Chapter I: Front Matter

REPORT ON THE SANITARY CONDITION OF THE LABOURING POPULATION OF GREAT
BRITAIN.

A
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT

ON THE RESULTS OF A SPECIAL INQUIRY INTO

THE

PRACTICE OF INTERMENT IN TOWNS.

MADE

AT THE REQUEST OF HER MAJESTY’S PRINCIPAL SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE
HOME DEPARTMENT,

BY

EDWIN CHADWICK, ESQ.
BARRISTER AT LAW.

_Presented to both Houses of Parliament, by Command of Her Majesty._

LONDON:
PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET,
FOR HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE.

1843.

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CONTENTS.

PAGE

Sources of information on which the Report is founded, § 1 1

Grounds of exception to the admitted necessities of the abolition
of intra-mural interment examined, § 1 2

The evidence as to the innocuousness of emanations from human
remains: negative evidence, § 2 4

The facts in respect to such alleged innocuousness incompletely
stated, § 3 7

Positive evidence of the propagation of acute disease from putrid
emanations, §§ 5 and 6 10

Specific disease communicated from human remains—positive
instances of, §§ 8 and 10 14

Distinct effects produced by emanations from bodies in a state of
decay and from bodies in a state of putrefaction, § 10 21

Summary of the evidence in respect to the sanitary question as to
the essentially injurious nature of such emanations, &c., § 11 23

Difficulty of tracing distinctly the specific effects of
emanations from burial-grounds in crowded towns, amidst
complications of other emanations, § 13 23

Tainting of wells by emanations from burial-grounds, § 14 24

Danger of injurious escapes of putrid emanations not obviated by
deep burial, § 21 28

General conclusions that all interments in churches or in towns
are essentially of an injurious and dangerous tendency, § 23 30

_Injuries to the Health of Survivors occasioned by the delay of
Interments._

The greatest proportion of deaths occur in the single rooms in
which families live and sleep, § 25 31

Instances of the common circumstances of their deaths; and of the
deleterious effects of the prolonged retention of the body in
the living and sleeping room, from the western districts of the
metropolis, § 26—from the eastern districts, §§ 27 and 28—from
Leeds, § 34 31

Numbers of deaths from epidemic, endemic, and contagious disease;
and consequent extent of dangers from the undue retention of the
body amidst the living, § 38 43

Moral evils produced by the practice, §§ 41 and 42 45

The delay of Interments amongst the Labouring Classes in part
ascribable to the difficulty of raising excessive Funeral
Expenses, § 40 45

Evidence of undertakers on the funeral expenses and modes of
conducting the funerals of different classes of society, §§ 43
and 44 46

_Specific effects of excessive Funeral Expenses on the economy of
the Labouring Classes._

Extent of pecuniary provision made in savings’ banks and benefit
societies for funeral expenses, §§ 53 and 55—Abuse of the
popular feeling of anxiety in respect to interments; and waste
and distress occasioned to them, §§ 56 and 57 55

Demoralizing effect of multiplied insurances for large payments
for funeral expenses on the occurrence of deaths, §§ 60 and
61—Illegality of the practice. § 66—Case for interference for
the prevention of crime, and measures for the reduction of the
excessive expenses, §§ 69 and 71 63

_Aggregate Expenses of Funerals to the Public._

Small proportion of clerical burial dues to the undertaker’s
expenses, § 74 69

Heavy proportion of funeral expenses in unhealthy districts, §
75—Efficient sanitary measures the most efficient means of
diminishing the miseries of frequent interments, § 81 71

Failure of the objects of excessive expenditure on
funerals—solemnity or proportionate impressiveness not obtained,
§ 84—and unattainable in crowded and busy districts, §
85—Increasing desertion of intra-mural burial-grounds, § 89 79

_Means of diminishing the evil of the prolonged retention of the
Dead amidst the Living._

Obstacles to the early removal of the dead examined, § 89—Grounds
for the apprehension of interment before life is extinct. §
90—Institution for the reception and care of the dead previous
to interment formed in Germany, § 96—Success of, in abating the
apprehensions of survivors, § 97—Practical evidence of the
necessity of some such institution, and increasing use of
inferior places for the same purpose in this country, §§ 101 and
10 84

_Proposed Remedies by the extension of separate Parochial
Establishments in Suburban Districts examined._

Claims of the suburbs to protection from the undue multiplication
of inferior burial-places in them, § 105 97

Instance of the trial of suburban parochial burial-grounds for the
parishes of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and St. James, Westminster,
§§ 166 and 108 97

Objections to the management of parochial boards stated by the
Rev. William Stone, of Spitalfields, and others, § 109 100

Increased expense from numerous small and inefficient
establishments, § 110 104

Unavoidable inefficiency of management by, § 111 105

Grounds for the conclusion that such establishments would
ultimately rather extend than abate the evil, § 112 106

