- Email: [email protected]
SANITARY CONDITION OF WHITECHAPEL.
684 Since the cattle
plague has been confined within tolerably need be no difficulty in extirpating it there limits, the tedious restrictions on the entire without even promptly, trade of the country. To accomplish this we require men of brains, and not laws. Legislation does much, but never can make up for the want of individual effort. During the past fortnight the cattle plague has extended its This recrudescence of area of prevalence in the metropolis. the malady is attributed to an inexplicable omission in the Orders in Council concerning the disease. Elsewhere, under the operation of these orders, it is illegal to movecattle without licence. The metropolis has been exempted from this very prudent and proper regulation. In the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Bill now before Parliament this omission is provided for, and the Privy Council will be strengthened in its powers to meet the evil generally. Up to May llth (the ninety-seventh week since the prevalence of cattle plague) 278,561 head of cattle had been attacked in Great Britain by the disease, of which 99,799 were killed, 133,464 died, 40,182 recovered, and 5116 were unaccounted for. The comparative course of the disease in 1865, 1866, and 1867 is shown in the accompanying Table. narrow
have been taken down for improvements during the last few years, it is probable that the population has decreased. The number of cases of illness among the poor attended was, in 1860, 11,392 ; in 1862, 14,270 ; in 1864, 14,932; and 16,502 in 1S66. One of the many disgraceful features in the sort of accommodation which the labouring classes of this metropolis are compelled to put up with is thus referred to by Mr. Liddle :owing to the defects in the several Building Acts, landlords, in order to economise space, have built houses without having provided them with back yards, in which a privy for the use of the inhabitants of each house ought to have been placed. In those courts where the houses have been so built, the privies are erected in the open space in front of the houses; and as these privies are accessible to the public, they are a constant source of nuisance. But even if the public generally had not access to them, they would be a nuisance to the inhabitants of the locality. They are not properly constructed; they are not in sufficient number for the use of the tenants; and they are not provided with seats for children, so that they cannot be used by them : the consequence is either that the floor of the privies is covered with filth, or the court itself is more or less covered with human excrement, to the annoyance of the inhabitants, and the disgust of the persons engaged in visiting the abodes of the poor. And, lastly, there is no arrangement made for setting apart distinct privies for the use of males and females, but they are used indiscriminately by both sexes."W
Mr. Liddle hopes to be able to put an end, in some measure, a state of things so incredibly disgusting as soon as the new regulations relating to lodging-houses come into operation in his district; and he urges the amendment of the Building Act so as to ensure proper space for closet accommodation in houses hereafter erected. Mr. Liddle adds: "Unless some stringent to
measures are
The reappearance of the cattle plague in the kingdom local phenomenon. The disease is showing signs of activity in Central Europe, the Danubian provinces, and Turkey in Asia. Much alarm has been excited in Egypt by the recrudescence of the epizootic in the districts bordering on the Black Sea and along the Danube. a
enforced to
prevent
the erection of
unhealthy
houses, the ratepayers of London will not only be called upon for an extra rate for the improvement of the Metropolis and for the relief of the distress consequent upon the ill-health engendered by persons living in such unhealthy houses, but they will have to pay an additional rate for the purchase of them to pull them down, in consequence of their being totally unfit for human habitations." There can be no doubt whatever that the building of houses without regard to sanitary requirements is not more disadvantageous to the health of the people than to the interests of the ratepayers. But preventive medicine is a science which is yet little understood or appreciated. As a veteran in the service of sanitary reform, Mr. Liddle is well aware of the apathy against which he and his brother healthofficers have to contend. " Fever and other epidemic diseases are always amongst us, and large sums of money are annually expended to mitigate the sufferings of those attacked, but not is not sufficient interest is felt in the prevention of such diseases." THE BENGAL MEDICAL COLLEGE.
