Report to Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State For the Home Department, from the Poor Law Commissioners, on an Inquiry Into the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain; With Appendices

Part 3

Chapter 32,596 wordsPublic domain

In Axbridge union, Somerset 10

In Chippenham union, Wilts 11

In Bedford union, Bedford 12

In Woburn union, Bedford 12

In Ampthill union, Bedford 12

In Bishop Stortford union, Hertford 12

In Witham union, Essex 13

In Windsor, Berks 13

In Epping union, Essex 14

In West Ham union, Essex 14

In Bromley union, Kent 14

In Bilston, Leicester 15

In Stafford (town of), Stafford, 16

In Macclesfield union, Chester 17

In Heaton Norris, Stockport union, Chester 17

In West Derby union, Lancaster 18

In Wigan union, Lancaster 19

In Durham (city of), Durham 20

In Barnard Castle, Durham 20

In Carlisle, Cumberland 21

In Gateshead, Durham 21

Condition of the Border peasantry 22

In Lochmaben, Scotland 23

In Glasgow and Edinburgh 23

II. PUBLIC ARRANGEMENTS, EXTERNAL TO THE RESIDENCES, BY WHICH THE SANITARY CONDITION OF THE LABOURING POPULATION IS AFFECTED— 25

Drainage.

_Town drainage of streets and houses._ 26

Instances of the effects on the public health of the neglect of town drainage—

At Derby 26

At Stockport 28

Comparative mortality in two similar towns, one drained, the other undrained—

At Beccles and Bungay, Suffolk 28

State of town cleansing at Leeds 29

At Tamworth 30

At Knutton and Chesterton, Stafford, &c. 30

At Liverpool 30

At Brighton 31

At Birmingham 32

At Edinburgh 33

At Tranent and Ayr 33

At Stirling 34

At Clitheroe, Lancashire 35

_Street and road cleansing—road pavements._ 36

Defective from want of skill or proper combination of means 36

Different influence on the public health of paved and unpaved streets, instance of, in Portsmouth 37

Instance of the effect on the public health of street cleansing in Macclesfield 37

Instances of the neglect of street cleansing—

In Manchester 38

In Leeds 39

Instances of the consequences on the public health of the neglect of road cleansing in rural districts in England and in Scotland 42

Discipline in respect to cleanliness of the army superior to the civic economy of the towns 44

_House cleansing as connected with street cleansing and sewerage._

Instances of the sanitary condition of houses in the metropolis where the cesspools do not communicate with the drains 45

Small value of refuse in London, in consequence of the expense of cartage 46

Effects on the health of the accumulation of refuse near the residences of the labouring classes: examples in

Greenock 46

Leeds 47

Cleansing by means of water-closets applicable to the poorer districts as being the most economical 48

Instance of the removal of the refuse of the city of Edinburgh by sewerage, and of its application to agriculture by irrigation 48

Objections by the citizens of Edinburgh to irrigation by sewers in the immediate vicinity of the city 49

Value of the refuse of London, on the scale of value of the refuse of Edinburgh 51

Modifications of the mode of sewerage of Edinburgh, to make a system of cleansing innoxious and profitable, and extend it to the residences of the poorer classes 52

Expense of street cleansing in Manchester 53

Defects of the prevalent mode of removing the refuse of houses by cartage, or otherwise than by sewerage 54

Instances of defective construction of sewers 55

Evidence on the action of improved modes of sewerage 55

Effects of different descriptions of streets upon the public health 59

Proposed mode of cleansing streets by sweeping the refuse into the sewers 60

Similar mode proposed of cleansing Paris 61

_Supplies of water._ 63

Necessity of improved supplies of water for house and street cleansing 63

Instances of the want of water in the houses, and of the effect on the personal and domestic habits of the lower classes of the population in towns 63

In Manchester, 64; in Truro union, 65; in Audley district of Newcastle-under-Lyme union, 65; in Dunmow union, 65; in Bishops Stortford union, 65; in Lexden and Winstree union, 65; in Wootton, Bedford, 66; in Edinburgh, 66; in Glasgow, 66; in Aberdeen, 67; in Stirling, 67; in Dundee, 67; in Greenock, 67; in Ayr, 67; in Arbroath, 67; in Renfrew, 68; in Dunfermline, 68; in Tain, 68; in Tranent 68

Inapplicability of the supplies of water to be obtained by fetching from the public wells 69

The supplies of water in London by machinery and pipes, and in Paris by cartage and hand carriage, compared 70

Cost of laying on water in labourers’ tenements and the economy of supply in such a mode 71

Supplies of water by private companies, not applicable to rural districts of small population 72

Complaints against the modes of supplies of water by private companies 72

Private companies do not ensure the best practicable supplies to the public 73

Instance of supplies of water obtained by the public without private companies 74

Necessity of general provisions of supplies of water 77

Unwholesome effects of bad water 77

_Sanitary effect of land drainage._ 80

General land drainage, effects of, on the health of the population, instances of in—

