The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-19 00:00:00

Mr. BALLANTINE would be quite satisfied with Mr.
axon's bail without any other.
The prisoner then made a low bow, wished the ma-
gistrate a good evening, and was removed in the van to
the prison.

TREATMENT OF THE POOR IN
ST. PANCRAS WORKHOUSE.
The inquiry into the alleged ill-treatment of some of
the inmates of St. Pancras workhouse was returned
yesterday, by adjournment from Tuesday last, before
the directors and guardians of the poor of the parish.
The members of the board were engaged in the trana-
actioa of ordinary parish business until two o'clock,
when the investigation was resumed. Mr. C. E. Wag-
staff, churchwarden, presided. Several members of the
vestry were present. The district medical officers of the
parish had been summoned to attend this meeting, and
the board at once proceeded to hear their statements.
Mr. Harrison, one of the district surgeons, was the
first witness examined. He stated that, having looked
through the diet table, he considered there could be no
objection to it, provided the fel was of the best
quality. His attention had been particularly drawn to
the dietary table for the paupers in the refractory
ward; and he must say, though they deserved some
punishment, that he did not think it prudent to de-
prive them of animal food altogether. (Some con-
versation here took place beta-c n Mr. Harrison arid
several members of the board, in the course of which it
appeared that Mr. Harrison had misunderstood the re-
gulations of the refractory ward. His impression was
that the inmates of that ward were altogether deprived
of animal food, but it was explained that the refractory
paupers received only 4oz. of meat three times a week,
while the other inmates of the house received 6 )z.) Ile
should say that the suspension of meat rations was de-
cidedly prejudicial to health. He did not think there
Was much to complain of in the present dietary, sup-
posing the porri lge, the butter, and the cheese, were of
the best quality. The allowance was not great, but it
was enough to keep people in health. If the milk por-
ridge was good, he did not know but that the allowance
was sufficient; if it was of bad quality, he would say de-
cidedly that the quantity allowed was not enough. He
had heard that the milk porridge in the house Was thin;
that only a quart of dairy milk was allowed to six quarts
of oatmeal. If that were the case it was not milk-
porridge, bht water-porridge. With regard to the beef,
a great deal depended upon the manner in which it was
served up; whether it was well cooked or not sufficiently
cooked. It appeared that the inmates generally had beer
allowed on the days when they had meat and potatoes.
His opinion was that it would be advisable to allow them
beer on the days when they had no meat.
Mr. HOWARTH—Do you consider, when persons have
grossly misconducted themselves, and when no work is
exacted from them, that it would be prejudicial to their
health to keep them for one week on the dietary of this
workhouse, without meat ?—I should say, as far as that
week goes, that such a course would be decidedly pre-
judicial. If they commenced the week in good health,
they would be far more likely to be unwell than well
at its termination. It might not be prejudicial in every
case, but, generally speaking, I think it would be so.
Mr. How/serif—l want to know whether you think
that the health of refractory, able-bodied, and healthy
paupers would be injured by depriving them of two
ounces of meat on alternate days ?—I should say it
would be decidedly injurious to their health.
In answer to a question from Mr. T. H. Smith, Mr.
Harrison stated that he had not seen the " sheds" in
which the refractory paupers were confined, and at ti.
request of the board he proceeded to inspect them.
Mr. Erasmus Wilson, consulting surgeon to the parish,
was then examined—He said, if the food of the inmates
of the workhouse is, bond fide, what is represented in the
diet table, I consider it very excellent diet, with one ex-
ception. I thick the broth might be improved by mix-
ing peas with the barley.
The CHAIRMAN—In the refractory ward a reduction
of two ounces is made in the allowance of meat, which is
served to the paupers three times a week. Do you
think that could be prejudicial to the health of the pau-
pers?—l think if the broth were better, if it were made
more nutritive and palatable, there could be no objection
to such a reduction.
Mr. HOWARTH—Do you think any injury would re-
sult to paupers who had been guilty of misconduct by
depriving them, for three alternate days in one week of
two ounces of meat daily, substituting four ounces of
potatoes ?—I should say if the other articles of food
mentioned in the diet table were of good quality, there
could be no objection to such a reduction in the allow-
ance of meat for one week; but all other articles ought
to be of good quality.
Mr. Wilson then suggested that the paupers should
have a larger amount of milk and sugar. He consi-
dered that the dimunition of the allowance of meat for
one week would not have an injurious effect on the
health of a growing girl or boy, provided their other
diet was good; but he did not think it a judicious mode
of punishment.
Mr. Harrison recalled—l have seen the place called
the " shed," and I was agreeably surprised at its ap-
pearance. I expected to find a much more inferior place.
I think, however, that it ought to be two or three feet
higher. The bed-room in the women's shed is decidedly
objectionable. I think there is nothing to complain of as
to the men's rooms. The women's bed-room is not a fit
place for any one to sleep in; the wall is damp for a
considerable distance on both sides of the fire-place, and
about the fire-place itself.
