The Post Office was an extremely important institution and London was the focal point of its operations. Throughout the nineteenth century, London was the main sorting centre and accounted for a third of the mail delivered in Britain. However, London postal workers were relatively unhealthy and the majority retired before they reached 60, mainly because of ill health. Using new evidence drawn from pension records, this article explores the extent of ill health in the London workforce, comparing it to that in the Metropolitan Police. For postmen, orthopaedic conditions were the main problem, relating to the ability to walk long distances. This was similar to the problems encountered in the police. For other postal workers, notably letter sorters, mental illness and poor vision were the main problems, relating to the pressure of having to work irregular hours, often at night-time and in poorly designed and overcrowded workspaces. These problems were exacerbated by the increasing frequency of mail deliveries and the constant shortage of space in the main headquarters building. In response to these issues and workers’ concerns, the Post Office introduced a range of measures including a medical service and generous sickness pay, more offices, new technologies to speed the flow of mail, better lighting, and changed working practices to ease pressures on the workforce.

中文翻译：

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“邮递员很快就磨损了”：在伦敦维多利亚邮局因病退休

邮局是一个极其重要的机构，伦敦是其运作的中心。在整个 19 世纪，伦敦是主要的分拣中心，占英国投递邮件的三分之一。然而，伦敦邮政工人的健康状况相对较差，大多数人在 60 岁之前就退休了，主要是因为身体不好。本文使用从养老金记录中提取的新证据，探讨了伦敦劳动力的健康状况不佳的程度，并将其与大都会警察局的情况进行比较。对于邮递员来说，骨科疾病是主要问题，与长途行走的能力有关。这与警方遇到的问题类似。对于其他邮政工作人员，尤其是信件分拣员，精神疾病和视力不佳是主要问题，与必须不定时工作的压力有关，通常是在夜间和设计不佳且人满为患的工作空间中。邮件投递频率的增加和总部主楼空间的持续短缺加剧了这些问题。针对这些问题和工人的担忧，邮局推出了一系列措施，包括医疗服务和慷慨的病假工资、更多的办公室、加快邮件流动的新技术、更好的照明以及改变工作方式以缓解压力劳动力。