical officer to the Local Government Board, have issued further regulations with reference to ships having on board bales of rags exported from Egypt and consigned to this country. As it has been found that thousands of tons of rags are annually imported here from Egypt, and that they are habitually dirty, it has been thought advisable to take exceptional precautions to prevent the introduction of cholera by means of them into English ports. In ordering disinfection, Dr. Buchanan says that bales of rags cannot be properly disinfected by the use of any powder, nor by gaseous sulphurous acid or chlorine; and after stating that they must be exposed to a heat of not less than 250° F. for two hours, says that 'the arrangement which gives greatest penetration of heat is the use of high-pressure steam, more especially if the pressure be from time to time relaxed, and re-applied so as to displace the and Here again the Lyon's patent disinfector is evidently alluded to, and the 'relaxing' system mentioned by Dr. Buchanan is one of the salient features of the machine. "That paper manufacturers will appreciate the steam disinfector is without doubt, as placing within their reach a reliable, easy, and inexpensive mode of ridding themselves and their workpeople of one of the most dangerous features connected with their trade, so far as the spread of infectious diseases is concerned. A large sum is annually lost under present circumstances by burning the clothing and bedding of persons who have suffered from infectious disease, and we are informed that last year in the Bethnal Green district a loss of no less than £500 was thus entailed, which, had a Lyon's disinfector been in use, would have been saved. Thus there is reason to recommend it as an economiser of property as well as a safeguard to health. Drawings of the apparatus are appended. The first consists of an oval horizontal cylinder, having an outer chamber or jacket into which steam is first admitted to heat the machine and thus prevent condensation in the inner chamber into which the articles for disinfection are placed. The door is then closed with a steam-tight joint and steam turned on to the inner chamber. Gradually the gauge on the outside is seen to rise, registering the amount of pressure and consequently heat from time to time enforced. This is continued as long as necessary, when the steam is turned off and allowed to escape into a tank or the open air. 1 here is a very slight dampness upon the goods, and this is got rid of by allowing them to remain a few minutes in the machine with the steam on the outer casing only, thus converting the apparatus into a drying chamber. 48 The second drawing represents a disinfector as made for the interior of hospitals, or such places where a permanent one is required. Here it assumes the form of an elongated cylinder, and is to be fixed in the rooms, divided by the party wall, one half in each room. The object of this is to guard against contagion, the persons who place the infected articles in the apparatus in the one room being quite apart from those who take them out when purified iu the other room, the arrangements of the appliance and its working being the same in both cases. We learn with satisfaction that since we recommended this apparatus many of these disiufectors have been adopted in different parts of the country, and that many medical officers of health are using every exertion to have them adopted in their various districts. In the interests of the public health it is to be hoped that this description of the process, coupled with the action of the Local Government Board, will be the means of giving an impetus to the speedy and more general adoption of the Washington Lyon Disinfector." PUBLIC MORTUARY. The mortuary continues to be found very useful. Eighty-eight bodies have been temporarily placed therein. Its condition is not so satisfactory as I could wish : the inside walls are getting very shabby, and the ventilation of the post-mortem room is not good. A special report on its condition has been laid before the Sanitary Committee. SANITARY WORK DURING THE YEAR. As will be seen from a glance at Table VI. a good deal of useful work has been done by your inspectors in relation to nuisances of a miscellaneous kind. Apart from the periodical and routine visitation of trade premises it is by the constant inspection and re-inspection of property inhabited by careless and destructive tenants that most good can be done. I recently felt it my duty to recommend a house-to-house inspection of the whole parish, a procedure urgently required to ascertain the condition of the drainage and water-supply arrangements. I regret to say that this recommendation was not acted upon; as I think, with the prospect of an epidemic of Cholera