Inquiry into the treatment, condition and mortality of infant children in the workhouse of the North Dublin Union.

  • Nicholls, George, Sir, 1781-1865.
Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Inquiry into the treatment, condition and mortality of infant children in the workhouse of the North Dublin Union. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    1 \th December, 1841. Mr. Arkins. 375. Mr. Phelan.—The parties you allude to are without clothing or firing, do you suppose they are without food, when they are without the other necessaries of life ?—At that time I think they were not so badly off for food. 376. Do you suppose that parties without clothing or firing, generally have a sufficiency of food ?—I think they were scarce in food ; those parties so situated who could not get out to look for food were badly off. 377. You described parties without clothing or firing, and in other circumstances of dis- tress—I then put the question generally to you, does it generally follow that parties so situated are also without a sufficiency of food ?—They are generally speaking very badly off— I think they were generally very badly off, but previous to the opening of this House, the kindness of those poor people towards each other was very great, for instance, the poor creatures selling apples through the streets have divided their little earnings with the desti- tute poor in their neighbourhood, who were unable to go out and gather anything themselves. 378. Yes ; I am sure of that; but does not want of clothing and firing imply a proportio- nate want of food ?—It does, to a great extent, but with the qualifications I have mentioned. 379. Is it your opinion that the constitution could long continue unimpaired, I don’t want a Medical opinion but merely a common sense one—If the Paupers wanted clothing and firing, and were exposed to all the other circumstances of distress you have mentioned, the snow penetrating into the window with the broken panes, the room crowded, and the place in filth and dirt, is it your opinion that the constitution of the Pauper would suffer from cir- cumstances such as I detail?—No doubt if this were continued, but allow me to add that the cases I drew occurred in the winter months; the summer coming on, and a variety of little favourable circumstances have enabled them to get out of their difficulties in some degree. 380. Mr. Hall.—Are you not of opinion that there are in the City every day in the year many persons similarly situated ?—There have been days that I think the poor who stay out of the Workhouse are worse off than those who go into it. 381. Consequently those who come to the Workhouse will come in that condition? —I think that since the opening of the Workhouse, persons are indisposed to give charity at the doors. 382. How do you account for the fact of parties applying for relief being now in a less urgent state of destitution than heretofore?—Because the Workhouse has weeded the City of those destitute cases; heretofore the Sick and Indigent Roomkeepers’ Society were obliged to give charity indiscriminately ; they were obliged to give larger sums to the most destitute persons. The Society now, I speak in reference to my own division, as I cannot answer for any other, are anxious to recommend those persons who cannot make a good use of the money, to go to the Workhouse, and enable those who are doing a little for themselves to go on with their business. 383. A Guardian Do you recollect any occasion when a Guardian, at the Board Meeting on Monday or Wednesday, brought in a number of Children for admission, without having ascertained the state in which they were ?—I never did. I visited the Night Asylum at the suggestion of a Gentleman; I saw a great deal of distress there ; I advised the poor creatures to present themselves to the Board. 384. Do you remember a Pauper woman bringing in two or four children, taken into the Night Asylum the night before, and saying they were in a bad state, no matter whether they belonged to this Union or not, and should perish if they were not continued in the Work- house ?—I have more than fifty times gone into the midst of a crowd of Paupers, without any previous knowledge of particular cases, or any previous arrangement, I went to the gate-way where they were in cold and hardship from the severity of the day, and I selected the most destitute, of course the women and children were the first objects of my consideration ; I questioned them as to their state ; they told me their story ; and I merely came before the Board, and repeated the story the Paupers told me, without giving any addition from myself. 385. You have stated that the majority of children received into this House were, in your opinion, in good health; how do you consider that a majority of Children admitted, in the Mothers’ arms, were in good health ?—I do, certainly. I have seen some as fine Children as ever I laid my eyes upon, admitted into this Workhouse. 386. Captain Lindsay If you had a child that required a wet nurse, would you consider it safe to hire those women to act in that capacity ?—Certainly not. 387. Mr. Hop er.—If you took one of those women out of this house, and gave her air and exercise, would you then entrust your Child to her ?—I would, certainly. 388. Have you ever known children as well as adults appear emaciated from want of food, clothing and fire, who have, with care and attention, recovered ?—I remember a child, two years’ old who was taken from under a butcher’s block in Bull-alley. He was covered with ulcers; I never saw anything to equal his state. I sent him to the County Wicklow, about three months previous to the day on which I paid the Nurses their annual salary, and at the end of the three months he came back as healthy a Child as I ever saw in my life. 389. Mr. Roper.—It is clear you have had a good deal of experience regarding the poverty of this Town; do you consider, although we must all admit that the Parent of the Child is very much depressed from the misery which she has endured, the majority of those cases to be beyond the reach of proper care and nourishment ?—Certainly not. 390. Would your experience with regard to destitute Children maintained by Charities, previous to the establishment of Poor Laws, support you in this opinion?—Certainly. Com- paratively few of the Children sent into the Country to nurse, died.