The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-02 00:00:00

HEALTH OF LONDON ASSOCIATION.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.

This report is the result of the labours of a body of
I gentlemen calling themselves the Health of London
Association. It is a condensation of the answers that
were returned to three thousand lists of queries which
were circulated amongst medical men, clergymen,
architects, surveyors, and others, in London and the
neighbourhood, and a more painful picture of the
sanitary state of this metropolis could hardly be
afforded. We are at a lose to know what terms
to employ in speaking of this subject, so fright-
ful is the amount of wretchedness, disease, and
death by which we are surrounded, and so apathetic
and heartless are the public on this subject. The
lash applied to the back of a slave reverberates across
the Atlantic, and stirs up every heart ; the sufferings
of a handful of South Sea Islanders bring the so-
disant Christian world in thousands and tens of
thousands to the gatherings of Exeter-hall ; but who
will listen to the still small voice of misery at their
own doors? Even now, whilst we are writing, tens
of thousands are stretched on beds of pain and
anguish, the dying by the side of the dead. Fever,
and scrofula, and consumption, are carrying on their
wasting processes within a few yards of the houses
of the wealthy ; and yet no one cares for them. If
there be a duty or a virtue, more especially imperative,
it is that of alleviating the distress of the sick and
the destitute, and yet scarcely a hand is stretched out,
a voice lifted up, to remove from this vast population
the oppression of disease and death which hes so hard
upon it. We are not talking beyond oar reckoning.
It has been proved over and over again, beyond all
possibility of a doubt, that not less than EIGHTY
THOUSAND persons die annually in this country from
removable causes. Hundreds will read this state-
ment and heedlessly lay down the paper without a
wish or a thought towards alleviating this awful mass
of human misery. Others will, perhaps, say " it is no
business of mine ;" and others, again, " what can
I do ?" We say that it is everybody's busi-
ness, and that everybody can do something.
Every one can petition parliament for the passing of
Lord Morpeth's Sanitary Bill. Every one can urge
upon town councils, poor-law guardians, overseers
and others, the necessity of removing local causes of
disease. Sanitary committees for diffusing informa-
tion on the subject of public health could be formed
in every town and village of the kingdom. Towards
this every one may do something.
The report before us refers more particularly to
London ; but it represents the condition of every
large town in the kingdom. To the question,
" have you observed sickness and disease to arise from
badly constructed and ill-ventilated dwellings, from
imperfect sewerage, and from bad cleansing of the
streets, courts, and alleys ?" the following extracts
are from the summary albs answers :

It is difficult to gam, ea Muftis Or 'peeral sentiments of
horror entertained bye sopeekelaregstein " the dreadful demo-
tution of human ilte," awl lie .• hormialle extent of sickness and
disease" caused by beillininsopt awl swamp ; while it is in evidence
that " these evils have a direst InniliMny le senate more serious ones
in uncleanly habits, and a train oteleee le sweep away many thou-
sands id the pour, whose lives are ens wen diary and ill-kealth."
Destructive as these evils are, they deed indirectly
proclaim others equally deetnetivv=eles, moral degra-
dation, Ermtkennem, ktn. 11 end proved, that
direst hes often bees lamed le theleemen. sot nab maw the poor,
but swept the noted* drew le • peat extent, awl ent the slckly
appeasers mad depessel peared heft which chareelethee vast pro-
' portion ef the Inbabilenlisaf enrenbt porta of this menet& have their
trot, Get& it *me einem le life wise established Oat the amain&
tie Mahe et arsillatien ems beret le highly unhvetnehie be the
dm=the
elf Megan elm It mist ken ether ezirereems swam •
POW 111110M0 6148.110.011115=8,1116.811.1rianOffigvu • ofroe7-
wheeSeleted tat a Item diner, eel typhus trier le pa&
rated end hp the ore aas flhee=„..the p.m
sad of their breatedlele in/ fry as es ve
se the utter west of. setrenega; while sume GUY awls owl eller
in the Whiteebmiel Ma% al Weer, ports of dr eneerepelle beer
Is never absent. Imam= we pima/ edge, nee ef typhus beer
from open rower; eel elm gellyiheina, Thee levers an pearally
severe. This frightfial mew eel thl at neaehoeh le his
prime, the fertile source of Andrea mid .tanage, al peepsehre
and crime, is ever In active egeretlen b Se city.
And again,