The Isle of Ely, 80; the Newhaven union, 81; the Ongar union, 81; the Gravesend and Milton union, 81; the Eastry union, 81 and 82; the Dunmow union, 82; the Epping union 82

Instances of—

In Scotland 83

Instances of the effect of land drainage upon the health of cattle 83

Instance of the effects of land floods and deficient land drainage in—

The Langport union, 85; the Chesterfield union, 87; the Dore union, 87; the Bicester union, 88; the Leighton Buzzard union, 88; the Foleshill union, 89; the Malton union, 89; Lochmaben, Scotland 90

Foreign illustrations of the effect of drainage upon the health of the population 90

Interests opposed to the cleansing of Paris 93

Class similar to the Chiffoniers found in English towns 94

Their personal habits 95

Collateral benefit of more effectual cleansing of towns in diminishing degrading employments 96

III. CIRCUMSTANCES CHIEFLY IN THE INTERNAL ECONOMY AND BAD VENTILATION OF PLACES OF WORK; WORKMEN’S LODGING-HOUSES, DWELLINGS, AND THE DOMESTIC HABITS AFFECTING THE HEALTH OF THE LABOURING CLASSES. 98

Various effects of overcrowding places of work, as shown in the case of one class of workmen 98

Comparative ease and economy of measures of prevention rather than of relief 104

Sanitary effects of ventilation on workpeople at Glasgow 107

Effects of defective ventilation on the health of milliners and dressmakers in the metropolis 107

Instances of the effects of defective ventilation of sleeping rooms of the working classes 108

Effects of the defective economy of lodging-houses and places of repose exemplified in the duration of life of one class of workmen 112

Instances of errors in respect to the sanitary effects of particular occupations 113

Injurious effects of deficient ventilation in schools 119

_Bad ventilation and overcrowding private houses._ 120

Great apparent increase in the proportionate number of houses according to the last census attributable to a different mode of making the return 120

Instances of great overcrowding in cottages in—

Greenock, 121; Tranent, 121; Sleaford union 122

_The want of separate apartments and overcrowding of private dwellings._ 122

Effects of the overcrowding of private dwellings on the morals of the population, instances of, in—

The Ampthill union, 122; the Leighton Buzzard union, 123; the Bicester union, 123; the Romsey union, 123; among the border peasantry, 124; in Manchester, Liverpool, Ashton-under-Lyne, and Hull, 124; in Leeds, 126; in Nottingham, 126; in Clitheroe 126

Instances of the injurious influences of bad tenements upon the personal condition and moral habits of the inmates 128

Effects of noxious agencies in preventing frugality and promoting intemperance 129

In preventing the influence of education 132

Force of habits of intemperance in the use of spirituous liquors against all habits of decency, or frugality, or morality 133

Misconceptions as to casualties occurring among the indigent or profligate 134

Intemperance the cause of fever 136

_Domestic mismanagement a predisposing cause of disease._ 137

Mismanagement of earnings obstructive to the domestic improvement of the sanitary condition of the labouring classes.

Instances of in—

Derby, 137; Birmingham, 138; Manchester, 139; Preston union, 140; Ayr, 141; Tranent, 141; Dundee 142

Attacks of fever most frequent on workmen in full employment and ordinary health 145, 147

Irrelevancy of controversy on the generation of fever, in respect to practical means of prevention 148

Concurrence of medical opinions as to the most efficient means of preventing fever 150

IV. COMPARATIVE CHANCES OF LIFE IN DIFFERENT CLASSES OF THE COMMUNITY. 153

Instances of the comparative chances of life amongst the gentry, tradesmen, and working men—

In Truro, 154; in Derby, 155; in Manchester, 157; in Rutland, 157; in the Bolton union, 158; in Bethnal Green, 159; in Leeds Borough, 159; in Liverpool, 159; in the Whitechapel union, 160; in the Strand union, 160; in the Kensington union, 161; in Wiltshire, 161; in the Kendal union 161

Tabular views of the ages at which deaths have occurred in different classes of society 162

Comparative mortality of differently circumstanced districts of the metropolis 164

Comparative prevalence of fever in different districts of Leith 167

High mortality not essential to towns 167

Comparative mortality in three classes of the community at Bath 168

Corroborative experience from Paris as to the influence of local circumstances on mortality 170

Improvements in the health of large towns chiefly confined to improved districts 171

Instance of progressive improvement in the social condition of the population concurrently with its increase in numbers 175

Prevalence of disease no evidence of the pressure of population on food 177

Variations of the proportion of deaths and births in different districts of the same town 178

Proportion of births to the population greatest where there is the greatest mortality 179

Proof that pestilence or excessive mortality does not diminish population 182

Numbers merely not the test of strength or prosperity of a community 185

Deterioration of the strength of the population by disease without diminishing its numbers 185