looming in the near future, we certainly ought to know our exact condition, and be in a position to remedy defects where found. The sanitary staff cannot be ubiquitous, and many people are so careless or ignorant that, sooner than take the trouble to report choked closets and stinking drains, they continue to exist amongst unsanitary surroundings that could be easily rectified were they once discovered. I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, Your most obedient servant, GEORGE PADDOCK BATE. BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE I. Shelving the Population, Inhabited Houses, Births, Deaths, and Marriages for the year 1882, and 10 years preceding. GROSS NUMBERS. The Year. Estimated Population. No. of Inhabited Houses. Marriages. Registered Births. Corrected Number of Deaths. Deaths in Public Institu tions. Total all Ages Under One Year. Under Five Years. 1882 128,000 17,739 2,602 5,256 3,094 866 1,596 486 1881 127,180 17,739 2,603 5,237 3,054 803 1,504 515 1880 127,000 17,721 2,463 5,201 2,914 850 1,466 472 1879 133,300 17,473 2,44 3 5,246 3,069 784 1,438 526 1878 132,000 17,311 2,438 5,195 2,961 787 1,426 465 1877 129,600 17,325 2,438 5,169 2,989 799 1,428 440 1876-7 129,300 17,605 2,143 5,299 2,923 815 1,448 430 1875-6 128,000 17,945 ‡ 5,255 3,020 875 1,390 410 1874-5 127,000 ‡ ‡ 5,152 3,142 860 1,440 432 1873-4 125,000 16.000 ‡ 5,050 3,129 838 1,566 424 1872-3 122,117 ‡ ‡ 5,187 2,588 798 1,313 357 Average of 10 years, 1872 to 1881 128,049 17,389 2,471 5,199 2,977 820 1,441 447 NOTES. 1.—Population at census, 1881—127,006. 2.—Area in Acres, 755. 3.—Average number of persons in each house at census, 1881 *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 GEEEN SANITAEY DISTEICT. TABLE II. Shewing the Annual Birth Rate, Rate of Mortality, Death Rate among Children, and Deaths in Public Institutions for the year 1882, and 10 years preceding. YEAR. Birth Rate per 1000 of the Population. Annual Rate of Mortality per 1,000 living. Deaths of Children under 1 year: per centage 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 Dearhs in Public Institutions. 1882 41.0 24.1 27.9 16.1 51.5 486 1881 41.1 24.0 26.2 15.3 49.3 515 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 29.6 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 †l875-6 41.0 23.4 29.0 16.8 † 410 †l874-5 40.6 27.7 27.0 16.5 † 432 *1873-4 40.0 25.0 26.7 16.5 50.0 424 *1872-3 41.6 20.8 + + ‡ 50.7 357 Average of 10 years, 1872 to 1881 40.4 23.3 27.5 15.8 49.0 44.7 NOTES. *The figures upon which the calculations for these years are based are extracted from the annual reports of the late Dr. Saxvis, 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 Santitary District. TABLE III., SHEWING DEATHS REGISTERED FROM ALL CAUSES DURING THE YEAR 1882. CAUSE OF DEATH. AGES. Total under 5 years. Total. 0 to 1 1 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 and upwards I. Specific Febrile, or Zymotic Diseases 189 298 59 17 14 7 4 6 3 3 .. 487 600 II. Parasitic Diseases 4 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 4 III. Dietic Diseases 8 1 .. .. 1 4 .. .. 1 .. .. 9 15 IV. Constitutional Diseases 63 78 23 55 93 90 67 37 23 4 .. 141 538 V.—Developmental Diseases 76 1 1 .. .. .. .. 4 49 63 22 77 216 VI,—Local Diseases 304 314 83 36 56 104 99 163 160 69 4 618 1392 VII.—Deaths from Violence 35 11 4 2 2 6 3 4 4 3 .. 46 74 VIII.—Deaths from Ill-defined & not Specified causes 187 27 14 3 2 5 3 9 3 6 1 214 260 Totals 866 730 184 113 168 216 176 223 243 148 27 1596 3094 I.—Zymotic Diseases. 1. Miasmatic Diseases. Small Pox Vaccinated .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Unvaccinated .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. No Statement .. 1 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 2 Measles 13 43 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 56 58 Scarlet Fever 8 93 29 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 101 132 Typhus .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Whooping Cough 79 135 15 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 214 229 TABLE III. (continued). CAUSE OF DEATH. AGES. Total under 5 years. Total. 0 to 1 1 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 and upwards I.—Zymotic Diseases (continued). Diphtheria 1 5 3 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 11 Simple Continued Fever 1 1 1 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 4 Enteric or Typhoid Fever .. 4 6 7 5 .. 1 .. .. .. .. 4 23 Other miasmatic diseases .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2. Diarrhceal Diseases. Simple Cholera 3 3 1 .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 6 8 diarrhœa, Dysentery 62 11 .. 1 3 5 1 2 1 1 .. 73 87 3. Malarial Diseases. Remittent Fever .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Ague .