1844.] 



THE CitiL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAi: 



41 



decompose in dry friable masses, and in this state they remain, until 

 by the agency of water, the disintegrated masses are united as one 

 consolidated or crystalliuf body. Where the rains are unfrequent, and 

 in many extensive regions they are seldom or never known to fall, here 

 nature sleeps over the creation of living creatures, and the scanty vege- 

 tation consists of those few plants which love a hot dry climate and 

 an acrid soil, while here and there, in more favoured spots, may be 

 observed a few miserable acacias standing as guides to wandering 

 Arabs, or as signs of a well of wretched brackish water being within 

 the reach of the expiring wanderer: of the animal creation there are 

 none, save a few vultures, kites, and ravens, which flit rapidly over the 

 burning waste, or follow in the wake of the expiring camel, as though 

 conscious of its approaching death. No living form could possibly 

 exist in some of these regions, there being no springs of water, no 

 shelter from the continuous vertical heat, no form of food, animal or 

 vegetable; the soil throughout is alike inimical to the development, 

 sustenance, and propagation of living species. Such are the charac- 

 t(iristics of the African and Asiatic deserts, and of the numerous 

 islands of the Red Sea, and wherever these lands are disposed in the 

 rainless regions, there tbey continue barren and desolate from genera- 

 tion to generation, preserving there their characteristic traits, by which 

 their origin and nature has been handed down from generation to gene- 

 ration, extending over a period far beyond the records of man, and 

 being evidently produced ages before man was a denizen of the earth. 



(To be continued.) 



CEMETERIES. 



Report on the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of 

 Great Britain, A Supplementary Report on the Practice of Interment 

 in Towns. — By Edwin Chadwick, Esq., London, 1843. 



Ore the Laying out, Planting, and Managing Cemeteries. — By J. C, 

 Loudon. London : Longman, 1843. 



In no one thing has the march of intellect more fully shown itself, 

 and under the most favourable auspices, than in the strong public 

 feeling which has been growing up of late years, in favour of improving 

 the health of towns by scientific and enlightened administration. Many 

 circumstances have favoured this, the remarks of staticians, the ope- 

 ration of the Registration Act in particular, which by giving the ele- 

 ments for local comparison, showed incontestably to what an extent 

 population is affected by unfavourable circumstances. It might for- 

 merly be matter of opinion how fir drainage, or the adequate supply 

 of water could influence health, and knowledge and intelligence were 

 kept at bay with the assertion, that the results were but matter of 

 opinion, and that one man's opinion, i, e. the ignorant man's opinion, 

 was as good as another's. It is now, however, very different, and we 

 can point to regions of the metropolis, where, by defective administra- 

 tion, the life of the labouring population is abridged to a fearful extent, 

 while in others better cared for, a higher standard of vitality is to be 

 recognised. At the same time the problem of vitality is better under- 

 stood, its moral and economical bearings have been detected and 

 elucidated, and the fearful consequences of ignorance and neglect 

 clearly eliminated. It is undeniably ascertained that the operations 

 of unfavourable external circumstances is not merely to doom to death 

 so many per cent, of the population, but to strike down the expe- 

 rienced and able-bodied adult, to throw widows and children pauper 

 burdens on the public funds, and to increase the population with an 

 excess of helpless infants ; for in an unhealthy and abnormal population, 

 the increase of that population is not checked by misery and death, 

 but it is a natural law, as it were, tliat the void created by the ex- 

 tinction of the adult should be filled, and how filled? — not by an adult 

 necessarily — not by an individual educated in some way, useful to 

 society, and able to earn his livelihood, but by the infant, who must 

 for years be fostered and maintained from the common stock. This 

 is an awful punishment upon ignorance and inattention, one which, in 

 its operation leaves no class unscathed ; the poor man sees the scythe 

 indeed, but the rich does not escape its edge. The fevers generated 

 by a close population invade the habitations of the wealthy, while the 

 poor rates, enormously increased, become a burden on their purses. 

