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 of Newton-Abbot / by George T. Clark, Superintending Inspector.

  • George Thomas Clark
Date:
1850
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 of Newton-Abbot / by George T. Clark, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the habit of sleeping there, in close and confined rooms, with- out proper ventilation and conveniences. That I have had several cases of fever in these houses from time to time, which I attribute to bad ventilation and sewerage. That the water from the streets of the town flows into the drains through open grat- ings, and during warm weather the effluvia arising from the same are very offensive and injurious to health. That during the summer months the effluvia arising from the Lemon (which during that season is nearly dry) are very prejudicial to health and highly offensive.” 24. In this inspection I was accompanied throughout by the Reverend J. Templer, Messrs. Leslie and Gillard (surgeons to the union), Mr. Flamank, 'Messrs. Gaye, Ford, Milward, Ren- dell, and Mr. Abberley (who provided plans of the town and its drainage) and others, all residents in the town, including those who took an active part in the application of the Nuisances Removal Act. 25. Of the specific nuisances visited, I may mention a few of the most remarkable. The courts about Wolborough Street, from the entrance of Back Lane to the Cross, contain almost the worst part of the town. On the southern half the land is high, and drains directly upon the houses. On the north the ground falls from the street towards the Lemon. 26. Major s Court is in a good natural situation, with a good fall, but very badly paved, full of puddles, and having two privies under one roof for the whole of a large court. These are out of order, and the people throw their house-filth into the river. The paving and draining here are execrable, and the place has been a seat of fever. In the British-School Court is a school attended by 50 boys and 70 girls, in a close covered alley, with a privy close to the water. The place is thoroughly objectionable as a site for a school. It has no playground whatever. 27. Crossman s Court contains an open muck-heap, bad privies, and a slaughterhouse. The paving is peculiarly bad. Balsonis is a long, narrow court, with numerous houses, and a very large cesspool filled Avith nightsoil. Higher up the court were other similar but far less offensive nuisances. In this court, the worst in the whole town, I understand the cesspool had been recently cleansed, but at my visit it was nearly full, and no mere cleans- ing of such a place can be more than temporary. 28. Snelling s Court has one privy to the whole court of four- teen houses. 1 here fever has prevailed. RendelVs Court, near the Lemon, has a small open drain traversing several courts, and finally falling into the river. Sun Court contains about 20 houses. It is long, narrow, ill-paved, with a great deficiency of privies, but with a great many piggeries. This court has no back, the houses being built up close. White's Court has twelve houses and one privy. Ihe Independent Chapel, in Back Lane, has a plot of ground