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4. Zoogenous Diseases. Cowpox and Vaccination .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Other Diseases (e.a.. Hvdronhobia. Glanders) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5. Venereal Diseases. Syphilis 16 .. .. 1 1 .. .. .. 1 .. .. 16 19 Gonorrhœa, Stricture .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6. Septic Diseases. Erysipelas 3 2 1 1 .. 1 1 3 1 2 .. 5 15 Pyaemia, Septicsemia 3 .. .. 1 1 .. .. 1 .. .. .. 3 6 Puerperal Fever .. .. .. 1 4 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 II.—Parasitic Diseases. Thrush, and other Vegetable Parasitic Diseases 4 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 4 Worms, Hydatids, and other Animal Parasites .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. III.—Dietic Diseases. Want of Breast Milk, Starvation 8 1 .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 9 10 Scurvy .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Chronic Alcoholism .. .. .. .. .. 3 .. .. .. .. .. 4 Delirium Tremens .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 TABLE III. (continued). CAUSE OF DEATH. AGES. Total under 5 years. Total. 0 to 1 1 to 5 5 to 15 15 to 25 25 to 35 35 to 45 45 to o5 55 to 65 65 to 75 75 to 85 85 and upwards TV.-Constitutional Diseases. Rheumatic Fever, Rheumatism of the Heart .. .. 1 .. .. 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 Rheumatism .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 2 2 1 .. .. 6 Gout .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. .. .. .. 2 Rickets .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 Cancer, Malignant Disease .. .. .. .. 1 9 15 12 11 3 .. 51 Tabes Mesenterica 35 35 3 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 70 73 Tubercular Meningitis, Hydrocephalus 17 24 1 .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 41 43 Phthisis 7 9 14 54 92 75 48 21 10 .. .. 16 330 Other forms of Tuberculosis, Scrofula 4 9 1 1 .. 3 2 .. .. .. .. 13 20 Purpura, Hæorrhagic Diathesis .. .. 2 .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 Anaemia, Chlorosis, Leucocythæmia .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Diabetes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Other Constitutional Diseases .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. V.—Developmental Diseases. Premature Birth 58 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 58 58 A telectasis 5 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 5 Congenital Malformations 13 l 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 14 15 Old age .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 49 63 22 .. 138 VI.—Local Diseases. 1. Nervous System. Inflammation of Brain or Membranes 8 32 11 1 2 2 1 .. .. .. .. 40 57 Apoplexy, Softening of Brain, Hemiplegia, Brain Paralysis .. 1 .. 1 3 6 11 26 40 22 .. 1 110 Insanity, General Paralysis of the Insane 1 .. .. .. 4 8 7 2 2 .. .. 1 24 Epilepsy .. 2 1 2 2 4 3 2 .. .. .. 2 16 Convulsions 96 38 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 134 137 Laryngismus Stridulus (Spasm of Glottis) 2 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 3 Disease of Spinal Cord, Paraplegia, Paralysis Agitans .. 1 .. .. .. .. 1 1 1 .. .. 1 4 Other Diseases of Nervous System .. .. 1 .. 2 1 .. 1 .. .. .. .. 5 TABLE III. (continued). CAUSE OF DEATH. AGES. Total under 5 years. Total. 0 to 1 1 to 5 5 to 15 15 to •25 25 to 35 35 to 4.5 45 to 55 55 to 65 65 to 75 75 to 85 85 and upwards VI.—Local Diseases fcontinued). 2. Organs of Special Sense .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3. Circulatory System. Pericarditis .. .. 2 .. 1 3 .. .. 1 .. .. .. 7 Acute Endocarditis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. valvular diseases of Heart .. .. .. .. 3 6 1 4 2 .. .. .. 16 Other Diseases of Heart .. .. 17 5 8 12 9 23 12 10 .. .. 96 Aneurism .. .. .. .. 1 1 1 1 .. 1 .. .. 5 Embolism, Thrombosis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Other Diseases of Blood Vessels .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 1 .. .. .. 3 Respiratory System. Laryngitis 1 11 4 2 .. .. .. 2 .. .. .. 12 20 Croup 3 45 3 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 48 51 Emphysema, Asthma .. 2 .. .. .. .. 2 4 3 .. .. 2 11 Bronchitis 102 110 11 6 6 25 28 58 62 28 3 212 439 Pneumonia 46 49 13 8 5 11 11 8 14 4 1 95 170 Pleurisy .. 1 .. .. .. 3 1 2 2 .. .. 1 9 Other Diseases of Respiratory System .. .. 2 .. 2 3 2 6 .. .. .. 1 16 5. Digestive System. Dentition 20 14 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 34 34 Sore Throat, Quinsy 1 .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 3 Diseases of Stomach 1 .. .. .. 1 .. 1 1 1 .. .. 1 5 Enteritis 7 2 2 2 .. 1 1 2 .. .. .. 