Mr. Curteis, a district surgeon, stated—The dietary of
this house is much superior to that of the generality of
I similar establishments. I find that three pints pf por-
ridge a day are allowed for each individual. Now, if
oee ounce and a nail or oatmeal is alrewed to a pint of
porridge, that is more than is allowed by the Poor-
, law Commissioners, and not far below the allowance at
the Naval Asylum at Greenwich. I think it is injudi-
cious to diminish the allowance of food to paupers in the
shed, becatve persons suffering punishment, and who are
in a state of depression, require more stimulating food
than free men.
Mr. HOWARTH said it was unjust to suppose that the
system of separation adopted in the house was regarded
as a mode of punishment.
Mr. Curteis understood that the inmates of the refrac-
tory ward considered they were regarded as an inferior
class to the paupers in the house.
Mr. E. Wilson, who, since his previous examination,
had visited the sheds, was here recalled, and examined
by the CHAIRMAN—He said, I consider that the rooms
in the refractory ward, especially the men's working-
room, are very ill ventilated. The women's sleeping-
room is very damp, and it appeared to me that this
dampness arose from defective draining. I think the
women's bed-room is much too low, considering the
number of persons who occupy it.
Mr. Todd, a district surgeon, stated that he found the
porridge made for the paupers was not milk-porridge,
but a kind of water-gruel, without much milk. If they
gave the paupers water-gruel, they ought to use oatmeal
ground more coarsely than that which they now used.
He had lived upon oatmeal-porridge, taking also half a
pint of milk in the morning, for eight successive years,
without tasting animal food. He had gone round the
wards to-day. Some of the paupers had made com-
plaints about the food. He had told them they filled out
their clothes so well that they could not be on low diet.
He did not think that if persons were put on low diet
for one week it would be prejudicial to their health.
By Mr. T. H. SMITH—I have visited two apartments
called the " sheds." My opinion is, that there is cot
a workshop in this metropolis half so good as
the me,-'s shed, though a little better venti-
lation would make it • cooler. I never was in
a workshop in this city where there was half
the comforts the men have in the shed. The working-
room of the women is rather low, but still there is good
ventilation. I looked into their bed-room. There is a
dampness in the corner which ought not to exist in a
sleeping apartment. I consider that a sleeping-room
ought not to be below the level of the ground.
Mr. T. H. SMITH thought the master of the work-
house, or the surveyor, ought to have informed the board
of the condition of the women's room.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Curteis was recalled, and stated that he had been
to see the rooms occupied by the refractory paupers. It
appeared to him that the work-room did very well.
They did not appear to want air there, but that must,
of course, depend in a great measure on the number of
persons who might be in the apartment. If the ceiling
were higher the ventillation would be much better. In
his opinion, from the number of beds in the sleeping
room, the accommodation in that respect was very de-
fective. In the hospitals a cube of nine feet was allowed
for each individual ; but the room to which he referred
was about 30 feet long by 17 or 18 feet wide, and some-
times 27 or 28 persons were crowded into it. According
to the practice at the hospitals, that room ought not to
contain more than six individuals.
Mr. Johnson, district surgeon, stated that if the pre-
scribed dietary were perfectly carried out he could not
see much objection to it. He did not think, if persons
were deprived of meat diet fur a week, their other allow-
ance of food ;remaining the same, that such a course
would be 'prejudicial to health. He had been in the
men's working room, and it was a great deal better than
the generality of workshops in London.
Mr. Harrison recalled—The room in which a number
of the old female paupers lived was very damp. -
Mr. T. H. Cooper, the parish surgeon, was again
called, and said he thought, if the prescribed dietary was
uniformly and properly carried out, that it would be
amply sufficient for the maintenance of the poor. He
concurred in the recommendation of Mr. Wilson, that an
allowance of peas should be made to the paupers. He
had before stated that it not unfrequently happened that
a large portion of the four ounces of meat given to the
refractory paupers three times a week consisted of fat,
and he hoped the board would not rest satisfied with his
statement, but that they would appoint a committee to
inquire into the facts.
Mr. HOWARTH here objected to Mr. Cooper's proceed-
ing with any further statement.
-Mr. -Cooper said, as other medical men had been re-
quested to give their opinions on particular points, he
thought he ought to have an opportunity of expressing
his opinions on those subjects.
In answer to Mr. BRAY,
Mr. Cooper stated that he had from time to time
found diseases existing among the paupers in the sheds,
which probably arose from their confinement.
Mr. HOWARTH considered that the evidence of the
medical officers was taken to-day with a view to ascer-
tain whether the complaints made by Mr. Cooper, on
Tuesday, were well founded or not, in order that if those
complaints were borne out the board might make some
alteration in the dietary tables. He did not, however,
think it fair that Mr. Cooper should be allowed to com-
ment on the evidence which hat been given by the other
medical gentlemen.
Mr. Cooper denied that he had attempted to make any
comments on the evidence of the medical witnesses who
had been examined.
Mr. Bird, surveyor to the parish, was then called, at
the request of Mr. T. H. Smith, and stated that it was
two or three years since he saw the rooms in which the
refractory women were kept, and that he knew nothing