Chapter I: Preface

This little book is an expansion of two addresses delivered in January, 1889.

One of these addresses, which deals with the Sanitary Aspects of Ancient and Modern London, was given in the Parkes Museum of the Sanitary Institute, and was written for a mixed audience. The other formed the subject of the annual address to the Students’ Medical Society at University College, London, and was written for an audience which might be expected to have a special interest in the History of Medicine in London.

Both have already appeared in print; the first in _Public Health_, the journal of the Society of Medical Officers of Health; and the second in the _Lancet_. For the loan of most of the woodcuts the author is indebted to the Publishers of the _Lancet_, who kindly undertook, when the lecture was appearing in their columns, to illustrate it with five illustrations, which were made especially for the purpose. One illustration has been supplied by the proprietors of _Public Health_, and four have been borrowed from “Cassell’s Old and New London.”

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

LONDON FROM THE SANITARY POINT OF VIEW.

PAGE
SITUATION 7

WATER SUPPLY 10

MEDIÆVAL LONDON 16

GARDENS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS 18

HEALTH OF OLD LONDON 24

THE LONDON “DEATH RATE” 31

IMPROVED CONDITION OF MODERN LONDON 34

WHAT IS THE OUTLOOK? 36

ANNUAL DEATH-RATE PER 100,000 LIVING OF CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS
OF AGE FROM WHOOPING-COUGH AND MEASLES DURING THE 10 YEARS
1871-80 41

THE LOOSE END OF OUR SANITATION 44