Annual report of the Medical and Sanitary Department / Sierra Leone.
- Sierra Leone. Medical and Sanitary Department
- Date:
- [1934]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Annual report of the Medical and Sanitary Department / Sierra Leone. Source: Wellcome Collection.
48/90 page 36
![Howe Street.—14 concrete channels were laid from Westmoreland Street to Garrison Street. Regent Road.—The stream bed opposite Truseott Street was cleaned out for a distance of 30 yards, and paved and walled in masonry. Moore's Brook—An extension was built to the outfall to carry the drainage further seawards as the existing outfall tended to form mosquito-breeding pools. Hagan Street.—Minor repairs were effected to the outfall. Bolling Street.—A soakaway pit was constructed to deal with waste water from the •stand-pipe, formerly a stagnant pool was always found at this point. Upper Little East Street.—14 concrete channels were laid to both sides of this road replacing the former laterite drain which was usually partially choked with refuse. Sanders Brook Canal.—This was extended from near Dundas Street where work concluded in 1932 to a point north-east of the Public Works Department yard—a length of approximately 830 feet. Three reinforced concrete road bridges were constructed, at Point Street, Dundas Street and Pademba Poad. The canal was built in English pressed Brown Engineering Bricks to a width of 7' 6 and an average depth of approximately 2' 6 according to gradient, the depth being exclusive of a small invert designed to deal with the dry season flow. Street Drainage.—The surface water drainage to Dundas Street was completed, approximately 1,400 feet of concrete channels being laid. A short section of the street from Pademba Road was coated with British Standard Specification Road Tar No. 2. In the Protectorate drainage is carried out by ill-graded earth ditches, which serve their purpose well enough in the height of the wet season but are a source of nuisance when precipitation is slight and insufficient to ensure scouring of the numerous potholes which gradual erosion forms in the line of the ditches. During the year a commencement was made on the drainage of the swamp which largely encircles the area at Bo. By this means it is hoped greatly to reduce the incidence of mosquitoes and therefore of malaria in that important town which is the largest station on the main railway line. The year 1934 saw a great extension of the mining activities in the Protectorate. This, though welcome in its financial aspect, has led to the establishment of insanitary conditions in various places, owing to the agglomeration of large numbers of labourers at the main foci of activities. Our Protectorate health legislation enables us only in part to call for the necessary sanitary measures to be taken, but with the passing of the Labour Code in November, 1934, an extra instrument has been placed at our disposal, and it is hoped that in 1935 many improvements will be effected in mining areas, while a more firm control on the land adjacent to such areas wall be possible. During the year sanitary inspections of all the health areas along the southern line were made by the Assistant Director of Health Service, and subsequently the Chief Sani- tary Superintendent carried out m some of those areas a fewr of the recommendations which had been made; these included the sinking of wells, construction of latrines and incinerators, the fly-proofing of meat markets, the felling' and clearance of unnecessary trees in two health areas. In addition the Senior Health Officer commenced an inspec- tional visit of the gold mining camps in the Northern Province, while the Chief Sanitary Superintendent proceeded to Yengejna, the Headquarters of Consolidated African Selection Trust Diamond Company, to clean up and replan the native village which had expanded from a village of a few hundred people to a town of over 3,000 inhabitants. Water Supplies. The position in respect of Freetown is detailed below in the Waterworks Emnneer’s Report: 8 I he W oiks Aveie maintained at the usual standard of efficiency during the year, house to house inspection of services regularly carried on, and'all steps taken to reduce waste to a minimum. Consumption.—The total consumption of water for all purposes during' the yea] n°° g'allons as aSainst 180,379,000 the previous year—an increase o: 4,478 000 gallons, and an average daily consumption of 514,077 gallons. Suppliei find tlade aU<1 °iher metered supples amounted to 3,633,710 am -,378,100 gallons respectively, as against 2,557,670 and 4,469,000 gallon: respectively, the previous year. Purely domestic consumption was 181,845,190 a:](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31638922_0048.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
