[Report 1909] / Medical Officer of Health, Salop / Shropshire County Council.

  • Shropshire Council
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1909] / Medical Officer of Health, Salop / Shropshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Sewerage and Drainage. The sewers are mostly drains laid originally to take surface water, or culverted water courses. There are no w^orks of sewage treatment, and the outfalls are into the Severn or into streams which fall into tlie Severn. With the increase of water carriage, attention to untrapped road grids and to special ventilation and improvement of sewers will become increasingly desirable. The improvement of the sewers of the town of Wenlock, and the disposal of the sewage is under consideration, and has been reported on by Engineers. Excrement Disposal and Scavenging.' Excrement disposal is principally by privies of the old type with underground vaults. No general conversion is possible with the present sewerage systems. The Madelej^ Committee has for some years undertaken public scavenging, and the Broseley Committee provides a liquid manure cart for privy soil and maintains several ashpits for public use. Continued attention will be necessary so long as these old and defective closets are allowed to exist. Housing. The Borough has a high proportion of small houses. The majority of the houses are old and many of them very old, and taken as a whole the standard of housing is low. A systematic inspection of all cottage property is recommended as the best means of keeping them in a habitable condition. No house was certified as unfit for habitation during the year. Permissive Powers. The Infectious Disease (Prevention) Act, i8go, the Public Health Acts (Amendment) Act, i8go (except Part IV.), and ])arts 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the Public Health Acts Amendment Act, 1907, have been adopted. By-laivs with regard to Common Lodging Houses and Slaughter Houses are in force. Slaughter Houses. There are 18 in the Borough, not registered, but inspected periodically. There is no system of meat inspection, and no tuberculous carcases \vere found during the year. Common Lodging Houses—two on register, frequently inspected. Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milkshops—24 on register. Much attention has been given to the improvement of these places during the past three years. There is no veterinary inspection of dairy cattle. Food and Drugs. Twenty samples were taken, of which seven were returned as adulterated, six of them being on account of the addition of boric acid. WHITCHURCH Medical Officer of Health Area in Acres Population at igoi Census Number of inhabited houses .. „ Ntimber of persons per house ,, Physical Features and General Character. (Urban). M. GePP, L.R.C.P.E., D.P.H. 4,784 5,221 1,129 4.6 “ The Urban Di.strict lies within the northern border of the County, and comprises a considerable area “ of agricultural land surrounding the town of Whitchurch. The general elevation varies from about 270 feet “ to 350 feet above Ordnance Datum. The subsoil is the red marl of the new red sandstone. The town occupies “ the centre and higher part of the district, the fall of the gi'ound being from south and east to west and uorth- “ west, and the natural drainage by small brooks leaving the district towards the north-west, as tributaries “ of the Dee. The centre of the town is old and compact, considerable extensions of more recent buildhies “ existing along some of the main roads radiating from the town. The surrounding parts of the district are “entirely rural and agi-icultural, extending some two or three miles to the north-cast and south-west of the “ town and to about a mile to north-west and south-east. Whitchurch is a market and residential town, and ‘‘ the land around is extensively employed for grazing and dairy farming. It is the centre and market of a “large cheese-making industry. There is a brewery, maltings, engineering works, a steam laundry and a “ creamery.’’