Increase of food or production concurrently with the increase of population 188

V. PECUNIARY BURDENS CREATED BY THE NEGLECT OF SANITARY MEASURES:— 188

Cost of remedies for sickness and of mortality which is preventible 188

Average ages of death of the heads of families of widows and orphans chargeable to the Manchester, Whitechapel, Bethnal Green, Strand, Oakham and Uppingham, Alston with Garrigill, and Bath unions 190

Table of the number of widows and dependent orphans chargeable in eight unions 191

Table of the chief cause of death producing widowhood and orphanage in eight unions 192

Detailed instances of the causes of widowhood and orphanage in Alston with Garrigill 193

Examples of the sanitary effects of superior care in the residences and the places of work of labourers—in the Reeth union, North York, 196; in Gwennap, Illogan, and Camborne, Cornwall, 198; in Great Bradford and Horton, West York 199

Comparison of a young population under favourable and a mature population under unfavourable circumstances 200

Effects of noxious physical agencies on the moral and intellectual condition of the working classes 202

Jurisprudential measures for the prevention of deaths from accidents 203

Cost of disease as compared with cost of prevention, instances of in Glasgow and Dundee 206

VI. EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECTS OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES IN RAISING THE STANDARD OF HEALTH AND THE CHANCES OF LIFE:— 211

Former health of gaols as compared with the present state 211

Effects of sanitary measures of prevention on the health of prisoners 214

Comparison of the experience of sickness amongst different classes of people 216

Amount of sickness experienced by the labouring classes 217

Defects of Insurance tables 218

Effects of sanitary measures in the prevention of disease in the army and navy 219

_Cost to tenants and owners of the public measures for drainage, cleansing, and the supplies of water, as compared with the cost of sickness_:— 222

Cost of measures of prevention as compared with the cost of sickness and mortality 222

Means of payment for improved accommodation 227

Impolicy of exemptions of tenements from proper charges 229

Injurious effects of exemptions of labourers’ tenements 230

Inability of workmen to improve their own condition 231

Necessity of extrinsic aid for the improvement of the condition of the working classes 232

_Employers’ influence on the health of workpeople, by means of improved habitations_:— 233

Advantages to labourers of holding tenements in connexion with their employments 233

Instance of a superior moral and sanitary condition enjoyed by workers in a cotton factory 236

Elevation of a manufacturing population by improvements in the condition of their dwellings 238

Most advantageous construction of manufactories for the health of the workpeople 240

_The employers’ influence on the health of workpeople_:— 245

By modes of payment which do not lead to temptations to intemperance 245

By the promotion of personal cleanliness 253

By the ventilation of the places of work and the prevention of noxious fumes, dust, &c. 256

By promoting respectability in dress 261

Employers’ or owners’ influence in the improvement of habitations and sanitary arrangements for the protection of the labouring classes in the rural districts 261

Instances of, in the Bedford Union, 262; Stafford Union, 263, in Norfolk and Suffolk, 264; at Harlaxton, Lincolnshire, 266; at the Earl of Rosebery’s estate, Scotland, 266; at Closeburn, Dumfries, 266; Turton and Bollington, Lancashire, 267; Birmingham 267

Instances of the influence of the materials used in building upon the health of the inmates in Cheshire, Lancashire, Buckingham and Berkshire 267

Instances of efficient improvements in the detail of labourers’ dwellings in Scotland 270

Improvements proposed for the construction of the dwellings of the lower classes in towns 272

_Effects of public walks and gardens on the health and morals of the lower classes of the population_ 275

VII. RECOGNISED PRINCIPLES OF LEGISLATION AND STATE OF THE EXISTING LAW FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH:— 279

Necessity of legislative interference for the protection of the health of the population 279

Spread of old evils in unprotected new districts by inefficient legislation 280

Dangers of increased charges for inefficient sanitary measures shifting without improving the population 282

Expulsion of labourers from old tenements without providing appropriate new ones, not invariably beneficial 286

Advantages in the regulation of the sites of dwellings 287

_General state of the law for the protection of the public health_:— 288

Medical police in Germany 288

Existing laws for the protection of the public health in England 289

Early state of the law for the protection of the public health 291

_State of the special authorities for reclaiming the execution of the laws for the protection of the public health_:— 296

General desuetude of the laws for the protection of the public health 296

State of the administration of the laws for the protection of the public health, by court leets and local trusts 299

_State of the local executive authorities for the erection and maintenance of drains and other works for the protection of the public health_:— 302

State of the obstructions to land drainage and works of private profit redounding to the public health 302

Injuries to private property as well as to the public health, occasioned by defective administration 305

Continuance of the causes of disease in the face of representations of their effects on the population 307

Areas of jurisdiction for drainage inconsistent with efficient operations 309

Prevalent misconceptions as to the objects and state of management of existing sewerage 311

Objections made to the existing local administration of the sewers’ rate 315

Securities requisite to obviate opposition to new expenditure for sewerage 316

Necessity of the subordinate drainage of private tenements being comprehended as part of one system 319

Disturbing local interests opposed to efficient management of expenditure in new districts 322

Obstacles arising from defective local arrangements for efficient expenditure in local public works 323