9 17 Obstructive Diseases of Intestine 4 1 .. .. 1 .. 1 1 1 .. .. 5 9 Peritonitis 1 .. .. 3 3 .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 11 Ascites .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Cirrhosis of Liver .. .. .. .. .. 1 4 3 2 .. .. .. 10 Jaundice and other Diseases of Liver 3 1 2 1 6 6 4 .. .. 3 23 Other Diseases of Digestive system 4 1 .. .. .. 1 2 .. .. .. .. 5 8 TABLE III. (continued). CAUSE OF DEATH. AGES. Total under 5 years. Total. 0 to 1 1 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 and upwards VI.—Local Diseases (continued). 6. Lymphatic System. Disease of Lymphatics and Spleen .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 1 7. Bronchocele and Addison's Disease .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8. Urinary System. Nephritis 1 3 9 1 1 1 2 2 .. 1 .. 4 21 Bright's Disease, Albuminuria .. .. .. .. 1 3 3 4 6 .. .. .. 17 Disease of Bladder or of Prostate 2 2 .. .. 4 Other Diseases of the Urinary System .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. 2 9. Reproductive System. (a) Of Organs of Generation. Male Organs .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Female Organs .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. 1 .. .. .. .. 3 (b) Of Parturition. Abortion, Miscarnage .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Puerperal Convulsions .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Placenta prsævia, Flooding .. .. .. 1 3 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 Other Accidents of Childbirth .. .. .. 2 1 3 .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 10. Bones and Joints. Caries, Necrosis .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 2 .. .. .. 4 Arthritis, Ostitis, Periostitis .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Other Diseases of Bones and Joints 1 .. 3 1 .. 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 1 7 11. Integumentary System. Carbuncle, Phlegmon .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 1 Other Diseases of Integumentary System 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 VII.—Violence. 1. Accident or Negligence. Fractures and Contusions .. .. 2 2 1 2 .. 1 2 1 .. 5 16 Gunshot Wounds .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. TABLE III. (continued). CAUSE OF DEATH. AGES. Total under 5 years. Total. 0 to 5 1 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 aud upwards VII —Violence (continued). Cut, Stab .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Burn, Scald .. 4 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. 4 5 Poison .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 Drwoning .. .. 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Suffocation 35 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. 36 37 Otherwise .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2. Homicide. Manslaughter .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Murder .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 3. Suicide. Gunshot Wounds .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Cut, Stab .. .. .. .. .. 2 .. .. 1 .. .. .. 3 Poison .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 .. .. 1 .. .. 3 Drowning .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 2 Hanging .. .. .. .. 1 .. 1 2 .. .. .. .. 4 Otherwise .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. VIII.—Ill-defined Causes. Dropsy 1 3 1 .. .. 1 1 1 2 .. .. 4 10 Debility, Atrophy, Inanition 180 24 11 .. .. 1 1 1 1 1 .. 204 220 Mortification 1 .. .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 5 .. 1 7 Tumour .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Abscess 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1 Haemorrhage 1 .. .. 1 .. 1 .. .. .. .. .. 1 3 Sudden Death (cause not ascertained) .. .. 1 .. .. .. .. 2 .. .. .. .. 3 Causes not Specified or Ill-defined 3 .. 1 2 1 2 1 5 .. .. 1 3 16 BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE IV. Shewing the Mortality from certain classes of Diseases, and proportions to Population, and to 1,000 deaths, 1882. DIVISION I. (Adults). Total Deaths. Deaths per 1,000 of Population (all ages). Proportion of Deaths to 1,000 Deaths (all ages). 1.—Seven Principal Zymotic Diseases 654 4.4 181 2.—Pulmonary Diseases (other than Phthisis) 666 6.1 214 3.—Tubercular Diseases 424 3.3 137 DIVISION II. (Infants). Total Deaths. Deaths per 1,000 Births. Proportion of Deaths to 1,000 Deaths of Infants. 4.—Wasting Diseases 246 46.8 284 5.—Convulsive Diseases 143 27.2 165 NOTES. 1.—Includes: Small Pox, Measles, Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, "Whooping Cough, Fever, and Diarrhoea. 2.—Includes: Pleurisy, 9; Bronchitis, 439; Pneumonia, 170; Asthma, 11; Lung Disease, 16; Laryngitis, 20. 3.—Includes: Phthisis, Scrofula, Rickets, and Tabes. 