Reports of Dr. Parkes and Dr. Sanderson, on the sanitary condition of Liverpool.

  • Parkes, Edmund A. (Edmund Alexander), 1819-1876.
Date:
[1871]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports of Dr. Parkes and Dr. Sanderson, on the sanitary condition of Liverpool. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    The remedies are to be sought, first, in the introduction of greater volumes of pure ah- among the crowded quarters, and into the houses of Liverpool; and, secondly and chiefly, in the improvement of the morals of the people, and in the cultivation of habits of temperance, self-restraint, and forethought. The improvement of the ventilation of the houses in Liverpool is a comparatively easy task; but the restraint of intemperance, and the regulation of labour, are matters which will tax to the utmost the skill and determination of the people of Liverpool. GENERAL STATEMENT OF PROPOSED MEASURES. For the amendment of the moral and physical evils which the existence of a degraded population in her very midst entails upon Liverpool, the powers of the local authority are at present limited to the abatement of overcrowding; the carrying out of certain constructive improvements; and to enforcing on owners the maintenance of their houses in a state of sanitary repair and clean- liness. Work of this kind has been already so efficiently carried out, under the advice of your present Medical Officer, and his predecessor, the late Dr. Duncan, that we do not desire to suggest any new course of action in this direction. We desire to record our strong conviction that these measures ought to be energetically prosecuted; and, in particular, that the clearances which have been so judiciously made, under the provisions of the Local Sanitary Act of 1864, should be still further carried out. But we must not conceal our belief that, to make Liverpool as healthy as it ought to be, larger measures are required. No one can look at a map of Liverpool, or calculate the density of the population,* without being convinced that, in some way, surface overcrowding should be lessened. In other words, there should be effected some displacement of the population. In stating this principle, we have perhaps gone as far as we can, for it must be for the Corporation to determine in what way it should be carried out. So many circumstances of public convenience, expense, and possibility of obtaining powers must influence the decision that we fear to embarrass the Corporation by attempting to give any definite recommendations. We will, however, say a few words, for the purpose of defining our meaning, and of showing how some displacement of the population may, we believe, be effected. * Thus, Dr. Trench’s estimate is, that there are 99'8 persons per acre in Liverpool, and only 41'2 in London, 36‘fi in Bristol, 42-7 in Hull, and 80-8 in Glasgow. But, of course, in special parts of the town, the crowding is far greater, as in our selected streets, where nearly 1,000 persons dwell on one acre.