[Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Glastonbury Borough.

  • Glastonbury (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Glastonbury Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    BOROUGH OF GLASTONBURY. MEDICAL OFFICER’S REPORT FOR 1898. ▼'V ▼▼ T ▼'T ▼▼▼ V To the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the Borough of Glastonlury. Gen'tlemen, I beg leave to submit to you my report for tbe year ending Slst December, 1898. Area.—5000 Acres. Population.—4119 (Census 1891), 4377 (estimated to 1898). Geology.—The higher and more populated parts of the Borough—Lower Lias, Clay, and Limestone ; the lower and outlying districts—Alluvium Peat. Occupation.—Partly Manufacturing, partly Agricultural. 1898 1897 1896 1895 1894 1893 1892 1891 Birth Pate— per 1000 living 22T6 20*2 25’24 24’7 23‘30 26*2 30’8 31. Death Rate— ,, ,, 15’07 14’7 10’4 11’65 14'56 17‘7 12T 14.3 Zymotic Rate.— ,, ,, 1‘80 3'4 0’2 0*72 0’48 1‘4 0’4 0’7 Infant Mortality—,, births 185‘5 204'5 76-9 98’03 145'8 120'3 55T 78. Water Supply.—The supply for the whole year has been insufficient for the needs of the town, and had it not beeo fur the kindness of the Tor House authorities in allowing the Council to draw upon their spring, a water famine must have ensued. The quality of the water in the Edgarley reservoir was very unsatisfactory towards tbe end of the year, and analysis shewed it to bo decidedly unwholesome to drink. In December what water remained was run off, and the reservoir thoroughly cleansed. At this date a good stream is running in, and there is eight feet of water in the reservoir. The means of improving the quality of the water from the catchment grounds at Edgarley, which I suggested in my annual report last year, will, I hope, be carried out, together with the large scheme for bringing a further supply from West Compton and Pilton, which is now under the immediate consideration of the Council. The water from the public well in Silver Street has been analysed and found quite unfit for dietetic purposes ; the well has been closed. I have examined eight samples of drinking water, three of which were impure. Sewerage and Drainage.—The disposal of the town sewage at Cradle Bridge Farm continues satisfactory both to the Town Authorities and the tenant. As 1 pointed out in my last annual report the time must soon arrive when the lower end of the main sewer must be considerably enlarged, as with the number of houses which are now being erected and the consequent increase in the population, a nine-inch outlet is not sufficient to remove the sewage as rapidly as should be. A new sewer with road ventilators has been laid in George Street and connected with the main system in Northload Street. I hope the Council will see their way this year to complete the system of pipe drainage in Northload Street. Nothing has yet been done with the open drain at the end of the Old Wells Road, to which I drew your attention in my last year’s re])ort. Several cases of w.c’s. and soil pipes discharging into the surface water drains have been discovered and rectified. Annual Report. Area. Population. Geology. Occupation. Birth Rate. Death Rate. Zymotic Rate. Infant Mortality. Water Supply. Sewerage and Drainage.