4. —Includes: Marasmus, Atrophy, Debility, 180; Want of Breast Milk, 8; Premature Birth, 58. 5.—Includes: Hydrocephalus, 17; Infantile Meningitis, 8; Convulsions, 96; Teething, 20 ; and Laryngismus Stridulus, 2. BETHNAL GEEEN SANITAEY DISTEICT. TABLE IV. (A). TOTAL BIRTHS AND DEATHS, AND DEATHS FROM SOME ZYMOTIC AND OTHER CAUSES. Fever, Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Diarrhoea, Violence, Etc., registered in the Four Sub-Districts of Bethnal Green. Quarter ending. Area in Statute Acres. Enumerated Population of 1881. Total Births during each Quarter, 1882. Total Deaths during each Quarter, 1882. THE DEATHS REGISTERED IN EACH QUARTER INCLUDE: Deaths 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, 1882 .. .. 317 186 49 28 .. 3 1 2 29 3 2 .. 5 17 3 June, ,, .. .. 321 134 43 10 .. 2 6 .. 17 3 2 .. 6 16 3 Sept., ,, .. .. 306 163 63 15 .. 7 9 1 4 3 14 4 .. 5 .. Dec., ,, .. .. 314 153 51 13 .. 5 17 .. .. 4 1 .. 5 13 6 Total 141 29766 1258 606 206 66 .. 17 33 3 50 13 19 4 16 51 12 *Green— March, 1882 .. .. 558 471 95 119 2 6 11 1 56 2 3 .. 8 18 154 June, ,, .. .. 486 315 77 70 .. 2 12 1 25 1 2 1 8 18 102 Sept. ,, .. .. 444 309 83 61 .. 5 15 2 5 .. 17 .. 10 17 87 Dec. ,, .. .. 479 357 62 98 .. 13 8 .. 3 .. 5 .. 8 22 131 Total 390 47942 1967 1452 317 348 2 26 46 4 89 3 27 1 34 75 474 *The Workhouse, Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, and Bethnall House Asylum, are in this District. TABLE IV. (a).—continued. Church— March, 1882 .. .. 327 173 50 34 .. 2 1 .. 34 .. 1 .. 5 15 .. June ” .. .. 275 116 41 16 .. .. 2 .. 12 1 5 .. 6 14 .. Sept. ,, .. .. 314 130 59 14 .. 1 8 2 6 1 20 1 .. 5 .. Dec ,, .. .. 297 172 46 29 .. 5 22 .. 1 2 5 .. 3 10 .. Total 131 29988 1213 591 196 93 .. 8 33 2 53 4 31 1 14 44 .. Town— March, 1882 .. .. 223 138 45 13 .. .. 2 2 32 1 2 .. 3 7 .. June ,, .. .. 207 69 24 3 .. .. 1 .. 4 3 2 .. 4 6 .. Sept. ,, .. .. 181 87 39 10 .. 1 3 .. 1 2 7 2 3 5 .. Dec. „ .. .. 207 121 39 9 .. 6 14 .. .. 1 .. .. 5 17 .. Total 93 19310 818 415 147 35 .. 7 20 2 37 7 11 2 15 35 .. Grand Total 755 127006 5256 3094 866 542 2 58 132 11 229 27 88 8 79 205 486 BETHNAL GREEEN SANITARY DISTRICT. 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. Whoopiug Cough. Fever. Diarrhoea. Cholera. Violence. March, 1882 505 1,425 968 239 194 2 11 15 5 151 6 8 .. 21 57 157 June ,, 658 1,289 634 185 99 .. 4 21 1 58 8 11 1 24 54 105 Sept. „ 666 1,245 689 244 100 .. 14 35 5 16 6 58 7 13 32 87 Dec. „ 773 1,297 803 198 149 .. 29 61 .. 4 7 11 .. 21 62 137 Total 2,602 5,256 3,094 866 542 2 58 132 11 229 27 88 8 79 205 486 TABLE IV. (b). BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. Estimated Population in the middle of the year, 1882, 3,893,272. QUARTER ENDING. Total Births during the Quarter. Total Deaths during the Quarter. THE DEATHS REGISTERED IN THE QUARTER INCLUDE : deaths of deaths of 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, 1882 35079 24806 5541 5538 212 545 352 201 2224 314 169 767 1566 4462 June ,, 32345 18896 4338 3733 128 629 348 215 1516 193 260 549 1338 3811 Sept. ” 32604 18053 5367 3225 53 401 505 218 610 197 1426 654 1220 3359 Dec ” 33172 21150 4876 4688 38 754 799 229 297 413 307 549 1515 4071 Total 133200 82905 20122 17184 431 2329 2004 863 4647 717 2162 2519 5639 15703 TABLE IV. (c). TOTAL BIRTHS AND DEATHS, AND DEATHS FROM SOME ZYMOTIC AND OTHER CAUSES, IN LONDON DURING THE YEAR 1882. 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 1872 to 1881 and in the year 1882. DISEASE. 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 Annual Average of 10 years, 1872—1881. Proportion of Deaths to 1000 Deaths in 10 yrs., 1872—1881. 1882 Proportion of Deaths to 1000 Deaths in 1882. Small Pox 269 41 7 1 31 88 55 7 51 118 66.8 22.4 8 2.5 Measles 82 43 192 25 56 142 59 106 34 185 92.4 31.9 58 18.7 Scarlet Fever 41 17 103 193 80 93 68 76 114 82 86.7 29.0 132 42.6 Diphtheria 2 6 5 5 3 8 14 12 8 9 7.2 2.4 11 3.5 Whooping Cough 118 147 101 151 61 89 192 147 140 102 124.8 41.9 229 74.0 Fever 63 44 58 68 42 48 51 56 37 59 52.6 16.0 39 12.6 Diarrhœa 159 143 159 124 112 104 86 70 169 107 123.3 41.4 96 31.0 Total in Bethnal Green 734 441 625 567 385 572 525 474 553 662 553.8 184.1 573 184.9 Total in London 12874 11549 11352 13518 12696 12380 14857 12256 13677 13811 12897.0 162.9 13553 163.3 BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE VI. INSPECTORS' REPORT OF THE SANITARY WORK, &c., Completed in the year ending December 31st, 1882. districts. Total. 1 2 3 No. of Houses, Premises, &c., inspected 1421 1054 574 3049 RESULTS OF INSPECTION— Orders issued for Sanitary Amendments of Houses and Premises 1137 724 429 2290 Douses and Premises, &c., Cleansed, Repaired, and Whitewashed 297 130 97 524 Houses Disinfected after Infectious Diseases 130 104 65 299 HOUSE DRAINS— Repaired, Cleansed, &c. 350 283 129 762 Trapped or Ventilated 427 212 113 752 PRIVIES AND WATER CLOSETS— Repaired, Cleansed, &c. 416 252 197 865 Supplied with Water .. , , .. , , .. .. .. .. DUST BINS- New provided 151 98 36 285 Repaired,Covered, &c. .. .. .. .. WATER SUPPLY— Cisterns (new) erected 20 12 .. 