Betides the vsneoereary .rte of hale= life by fever sad fibrils
demesnes to this metropolia, It is ululated that of theme who ass aally
die of consumption, 2,500 might he saved by peeper sadtmey sway
mores; and one-math of that maddity I. attributed he Ur dallsient
ventilation of worlothops; while Inestvglis are attribehol le the eau
Milan of the dwellings of the page. ileatale is mother bras of de.
eau which is stated to be Weft Beadmal by the behsomentioset
amen, and which greatly tinkllidee he swell the airtality sod
amount of Meuse of the pew et thr notrepiir. We hove sere
sore eyes, =violate dares cilia bore dal et Jalterd the skin,
of the bowels, and of the Orals. It as sorrisi or authority that
the repeated I mind:ion at the eldeephere le awe et sem-
fula ; that l. there be oak* de Mew mair he Oat hut, bad
clothing, and want of personal bat that he
illoree
does not exist ; and It Ii pm* SO a weed tow* air, red the
want of coercive, ere the dal MIN dolma sill the Alarm reared
to workhouses, and ri.oilar aelabliehmenie la Oh awl bodge soon-
urea, becoming acrofuloug Oda dbeedelsve their wet brelle scarce
La the causes referreJ to.

Now who is to remove these evils? Can tho poor
do it? This is impossible; neither their education nor
their poverty allow of this. The landlords will not
do it; town councils and corporations have seen it
before their eyes for years, and have not done it ; and
if the government does not do it, rely upon it it will
never be done at all.
The answer to the question, " Are all the houses
and streets in your neighbourhood provided with
sewers and drains ?" shows the terrible neglect of this
most obvious source of heath.

The raven and drains are in a asa isilhata state In many part
of the metropolis and it. eurirena. Mum Ni arab with 'area
and bowwa without drains, sad wan wawa thaw are swam the
houses an frequently without dabs ssammlisft_with this swam
Alfalfa all the hOllllOl 0111111Will4 =JIM Malt balm le Ifs
Royal Hospital, ban sewn air dram Ms
pulite and priests deslgs"l4 ea la • lied dila el=
plat an have greater astaiel awakes& he Es sal
peen there are tee mama eal Mum via dew seam or baba
In Penton-street, Poiltanfla. Ire b as tsar Wits drams Is
ss defective lamesa sera et As ad,
situated an a Mi. Ike via b.,
inhabitants Ni esapsilei to flea sa. la Pealeargeve ass
drainage is a bai eat asser Maas Ni mist la seaspera
Heaney-ad Is pertly whims& a war. 8 We Cammaisi-1181
end M. tleoripe%-ladrivlisa line re se mow% ire at ladsaa
after heavy robs, Ni mug bar wait war, ad van the
water trades II lean aa aromalaisa of Ea ma Art if lie watt
deserlpuon. Tao Is de a ameba slimb am Or gnaw. In
the parish of Linabonns as sway Is ear bapscelat lot be
considered wore than gain saran drama lama lee sewers are
not deep enough to aria W ewswasnl Owla hla worthy of re-
mark, that the sevrer.rste Is elms" marry loess waive there
no sewer, in an equal ratio as whom Drum ans.
- -

. .
The answers to the queedeas on the supply, of
water and its influence on health are just as decisive.
The great majority of the poor are wretchedly sup-
plied with water, and it is not their fault that they are
dirty. The evidence is quite as clear that a dirty skin
produces disease as self other causes of death. AU
the answers to the games are very decided in advo-
cating legislative interference for a better supply of
water in our large town.

By univetwal comment It la adaltted that the itercity at water con-
dones to uneleanlinses md labodlit, sod that the toolkets of the
poor are wrratly abridged Is amoodomm. It Is, thembro the duty
of the lonvlature, as the imams of tin poor, le topes mood
wonditiolv on the water tompleios, det por Arad be pro-
vided with an abundant supply et wallor. aid the palle.protected
from narearenade charms. TY poor air= htomelimal
payed, dhty by hodiaatlea ; wordy of
water,
without the Wow et aces sod doseidlod twe et ern lights
or t
rtairo—wlitch. owing to dus 'Woe tn. mriolidi add a
dead ray fh 14ht—eml as homothite Impretwooot w 2 lake place,
not oaly in otdr per or MONA lied la heir weeket,
owl morality. The Wow d Milos weer rhea err=
moo, portbahrly the add ma Oa% Is raid la array
they weir atherwWlaw mm ord Ere Ye 7 d emepeelly
assopotzir.aalom et= par
wrivedi= OW.
water on aid dawn =s et a lolly beer Sirs
tea bean eoppitodl old War, am beer ted al=
Knew hare hoormeall, sod draw le lom dram letely, ohm orders
were glees ley path n aster de dloooldo of Dr. Lye* le lot the
water raft body OR ere et the err to the City at lamb" whoa
Orate prerleat, the welt emer, Mersa te Mkt len
rem Mr parr wrie phOrkory prompted dem Is hens• tho
ardor ke Ea Muer supply et Moe.
Under the heads of ventilation, light, street