 These are facts, which, if humanity could be silent, if religion were to 

 be stifled and its dictates disowned, would still force a remedy from 

 the most selfish and most obtuse. The labours of the Commission of 

 Sanitary Inquiry have disclosed the most appalling facts as the conse- 

 quence of evil, while they have, on the other hand, as clearly shown 

 the immediate and permanent good which results from intelligent and 

 well directed measures. In these inquiries the public is deeply in- 

 terested, but the architect or engineer is not less interested, it being 



his professional duty to be acquainted with the evils, and to be able to 

 apply the remedies. It has not, however, been the case that the 

 members of these professions have been active in such investigations, 

 and it will in the end certainly result, that if they do not take care, 

 they will have no part in the subsequent measures that may be 

 adopted. The medical profession have taken a much more prominent 

 part, and particularly the medical officers of unions, in communicating 

 the results of their experience, and it might be said that the parochial 

 medical officers form a corps well organized for the acquisition of in- 

 formation. It must not, however, be forgotten that the surveyors of 

 highways, and the surveyors of sewers are not less local officers, pos- 

 sessing local experience, and being able to bring a large amount of 

 practical knowledge to bear on the state of the arrangements for se- 

 curing public health. We cannot however say that they have come 

 forward to do so ; with a few exceptions, no professional name occurs. 

 We see, indeed, the names of Mr. Mills and Mr. Roe, of the Finsbury 

 Division of Sewers, quoted by Mr. Chadwick, and we are pleased to 

 see, by the exertions of Mr. Sopwith in the Newcastle Committee of 

 Inquiry, that he has effectually shown what the practical and scientific 

 experience of an enlightened man can do. We call the attention of 

 professional men most strongly to this fact, that it is important for 

 them to be on the alert, and that unless they do exert themselves and 

 show their competency as public servants, tliey will be superseded by 

 the medical men, and passed over in the Boards of Health, which will 

 no doubt ultimately be formed. A strong public feeling has been 

 manifested with regard to sanitary measures, the government has felt 

 itself caUed upon to do something, and permanent arrangements will no 

 doubt speedily be made. It has been for some time a matter of regret 

 to us, that no step has been taken by professional men, as a body, to 

 interfere in these measures, though it is naturally to be accounted for, 

 the Institute of Architects occupying itself solely with artistic subjects, 

 and the Institute of Engineers with the details of science, and neither 

 of them having time or scope for the discussion of professional eti- 

 quettes or professional interests, at the same time that many events of 

 great importance have recently occurred where the intervention of an 

 organized body would have been of the highest benefit. Indeed a great 

 many of the subjects entertained by the Metropolitan Improvement 

 Society are purely professional in their bearings, while there is no 

 opportunity of discussing or protecting professional interests. With 

 regard to the Building and Drainage Acts, the want of this organi- 

 zation was strongly felt, and also with regard to the contemplated 

 survey of London, the protection of private interests is left to isolated 

 efforts. We cannot doubt that a centralization must take place of the 

 Metropolitan Sewers and Pavings Boards, and any legislative enact- 

 ment for the purpose will require to be closely watched. Under these 

 circumstances we think it would be of the greatest benefit if an Asso- 

 ciation of Architects, Engineers, and Surveyors, were formed, not for 

 the discussion of matters of art or science, which are already ade- 

 quately provided for, but for the protection of professional interests, 

 and we earnestly recommend that some step should be immediately 

 taken. 



The report of Mr. Chadwick is supplementary to that on the 

 sanitary condition of the labouring classes generally, and is more par- 

 ticularly directed to the practice of interment in towns. It is one of 

 the finest documents of the kind which has ever been laid before the 

 public, characterized by elevated and enlightened views, a liberal and 

 kindly disposition, and far-seeing policy. It takes up many subjects 

 of the highest interest, particularly in connexion with the general laws 

 of mortality, and which we regret that the special tendencies of our 

 publication prevent us from investigating. On the subject of inter- 

 ments it is full and precise, and discloses a multitude of most striking 

 facts, which cannot be without their influence on the legislature. 

 Through a work so abounding in details we must proceed cautiously, 

 and, however careful we may be, we must omit much matter of in- 

 terest, and much evidence of value, but we shall endeavour to give a 

 succinct view of the contents of the report. 



Mr. Chadwick shows fully the nocuousness of the emanations from 

 human remains, and he very ably combats the negative evidence of 

 Parent Duchatelet and other physiologists, who had been relied upon 

 as authorities to the contrary. On this point Mr. Roe and Mr. Mills 

 gave evidence, that where the sewers come in contact with church 

 yards, the exudation is most offensive, (St. Pancras for instance) and 

 that whatever precautions are taken, exudations to a certain extent 

 pass through the brickwork of the sewers. Evidence to the bad 

 ellect of the drainage of churchyards on wells, was also given by Mr. 

 Roe. This latter effect is well known. 



" In consequence of various investigations in France, a law was passed 

 prohibiting the opening of wells within 100 metres of any place of burial; 

 but this distance is now stated to he iusuflicicnt for deep wells, wliich have 

 be«n fguud on esamiuation to be iiolluted at a distance of from lau to 2W 