32 Cisterns Cleansed, Repaired, and Covered .. .. .. .. MISCELLANEOUS- NO. of Lodging Houses registered under 35th Clause of Sanitary Act, 1866 .. .. .. .. No. of Dust Complaints received and attended 3925 2703 1195 7823 Removal of accumulation of Dung, Stagnant Water, Animal and other Refuse. 172 150 124 446 Removal of Animals improperly kept 20 33 65 118 Regularly Inspected. .. 36 .. Licensed Cowhouses .. 12 .. .. Licensed Slaughterhouses .. 11 .. .. Other Proceedings, e.g. Legal Proceedings .. 91 .. .. Small Pox 9 9 22 40 Fever 246 162 104 512 Dyphtheria 12 13 2 27 Diarrhœa .. 12 .. 12 BETHNAL GEEEN SANITAEY DISTRICT. TABLE VII. VACCINATION.—Return for the year 1882. 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 1953 1618 174 24 2 1 11 93 30 HACKNEY ROAD DISTRICT 1259 993 125 12 1 .. 9 106 11 CHURCH DISTRICT 1213 1015 114 6 1 .. 3 62 14 TOWN DISTRICT 818 664 82 7 .. .. 4 35 26 Total 5243 4290 495 49 4 1 27 296 81 William H. Ward, Vaccination Officer. BETHNAL GREEN SANITARY DISTRICT. TABLE VIII. ANALYSIS OF THE MORTALITY IN LONDON DURING THE YEAR 1882. 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, 1882 25.6 4.14 0.79 158 15.6 91.8 6.3 18.0 June, 1882 19.5 3.39 0.76 134 12.3 61.9 7.1 20.2 September, 1882 18.6 3.52 0.67 165 10.7 53.5 6.8 18.6 December, 1882 21.8 2.92 0.77 147 13.2 77.7 7.2 19.2 TABLE IX. AREA, POPULATION, DENSITY, AND MORTALITY IN ENGLAND & LONDON, DIVISIONS. Area in Acres. Area in Square Miles. Persons to a Square Mile, 1881. Annual Rate of Mortality per 1000 Persons living in Year 1882. 1881—Quarters ending. 1882—Quarters ending. Mar. June. Sept. Dec. Mar. June. Sept. Dec. ENGLAND 37,319,221 58,311 445 19.2 21.8 18.6 16.7 18.6 21.6 19.0 17.7 20.0 LONDON 78,080 122 31,408 21.4 23.4 20.2 20.5 21.7 25.6 19.5 18.6 21.8 St. Matthew, Bethnal Green, JULY, 1883. PRECAUTIONS / AGAINST THE Infection of Cholera SUGGESTED BY THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF TEE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD AND COPY OF A CIRCULAR LETTER FROM THAT BOARD AS TO GIVING EFFECT TO The “ARTIZANS DWELLINGS’” ACTS. FOR SAITH BROTHERS, STEAM PRINTERS, 329, BETHNAL GREEN ROAD PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THE INFECTION OF CHOLERA. 1. As there are outbreaks of Cholera at several places in Egypt, and it may perhaps extend to places which are in frequent and rapid communication with England, it is possible that cases of the disease may before long be brought into the ports of this country. 2. The Order of the Local Government Board, of July 12, 1883, renews the special powers conferred by the Board's Order of July 17, 1873, upon the sanitary authorities of the sea coast, to enable them to deal with any cases of Cholera brought into port, so as to prevent as far as possible the spread of the disease into the country. But as cases of choleraic infection have widely different degrees of severity, it is possible that some such cases, slightly affected, will, notwithstanding the vigilance of local Authorities, be landed without particular notice in English sea-board towns, whence then they may advance to other, and perhaps inland, places. 3. Former experience of Cholera in England justifies a belief that the presence of imported cases 4 of the disease at various spots in the country will not be capable of causing much injury to the population, if the places receiving the infection have had the advantage of proper sanitary administration; and, in order that all local populations may make their self-defence as effective as they can, it will be well for them to have regard to the present state of knowledge concerning the mode in which epidemics of Cholera (at least in this country) are produced. 4. Cholera in England shows itself so little contagious, in the sense in which small-pox and scarlatina are commonly called contagious, that, if reasonable care be taken where it is present, there is almost no risk that the disease will spread to persons who nurse and otherwise closely attend upon the sick. But Cholera has a certain peculiar infectiveness of its own, which where local conditions assist, can operate with terrible force, and at considerable distances from the sick. It is characteristic of Cholera (and as much so of the slight cases where diarrhoea is the only symptom as of the disease in its more developed and alarming forms) that all matters which the patient discharges from his stomach and bowels are infective. Probably, under ordinary circumstances, the patient has no power of infecting other persons except by means of these discharges; nor any power of infecting even by them except in so far as particles of them are enabled 5 to taint the food, water, or air, which people consume. Thus, when a case of Cholera is imported into any place, the disease is not likely to spread, unless in proportion as it finds, locally open to it, certain facilities for spreading by indirect infection. 