Epitome of evidence taken before the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the condition of all mines in Great Britain to which the provisions of the Act 23 & 24 Vict. cap. 155 do not apply, with reference to the health and safety of persons employed in such mines / presented to both houses of Paliament by command of Her Majesty.
- Great Britain. Royal Commission on Mines.
- Date:
- 1864
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Epitome of evidence taken before the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the condition of all mines in Great Britain to which the provisions of the Act 23 & 24 Vict. cap. 155 do not apply, with reference to the health and safety of persons employed in such mines / presented to both houses of Paliament by command of Her Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![(A.)—HEALTH AND DI of for it ?—I do not think that they would object to pay a penny a week, and I think that that would cover all the expense. 2696. {Mr. A. Bruce.) Surely it would not cover the expense of the soup?—Yes, it would. That does not include fii'ing or attendance. 2697. {Chairman.) You think that the men would bo willhif]; to pay a fair price for the advantage of getting some souj) on coming out from their work ?—I think so, if they had it once. 2698. (Mr. St. Avhyn.) Do yon know any mine where that has been tried H—Dolcoath. 2699. Ts it still continued ?—I think not. 2700. The men never paid a penny a week at Dol- coath. did they?—I think not. 2701. When Mr. Fox had the management of the mine he su])plipd soup ?—Yes. 2702. And when he left it that was left off ?—Yes, I think so. 2703. But you do not know any mine where the men pay a penny a week and have their soup ?—No. 2704. You, however, think that it would be a good thing ?—Yes. 2705. And that the men would do so ?—Yes. 2706. How much would you give them for that money, a pint of soup ?—Yes. A Miner (No. 5). 3097. {Chai'rman.)'What amount of butcher's meat are you able to purchase in a week ?—At the gettings which we are allowed, we cannot afford more than about 3 lbs. or 3h]hs. Mr. Egbert Dunstan. 3579. (Chairmnv.) Do you think that they get suffi- cient food, considering the work they have to do ?—No, I do not, verj- often many of them. 3580. Many men are working in low levels in a hot temperature, but they do not get sufficient food to make up for the waste ?—Nor do they get the food that their appetite requires, because miners have very delicate appetites. Mr. William Wale T-^yler. 3710. (Chairman.) I suppose that they require an ad- ditional amount of good food to make up for the loss of that weiglit ?—Yes. 3711. Do you think that what the miners working in that depth are able to earn is sufficient to provide them with an amount of animal food to make uj) for the loss sustained in working in those hot mines ?—I think that, I as a general rule, a miner's wages, that is to say, the wages of a tributer, are very uncertain; it must be so from the nature of his employment; it is a specu- lation . 3712. Therefore Avhenhe is not earning he must have less food ?—He must have less food. 3713. With regard to the tutwork men, do they work in that hot temperature ?—T suppose that they are not ' exposed to so much heat as those who are working in the deep passages, or whatever they may be termed ; but I do not know much of the interior of amine. I 3714. In examining any of your patients, have you ever put the question to them as to the amount of food which they have ; whether it is sufficient to keep up their strength ; and can you tell us the amount of food which they obtain ?—The miner unfortunately does not eat much animal food,—not the quantity which he ought to eat,—because the diet of the country is principally pasties ; they make almost everything into what is termed a pasty, and they prefer that. 3715. Will you describe what the pasties are composed of ?—Pasties are composed of a crust of flour and various kinds of vegetables, potatoes, and onions, and apples, and a very little meat, all combined together very fre- quently. 3716. In your opinion has that description of food sufiRcient nutritive qualities in it to make up for any great loss of weight by the exertion incident to working in a hot mine ?—I think that they ought to eat more animal food, but I do not think that you could prevail on them to do so. I think that they prefer the food which they have been in the habit from their childhood of par- taking of. Whatever their wages might be, I do not think that they would alter their diet. I have often remonstrated with them upon the small quantity of animal food that they consume. c SEASES OF MINERS. 3717. In your opinion they do not consume a grca^ (A. c.) Fond of amount of animal food ?—No ; I should say not one half the Miners. so much, taking the average, excepting in some very bad labouring districts, as the agricultural labourers, not, for instance, the Dorsetshire labourers, or some others, who have been pi-omineutly brought forward ; but taking the average, I do not think that they con- sume so much animal food, and in fact they do not wish to do so. 3718. When they return home after working at the mine, from your own knowledge, can you say what they have then ?—That is their principal meal; they are very fond of fried bacon and eggs, then they have what is called a supper, and they generally do not eat pasties at that time ; it is more miscellaneous, broth and vegetables and bacon, and of course some meat. 3719. That is their principal meal?—That, I should say, was their principal meal decidedly on a week day. 3720. And it does not comprise much . meat ?—The meat is very small in proportion ; it is not so much as it ought to be. 3721. Can you give the Commissioners any informa- tion as to how we could ascertain the amount of meat which ordinary miners, as a general rule, consume ? —I think that it could be ascertained by taking the butchers in either of the towns, and by making a cal- culation of the number of butchers, and the quantity of meat which they sell, and the number of men; I made a rough calculation once, and I was quite as- tonished at the small quantity of animal food, considering the population. 3722. But your opinion is that, considering the work which miners do, it would be very desirable that they should have more animal food ?—Yes. 3781. With respect to the miner's food—you know what their wages are—are the average gainings of the tutwork men and the tribute men such as to enable them to buy the food necessary for their hard work ?— Yes; they have the means to buy sufficient food for their hard work. 3782. But you fancy, from your experience, that they do not eat animal food enough ?—They do not. 3783. They have too much liking for the pasty ?— Yes. 3784. Do you know much of the agricultural la- bourers as well as of the mining population ?—I do not. 3785. You have not medical intercourse with them ? —No; but I know that the men engaged in the railway consumed about three times as much animal food as the miners. 3786. I suppose a navvy eats about six times as much as you could eat ?—I do not know ; I consume a good deal. 3787. Are you aware that a navvy will eat as much as three pounds of meat day ?—Yes ; I am aware that they eat a good deal. 3788. Are you or not, much mixed up with agricul- tural labourers ?—No. 3789. Then you can hardly enter into the comparative diet between the agricultural labourer and the miner ? —No; I do know that I am competent to give an opinion, upon that point ; but I consider that the minei- does not eat so much animal food as he ought to do. 3790. He takes his pasty underground, and it is not a healthy food in your opinion ?—It is not a healthy food, and the quantity of meat in it is very small. 3791. But when he comes home in the evening he has his grand meal ?—That is his principal meal. 3792. And then he indulges in fried potatoes and bacon ?—Yes. 3793. Does he consume much fried potatoes and bacon ?—Yes ; an immense quantity ; he is very fond of fried potatoes. 3794. The potatoes are boiled first of all, are they not ?—Yes. 3795. And then are fried in fat ?—Yes. 3796. And they eat them with bacon?—Yes. 3797. Is that a wholesome food or not?—I think it is wholesome and nutritious ; it seems to agree with them very well. Potatoes are considered very nutritious. Mr. John Peabce. 4155. (Mr. Austin Bruce.) What kind of food would you especially recommend for them, within the limit of their means ?—I think a limited quantity of animal food. 2](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2398482x_0021.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
