[Report 1858-1859].

  • Bermondsey (London, England). Parish. Vestry.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1858-1859]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    I place so much reliance on the efficacy of the free use of water in our district, during the present temperature and season, that I venture very respectfully and urgently to advise additional watering carts, even although attended with some increased expense, for a temporary period. I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, JOHN CHALLICE, M.D., Officer of Health. TO THE VESTRY OF BERMONDSEY. July 5th, 1858. Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, —I have on two occasions, viz., on the 5th and the 2nd instant, inspected the premises of Messrs. Eason in reference to the complaint made to this Board of a most offensive and aggravated nuisance, arising from the process of tan burning. I have also, since the last meeting of the Vestry, directed my attention constantly to the shaft through which the smoke arising from this process passes to the atmosphere, and which is the source of the nuisance complained of. My report now must be the same as on a former occasion. The facts are exactly similar. The tan is consumed in a closed furnace or oven, and the smoke is passed through a flue over a fire into the shaft. On some occasions there has undoubtedly been much smoke escape from the shaft; and in certain conditions of the atmosphere it has been a considerable discomfort to the neighbourhood, occasioning cough, and also nausea with loss of appetite. Lately, however, I have not observed any amount of smoke which would cause such legitimate grounds of complaint. This improvement may fairly be attributed to increased pains and care taken in keeping the fire in the flue constantly fed with coals, for then the quantity of smoke which escapes is trifling in comparison with what it is under other circumstances. My attention and that of your Inspector being now directed to the question, any occasion in which the neighbourhood is subjected to inconvenience, which must be the result of inattention or neglect, shall be presented to this Vestry on the first opportunity. My attention has been called to offensive effluvia proceeding from the premises of Messrs. Barrow & Son in the Spa-road. On inspection, I found some pits close to the foot pavement, and others within a few feet, which contained very offensive matters; there was also an accumulation of skutch by the palings, and there is an offensive privy abutting on the pavement. The practice of keeping skins in old soaks is one which I am pleased to find is being abolished by some of the large firms; as it is now ascertained that the plentiful use of fresh water is in every respect preferable. I look upon the entire abolition 4
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