5. In order rightly to appreciate what these facilities must be, the following considerations have to be borne in mind:—first, that any choleraic discharge, cast without previous thorough disinfection into any cesspool or drain, or other depository or conduit of filth, infects the excremental matters with which it there mingles, and probably, more or less, the effluvia which those matters evolve; secondly, that the infective power of choleraic discharges attaches to whatever bedding, clothing, towels and like things, have been imbued with them, and renders these things, if not thoroughly disinfected, as capable of spreading the disease in places to which they are sent (for washing or other purposes) as, in like circumstances, the patient himself would be; thirdly, that if, by leakage or soakage from cesspools or drains, or through reckless casting out of slops and washwater, any taint (however small) of the infective material gets access to wells or other sources of drinking-water, it imparts to enormous volumes of water the power of propagating the disease. When due regard is had to these possibilities of indirect infection, there 6 will be no difficulty in understanding that even a single case of Cholera, perhaps of the slightest degree, and perhaps quite unsuspected in its neighbourhood, may, if local circumstances co-operate, exert a terribly infective power on considerable masses of population. 6. The dangers which have to be guarded against as favouring the spread of Cholera-infection are particularly two. First, and above all, there is the danger of water-supplies which are in any (even the slightest) degree tainted by house refuse or other like kinds of filth; as where there is outflow, leakage, or filtration, from sewers, house drains, privies, cesspools, foul ditches or the like, into springs, streams, wells or reservoirs, from which the supply of water is drawn, or into the soil in which the wells are situate; a danger which may exist on a small scale (but perhaps often repeated in the same district) at the pump or dip-well of a private house, or, on a large and even vast scale, in the source of public water-works. And secondly, there is the danger of breathing air which is foul with effluvia from the same sorts of impurity. 7. Information as to the high degree in which those two dangers affect the public health in ordinary times, and as to the special importance which attaches to them at times when any diarrhœal 7 infection is likely to be introduced, has now for so many years been before the public, that the improved systems of refuse removal and water supply by which those dangers are permanently obviated for large populations, and also the minor structural improvements by which separate households are secured against them, ought long ago to have come into universal use. % So far, however, as this wiser course has not been adopted in any Sanitary District, security must, as far as practicable, be sought in measures of a temporary and palliative kind. (a) Immediate and searching examination of sources of water-supply should be made in all cases where the source is in any degree open to the suspicion if impurity: and the water both from private and public sources should be examined. Where pollution is discovered, everything practicable should be done to prevent the pollution from continuing, or, if this object cannot be attained, to prevent the water from being drunk. Cisterns should be cleaned, and any connexions of waste pipes with drains should be severed. (b.) Simultaneously, there should be immediate thorough removal of every sort of house-refuse and other filth which has accumulated in neglected 8 places; future accumulations of the same sort should be prevented; attention should be given to all defects of house drains and sinks through which offensive smells are let into houses; thorough washing and lime washing of uncleanly premises, especially of such as are densely occupied, should be practised again and again. 