Dr. S.W. Wheaton's report to the Local Government Board on diphtheria in the Enfield Urban District and on sanitary administration by the Urban District Council.

  • Wheaton, S. W.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. S.W. Wheaton's report to the Local Government Board on diphtheria in the Enfield Urban District and on sanitary administration by the Urban District Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ])o]lution of the water supply. This pollution he attributed to the intermittent water supply acting in conjunction with faulty con- nections between pans of water closets and water pipes. Water pipes were connected to water closets for flushing purposes without the provision of separate flushing cisterns. He also drew attention to the influence of defective sewers and house drains, and to the effect of polluted watercourses. The fever was especially prevalent in the Chase Side district. In 1888 Dr. Bruce Low, at that time one of the Board’s medical inspectors, and now their second assistant medical officer, reported upon an outbreak of diphtheria in Enfleld Urban District*. The diphtheria began to be epidemic in September, and was at first confined to dwellings of labourers and artisans in tlie Chase Side district. A variety of unwholesome conditions were found in this district at the time of this outbreak. A second and later outbreak occurred in December in another part of the district, namely, Bycullah and Bush Hill Parks, which were occupied by the well-to-do classes. This later outbreak was considered by Dr. Bruce Low to be due to infection through the milk supply, and the late medical officer of health. Dr. J. J. Ridge, was of the same opinion. (a) General Sanitary Condition op the Enfield Urban District. The district has an area of 12,601 acres, and had in 1901 a population of 42,738 persons, living in 7,982 houses. In 1891 the population was 31,536. In 1901 females exceeded males in the population by 578. There were in 1901 19’7 domestic servants per 100 families. At the time of the last census in 1901 there were 280 houses building. In September last the number of houses was 11,349, an increase of 3,367 since 1901, and the population is now estimated at 56,745. This number is arrived at by taking an average number of five persons per house. The rateable value is £263,154. The district is oblong in shape, the diameters being from west to east 7^ miles, and from north to south 3^ miles. The surface of the district as a whole has a fall from west to east. The urban district can be regarded as composed of three portions. The western is undulating, the hills increasing in height to the westward, where they attain an elevation of from 300 to 350 ' feet. The eastern half is flat, having an almost imperceptible fall to the alluvial flats of the River Lea. The central portion is nearly flat, but has a slight almost uniform slope to the eastward.' Several streams run in a south-easterly direction across the district to fall into the Lea. The New River crosses the district from north to south on the line of the 100 feet contour, being can-ied over the watercourses on aqueducts. Geologically the western portion of the district is situate upon the London clay, the hills being covered in places by more superficial deposits of boulder clay and glacial gravel. The central or middle portion rests upon London clay, and beds of river gravel and brick earth overlying it. The eastern Dr. R. Bruce Lov/’s Report to the Local Government Board on epidemic diphtheria in Enfield Urban Sanitary District, 1888. . ' . •'t