Dr Robert Howard attended most of those affected by the 1843 outbreak of typhus at Heptonstall Slack. He wrote a report on the outbreak and this was printed in Hebden Bridge by William Garforth.
Dr Howard identified certain local springs which were polluted and spread the disease.
Extracts from:
History of the Typhus at Heptonstall-Slack, which prevailed as an endemic in the winter of 1843-4, accompanied by remarks on the sanitary state of that village together with a sketch of the physical condition of the handloom weavers by Robert Howard, surgeon etc.
Transcribed from the copy in the British Library
Their construction is simple, being composed of rough stones without mortar, some covered with one or two large slates, but a large proportion of them do not afford this protection; they are destitute of doors, and the only seat they possess is a rude pole, inserted into the stones in each side, about two feet from the ground, and is used by all, males, females and children.
They are cold, damp and dreary; the chambers are next to the slate without being underdrawn, and in many instances, the interior being accessible to rain, wind and snow, the floors manifest signs of decay and dilapidation. The ground floor in most of the cottages is seriously below the level of the earth.
The inhabitants have been gradually deterioriating both physically and morally for the last 20 years, but now very rapidly. The weavers and their families are prone to all the diseases that come: smallpox, measles and scarlet fever. In 9 cases out of 10, medical attention has to be paid by the Overseer of the Poor, and burials by the parish. In childbirth, 9 out of 10 mothers have no medical assistance. She is upon her feet with a woman at each side of her, her arms are placed around their necks, and in nature's agony, she almost drags her supporters to the floor, and in this state, the birth takes place. Why? because there is no change of bed clothing.
The bedding as follows: one or two cotton blankets, a rough cotton coverlid, and a pillow, the last with the bed-tick made from coarse sacking or canvass, and the interior filled with chopped straw or chaff; and in this part, such is the scarcity of those materials, that they are commonly unchanged for the space of 6 or 8 years.
The next which attracts attention is a three-legged table, rugged in appearance; an old chair or two and one or more low stools; likewise, occasionally a chest of drawers.
There is not a kettle in one house in twelve; one or two old knives, but none in many instances, seldom a fork; an old tea-pot; two or three tea-cups, saucers and plates, generally odd ones; only one or two teaspoons; a few mess-pots; and by way of closing this part of the description, a jug or milk-can may be added.
The milk they use is three meals old; that is, if taken from the cow one morning, it stands in the dairy until the evening of the day following, when the cream is removed, and the remainder sold to the producing class for consumption.
Where no mile can be obtained, treacle is used; and when this is deficient, small beer is substituted.
The dinner consists of small pieces of suet fried, with the addition of water and salt; a quantity of boiled potatoes is now added, and the whole is blended into a partial pulp; this, with a portion of oaten bread, constitutes the dinner.
Occasionally, however, an extravagance is committed, by introducing a very small portion of market bacon!
But, it must be confessed, that now and then, in those families whose finances are a little better, coffee, plain tea, or an infusion of mint, hyssop or tansy, with sugar, wheaten bread and a little market butter supersedes the former.
The tea and supper are united, so as to form one meal, which is ordinarily oatmeal porridge, old milk and oaten bread.
At the time of writing, the account of this impoverished and monotonous diet, it may be stated, as an unquestionable fact, that they have by no means sufficient of it to satisfy the cravings of nature.
348 inhabitants 48 under 5 50 5-10 49 10-15 37 15-20 27 20-25 16 25-30 16 30-35 23 35-40 23 40-45 16 45-50 15 50-55 11 55-60 8 60-65 6 65-70 4 70-75 1 75-80
Page Ref: MMH240
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