The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-26 00:00:00

DEATH FROM OVERWORK.

In consequence of a report which appeared in the
newspapers of an inquest held at the workhouse on
the body of the young woman, Mary Anne Walk-
ley, who was found dead on the premises of Mdme.
Elise, the dressmaker, at 170, Regent-street, Dr.
Lankester, in his capacity of medical efficer to the
parish of St. James's, Westminster, visited the place
on Monday last and presented a report on the sub-
ject at the vestry meeting held yesterday, of which
the following is an abstract. The premises used for
the business consist, not only of the house in Regent-
street, but of two houses in King-street. Dr. Lan-
kester visited the kitchens, dining rooms, and several
of the bedrooms, the whole of which were clean and
in good order. In all the bedrooms provision was
made for ventilation by top sashes of the win-.
dows being moveable. He found single, double, and
three b3dded rooms, each bed being occupied by
two young women. He especially examined the
room in which the young woman died, and found it
to contain 1,360 cubit feet of air, giving only 349
cubic feet to each of the four occupants. There were
two windows in the room, which could be let down
to secure ventilation. He next visited the work-
rooms, acd found 60 girls working there, which
together contained about 3,630 cubic feet of air, or
little more than 60 cubic feet to each individual.
Dr. Lankester then gives the number of occupants
and the cubical contents of the other rooms, the
allowance of air to each person being in some cases
as low as 108 cubic feet—the general average being
only 300, or below that of the room in which the
unfortunate young woman died. There are 19
bedrooms, containing 74 occupants. Dr. Lankester
goes on to say that, without passing any opinion on
the case which has been already investigated before
the proper tribunal, he considers that it opens up the
whole question of the interior condition of the
workshops, workrooms, and sleepingrooms of the
metropolitan workpeople. It also opens up the
question of the number of hours that persons may
be employed in sedentary occupations in ill-venti-
lated rooms. The whole of these are matters of the
greatest importance to the whole community, in-
volving the life and health of a large number of per-
sons. The parish of St. James's, Westminster, ought
to be particularly interested in this subject, from
containing a larger number of persons working in
shoprooms and workrooms in proportion to its po-
pulation than any other parish in ;he kingdom. It
is also in this parish that one of the most densely
populated districts exists, and in which the largest
amount of disease and death occurs from overcrowd-
ing; or, in other words, from a deficient supply of
fresh air. With regard to establishments like those
of Madame Elise, it is almost impossible, without
professional superintendence, that overcrowding in
some instances should not occur. Neither the heads
of the houses nor the young women themselves have
sufficient imtelligerce to know how to ventilate
rooms. Dr. Lankester considers that it is a ques-
tion worthy of the attention of the Legislature to
see whether some systematic co-operation, under
properly constituted officers, might take place
in all cases where large numbers of persons are
domiciled, as in schools, shops, workshops, and
workrooms. The confinement of young persons
in close rooms for 10, 12, 14, and 16 hours a day
must be destructive of health, and no amount of
sleeping space can make up for the evils inflicted
by such confinement. In the winter the case is still
worse, for many of the rooms are lighted with gas,
each gas burner consuming as ranch air as five per-
sons. It is therefore not so much to be wondered at
that a young person dies from the effects of the evil,
but that in so many cases the human systeta resists
the destructive influences brought to bear upon it
The vestry referred the report to a sub-committee,
to consider what steps should be taken in the matter.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

- ,b.,---

MANCHESTER-JUNE 25.

At our market this morning there was a fair attendance,
but the extreme fineness of the weather caused a rather
dull demand. For English wheat full prices were obtain-
able, while American was offered at 2d per 1001 b cheaper.
Oats and oatweal met a slow sale, with no improvement
in value. Flour scarcely inquired nor, and we cannot
alter the rates of last week. Indian corn receded 6d per
qr, Beans were the turn lower.