_Practicability of ensuring for the Public superior Interments at
reduced Expenses._

Evidence of undertakers as to the practicable reductions in the
expenses of funerals without any reduction in proper solemnity,
§§ 113 and 115 to 120 107

Necessity of the provision of trustworthy responsible information
to the survivors at the time of deaths as to what is necessary
and proper, §§ 121, 122, 123, and 124 113

Objections to the abandonment of the necessities of the population
in respect to burial as a source of profit to private and
irresponsible trading associations, § 126 114

_Examples of successful Legislation for the improvement of the
practice of Interment._

In America, § 127—in Germany, § 128—Mode of protecting the public
from extortionate charges in Prussia, § 129—Regulations of
funerals and application of the proceeds to public purposes, §
131—Excessive numbers of deaths and funerals consequent on the
low sanitary condition of the Parisian population, § 133 119

Agency of superior officers of public health employed to
superintend interments in America, § 135—in Germany, §
136—Example of the inefficiency of the agency employed at Paris,
§ 137—Consequences of mixing up private practice with public
duties, § 138 125

_Experience in respect to the Sites of Places of Burial and
Sanitary Precautions necessary in respect to them._

In regard to sites, § 140—to the time of the natural decay of
bodies, § 143—to the depth of graves, § 144—to the space for
graves; and the greater extent of space requisite for the same
numbers of a depressed town population than for a healthy rural
population, § 145—Data for the spaces requisite for the burials
arising from the deaths in the metropolis, § 146 to § 150 127

Why careful planting requisite for cemeteries, §§ 151 and 152 131

_Extent of Burial-grounds existing in the Metropolis._

Summary of the extent of the burials by the chief religious
communities, § 155—Disclaimer of private burial-grounds, §
156—Extent of cemetery companies’ estimates for burials, §§ 157
and 158—Diminution of public demand for burials in lead and in
catacombs, § 160—Dangers to the living of ill-regulated burials,
and legislation on, § 162—Improvements in all existing material
arrangements for burials practicable. § 164—Defective
arrangements in private cemeteries, §§ 165 and 166—Examples of
improved ceremonial arrangements, §§ 169 and 171 133

_Moral influence of seclusion from thronged places, and of
Decorative Improvements in National Cemeteries._

Statement by Mr. Wordsworth of the loss of salutary influence by
burial in towns, § 172—Effects of careful visible arrangements
on the mental associations of the population stated, §
173—Examples of the influence of cemeteries on the continent, §§
174 and 175—Sir Christopher Wren’s plan for the exclusion of
intra-mural burying places on the rebuilding of the City of
London, § 176—Practice of the primitive Christians to bury
outside cities, § 177 172

Superior agency of the _clerici_ employed in burial: and a special
agency of public officers of health instituted in the east, §
177 148

Opinion of the Rev. H. H. Milman on the means of the re-investment
of the funeral services with religious influences 150

Dispositions manifested in this respect amongst the lower classes,
§ 178 to 181 153

The duties in respect to honouring the dead, as stated by Jeremy
Taylor 157

_Necessity and nature of the superior Agency requisite for private
and public protection in respect to Interments._

Functions of an officer of health exemplified in respect to the
verification of the fact and cause of death, §§ 184 to
190—Nature of his intervention and aid to the survivors, and the
reduction of the expenses of funerals, § 191—For the protection
of the survivors on the occurrence of deaths from infectious or
contagious disease, §§ 193 to 200—Evidence of the acceptability
of the visits of such officers to the houses of the labouring
classes for the purpose of mortuary registration, § 201 163

Jurisprudential value of the appointment of officers of health in
the prevention of murders and secret deaths, §§ 202 to 204 171

Service in supplying the want of coroners’ inquests in Scotland, 174

Advantages to science from the improvement of the mortuary
registration, § 209—to medical science from bringing classes of
cases, or common effects from common causes, under one view, §§
212 to 215 179

_Proximate Estimate of the Reductions in Funeral Expenses
practicable under National arrangements._

Total expenses of funerals in the metropolis, § 219—Economy of few
large and inefficient as compared with many small and efficient
establishments, §§ 221 and 222—Expenses of an adequate staff’ of
officers of health, §223 185

Daily number of deaths and funerals in the metropolis and in
provincial towns, § 224 189

Claims of existing interests to compensation, §§ 228, 229, and 230 191

Why payment of fees and expenses at the time of the funerals
proposed to be retained, §§ 233 and 234 193

Applicability of conclusions from the metropolis to the provincial
towns, § 235 195

Summary of conclusions:—

1. As to the evils which require remedies, § 237 197

2. As to the means available for the prevention or
mitigation of these evils, § 248 199