THE annual distribution of prizes and diplomas to the students of the Bengal Medical College was made by his Excellency the SANITARY CONDITION OF WHITECHAPEL. Governor-General of India on the 12th of April last, when the report of the progress of the medical school was given at some MR. LIDDLE’S report for the quarter ending March 30th ex- length. We are pleased to observe that the popularity of the. hibits a slight increase of births and a decrease of deaths com- College amongst the native aspirants for a medical career is pared with the corresponding season of last year. Diseases of still on the increase. The main drawbacks to success are a the respiratory organs caused 24 per cent. of the quarter’s mor- want of knowledge of the English language, and an imperfect tality, showing how fatal was the excessive cold which pre- preliminary education. The authorities point out that the vailed in January. More than one-third of the deaths (35.9 efficient remedy is to improve the status and emoluments of per cent.) were of children under five years of age. 4902 new ’, those alumni of the College who have entered the service of cases of disease were attended by the medical officers of the Government on a scale commensurate with the improvements union, including 77of small-pox (against 81 in the March which have been effected in other branches of the service, so quarter of 1S66), 24 of scarlet fever, 54 of fever, 109 of I as to elable men to make the necessary outlay to fit them for whooping-cough, and 160 of diarrhosa. The duties of the the performance of the duties of medical men. Unless concesmedical officers are annually increasing, although from the sions are now made it is clear that educated gentlemen will seek large number of houses chiefly occupied by the poor which other employment in another sphere than that of the medical
I
plague has been confined within tolerably need be no difficulty in extirpating it there limits, the tedious restrictions on the entire without even promptly, trade of the country. To accomplish this we require men of brains, and not laws. Legislation does much, but never can make up for the want of individual effort. During the past fortnight the cattle plague has extended its This recrudescence of area of prevalence in the metropolis. the malady is attributed to an inexplicable omission in the Orders in Council concerning the disease. Elsewhere, under the operation of these orders, it is illegal to movecattle without licence. The metropolis has been exempted from this very prudent and proper regulation. In the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Bill now before Parliament this omission is provided for, and the Privy Council will be strengthened in its powers to meet the evil generally. Up to May llth (the ninety-seventh week since the prevalence of cattle plague) 278,561 head of cattle had been attacked in Great Britain by the disease, of which 99,799 were killed, 133,464 died, 40,182 recovered, and 5116 were unaccounted for. The comparative course of the disease in 1865, 1866, and 1867 is shown in the accompanying Table. narrow
have been taken down for improvements during the last few years, it is probable that the population has decreased. The number of cases of illness among the poor attended was, in 1860, 11,392 ; in 1862, 14,270 ; in 1864, 14,932; and 16,502 in 1S66. One of the many disgraceful features in the sort of accommodation which the labouring classes of this metropolis are compelled to put up with is thus referred to by Mr. Liddle :owing to the defects in the several Building Acts, landlords, in order to economise space, have built houses without having provided them with back yards, in which a privy for the use of the inhabitants of each house ought to have been placed. In those courts where the houses have been so built, the privies are erected in the open space in front of the houses; and as these privies are accessible to the public, they are a constant source of nuisance. But even if the public generally had not access to them, they would be a nuisance to the inhabitants of the locality. They are not properly constructed; they are not in sufficient number for the use of the tenants; and they are not provided with seats for children, so that they cannot be used by them : the consequence is either that the floor of the privies is covered with filth, or the court itself is more or less covered with human excrement, to the annoyance of the inhabitants, and the disgust of the persons engaged in visiting the abodes of the poor. And, lastly, there is no arrangement made for setting apart distinct privies for the use of males and females, but they are used indiscriminately by both sexes."W
Mr. Liddle hopes to be able to put an end, in some measure, a state of things so incredibly disgusting as soon as the new regulations relating to lodging-houses come into operation in his district; and he urges the amendment of the Building Act so as to ensure proper space for closet accommodation in houses hereafter erected. Mr. Liddle adds: "Unless some stringent to
measures are
The reappearance of the cattle plague in the kingdom local phenomenon. The disease is showing signs of activity in Central Europe, the Danubian provinces, and Turkey in Asia. Much alarm has been excited in Egypt by the recrudescence of the epizootic in the districts bordering on the Black Sea and along the Danube. a
enforced to
prevent
the erection of
unhealthy
houses, the ratepayers of London will not only be called upon for an extra rate for the improvement of the Metropolis and for the relief of the distress consequent upon the ill-health engendered by persons living in such unhealthy houses, but they will have to pay an additional rate for the purchase of them to pull them down, in consequence of their being totally unfit for human habitations." There can be no doubt whatever that the building of houses without regard to sanitary requirements is not more disadvantageous to the health of the people than to the interests of the ratepayers. But preventive medicine is a science which is yet little understood or appreciated. As a veteran in the service of sanitary reform, Mr. Liddle is well aware of the apathy against which he and his brother healthofficers have to contend. " Fever and other epidemic diseases are always amongst us, and large sums of money are annually expended to mitigate the sufferings of those attacked, but not is not sufficient interest is felt in the prevention of such diseases." THE BENGAL MEDICAL COLLEGE.
THE annual distribution of prizes and diplomas to the students of the Bengal Medical College was made by his Excellency the SANITARY CONDITION OF WHITECHAPEL. Governor-General of India on the 12th of April last, when the report of the progress of the medical school was given at some MR. LIDDLE’S report for the quarter ending March 30th ex- length. We are pleased to observe that the popularity of the. hibits a slight increase of births and a decrease of deaths com- College amongst the native aspirants for a medical career is pared with the corresponding season of last year. Diseases of still on the increase. The main drawbacks to success are a the respiratory organs caused 24 per cent. of the quarter’s mor- want of knowledge of the English language, and an imperfect tality, showing how fatal was the excessive cold which pre- preliminary education. The authorities point out that the vailed in January. More than one-third of the deaths (35.9 efficient remedy is to improve the status and emoluments of per cent.) were of children under five years of age. 4902 new ’, those alumni of the College who have entered the service of cases of disease were attended by the medical officers of the Government on a scale commensurate with the improvements union, including 77of small-pox (against 81 in the March which have been effected in other branches of the service, so quarter of 1S66), 24 of scarlet fever, 54 of fever, 109 of I as to elable men to make the necessary outlay to fit them for whooping-cough, and 160 of diarrhosa. The duties of the the performance of the duties of medical men. Unless concesmedical officers are annually increasing, although from the sions are now made it is clear that educated gentlemen will seek large number of houses chiefly occupied by the poor which other employment in another sphere than that of the medical
I