[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch].

  • St. Leonard Shoreditch (London, England). Parish Council.
Date:
1857
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Shoreditch]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    8 I am at last enabled to record the final discontinu ance of the mistaken practice of burying the dead in the midst of the living: last year the Church-yard of Haggerstone Church which had been used as a burial place for the parish poor was closed. During the quar ter just expired, the last church in the parish, in which the practice had lingered, has been closed against vault interments, under an order from the Secretary of State. For an indefinite time to come, the slow decomposition of the bodies already deposited in our intramural grave yards and under our churches, must continue to give forth miasmata more or less prejudicial. It is at least satisfactory to know that no fresh material being added the evil may be expected gradually to decline. I regret to say that the water supplied by the New River Company has not yet attained that degree of purity which is essential to health, and which alone ought to satisfy the public. It is largely contaminated with organic matter. The water of the East London Company is comparatively pure. The restrictions in the mode of supply persisted in by the Companies ope rate as a serious impediment to sanitary progress. Amongst the most important sanitary operations of the quarter, is the closure of Bull-court. The condi tion of this place as the constant nursery and abode of fever, and factory of pauperism, had early attracted my attention. It seemed incapable of material improve ment. When the inhabitants were first enumerated in August last by Mr. Ditchman, they numbered 146, in