8. It may fairly be believed that, in considerable parts of the country, conditions favourable to the spread of Cholera are now less abundant than at any former time; and in this connexion, the gratifying fact deserves to be recorded that during recent years enteric fever, the disease which in its methods of extension bears the nearest resemblance to Cholera, has continuously and notably declined in England. But it is certain that in many places such conditions are present as would, if Cholera were introduced, assist in the spread of that disease. It is to be hoped that in all these cases, the local sanitary authorities will at once do everything that can be done to put their districts into a wholesome state. Measures of cleanliness, taken beforehand, are of far more importance for the protection of a district against Cholera than the removal or disinfection of filth after the disease has actually made its appearance. 9. It is important for the public very distinctly 9 to remember that pains taken and costs incurred for the purposes to which this Memorandum refers cannot in any event be regarded as wasted. The local conditions which would enable Cholera, if imported, to spread its infection in this country, are conditions which day by day, in the absence of Cholera, create and spread other diseases: diseases, which, as being never absent from the country, are in the long run, far more destructive than Cholera; and the sanitary improvements which would justify a sense of security against any apprehended importation of Cholera would, to their extent, though Cholera should never re-appear in England, give amply remunerative results in the prevention of those other diseases. GEORGE BUCHANAN, Medical Officer of the Board. Local Government Board, July 13, 1883. 10 Circular: [Vestries and District Boards.] ARTIZANS DWELLINGS ACTS. Local Government Board, Whitehall, s.w., 21st July, 1883. Sir, I am directed by the Local Government Board to advert to the Memorandum prepared by their Medical Officer on the precautions to be taken against Cholera, copies of which the Board recently forwarded to the Vestries and District Boards in the Metropolis. In that Memorandum attention was called to the importance of certain measures being taken with regard to water supply, the removal of refuse, and the cleansing of dwellings, and particularly of such dwellings as are densely occupied. In connection with this subject the Board are desirous of referring to the special powers conferred upon the vestries and district boards by the Artizans Dwellings Acts, 1868 to 1882, under which they are empowered to deal with dwellings of the working classes. Section 5 of the Act of 1868 requires the Medical Officer of Health, if he finds that any dwellinghouse or inhabited building is in a condition dangerous to health so as to be unfit for human 11 habitation, to report the same to the vestry or district board. This report is to be referred to a surveyor or engineer who is in turn to report on the cause of the evil, and the remedy, and whether the evil can be remedied by structural alterations, or whether the premises ought to be demolished. The Act provides for the consideration of all such reports by the vestry or district board, for opportunity being given to the owner to state his objections to them, and for the execution of the necessary works either by the owner or by the vestry or district board, and if needful for the demolition of the building. Attention should be directed to section 5 of the Act of 1879, under which the vestry or district board may in certain circumstances be required to purchase the premises. Section 8 of the Act of 1882 further provides that although a building is not in itself unfit for human habitation, yet the Medical Officer of Health is to report upon it if he finds that it is an "obstructive building" as defined by the section, i.e., that it is so situate that by reason of its proximity to other buildings, or its contact with them, it stops ventilation or otherwise conduces to make the other buildings to be in a condition unfit for human habitation, or else prevents proper measures from being carried into effect for remedying the evils complained of in respect of other buildings. The proceedings to be taken in connection with a report 12 on an obstructive building are analogous to those to be taken in respect of one on a building unfit for human habitation; but if the vestry or district board decide not to allow the objections which may be made by the owner, they must direct that the building shall be pulled down. Provision is made for compensation to the owner. The Board would impress upon the vestries and district boards the importance of giving effect to the powers conferred upon them by the Statutes in question in all those cases in which the exercise of such powers is required. They would urge them to direct their Medical Officers of Health to make returns without delay of the places which they consider ought to be dealt with under these Acts, and the Board would be obliged by being furnished with copies of such returns. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, HUGH OWEN, Secretary, The Vestry Clerk.