The Commissioners for inquiring into the state of the public health have
forwarded to each of their assistants a copy of the following questions,
with instructions to put them to all persons residing in, visiting, or
passing through the district:—
_Q._ How are you?
This was the first and most obvious inquiry that the Commissioners
ordered to be addressed to the population; but, as the returns were by
no means so full as could be desired, it was determined to add another
question, which should distinguish those cases in which disease has been
inherited. For this purpose it was arranged that a second, or
supplementary question should be framed, and the Commissioners drew up
the following:—
_Q._ How is your mother?
To both these questions the Commissioners have received numerous
replies, most of them short and concise; but it has been observed that
considerable soreness has been exhibited in some cases, in which it has
been thought advisable to ask for information under the second head. The
habits, or, perhaps, the Commissioners ought rather to say, the
prejudices of the English people are averse to any investigation into
their domestic affairs; and many, when the health of their mothers has
been inquired into, have manifested a spirit that the Commissioners have
found very detrimental to the success of their efforts.
It occurred to the Commissioners that the chemists' shops in poor
neighbourhoods would supply a vast mass of statistical information on
the subject of the public health, and they have ordered a return of all
the prescriptions made up within the last year, classing them under the
two heads of cathartic and stimulant. The Commissioners have also
ordered a schedule to be drawn up of all medicine-bottles purchased at
the rag-shops, and have instructed their assistants to drain the
contents of those which were not quite empty, for the purpose of
ascertaining their properties, with a view to classing them under the
heads already mentioned.
It has been clearly ascertained that, in nine cases of acute tooth-ache,
in a very low neighbourhood, six "had it out," one applied a leech to
the gum, and two did nothing. In a series of ninety-four cases of cough,
it has been calculated that four ounces of Spanish liquorice were
consumed, while about one moiety of the patients very patiently waited
to see what time would do for them.
The Commissioners observe, with regret, that the ordinary sneeze has
been lately prevalent, but it does not appear that any safe mode of
treatment has yet been discovered for checking it. The Commissioners
think it better to trust to nature in such a matter, though they have
known the operation of drawing the finger smartly along the bridge of
the nose, towards the forehead, sometimes successfully resorted to.
[Illustration:
A Set-of China-1843.
]