Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the town and parish of Brixham, in the county of Devon / by Alfred L. Dickens, Superintending Inspector.

  • Dickens, Alfred L.
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the town and parish of Brixham, in the county of Devon / by Alfred L. Dickens, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ■ winch for some distance is only ten feet wide, with house on either side, there is a V gutter with gratings for surfac water. Part of the street is only an alley or footpatl The top flag of the V gutter forms part of the paving. Thl joints are very open. Most of the gratings are stopped u with a variety of solid mattter. The smells are horribll There are two houses having ash-pits, which receive tl! refuse of the neighbourhood, and every six, nine, or tweh\ mpnths, all this is taken through the dwelling-houses am laid in the street. It remains there until it suits tit convenience of purchasers to remove it, very much to tl injury of the inhabitants. The tiers of houses below the Over-gang have no priviJ whatever. On this side of the hill there is a total absence of wate except the rain water collected in the tanks. Middle-street.— There is what is called a sewer hei J which empties itself into the harbour. There were s fatal cases of cholera in this street in 1849. There are soul respectable houses and shops without privies. Some p£;| of the street is very narrow, with miserable, dirty looki.B houses. Mill-tie.— Two deaths from cholera here in 1849. Paal outside the houses into which the house refuse is empti J The surface drains here much complained of. The alll; only about seven feet wide. Paradise Alley and Rams Alley.—There were five faip cholera cases in 1849 in these two alleys; they are veeB narrow, dirty, and low. They are divided by a stone wi which is a considerable obstruction to the ventilation. 'JIB parish authorities were anxious to remove it, but it beiiji s private property, the owners declined to be interfered wiif . The outfall of the lake near this part is dammed up b; il' sluice, in order that the contents above may be concentraijji'1 to flush and cleanse the outfall. The contents of the diiir are very offensive. Pump-street.—Another miserable, dirty place, as us<|ffe] without anything approaching to house convenience. In a yard turning off from this alley, the lake rims n mediately below the doors and windows of the houses. r.1fc foundations of the houses, indeed, form the side walls ci'M\ ditch. It is filled with everything that is disagreeable. Li- the sight and smell. At the upper end of this yard K