In the late 1860s, the narrow, twisting streets of the city were covered in thick grime which, like a leech, sucked everything good and wholesome from the very bricks and mortar of the surrounding buildings. A labyrinth of decay and unwashed humanity gave the warrens a particular stench, a cancer of filth, spreading remorselessly amongst the swarming populace. Here, people shared their lives with pestilence, rats and corruption. Having no chance for any other kind of existence, they accepted their plight without complaint and survived.
Life was cheap, as easily taken away as created, danger and death interlacing every breathing moment. That most wonderful of nature"s gifts – the bringing of new life into the world – proved the most dangerous of times, for both mother and infant. Understan
