Volume 2

First-[second] report of the Royal Sanitary Commission.

  • Great Britain. Royal Sanitary Commission
Date:
1869-1874
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: First-[second] report of the Royal Sanitary Commission. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    282/418 (page 262)
    Constitution of Local Authority. Districts, Officers. JMcdiccil Advice. Inspection. Hospital Accommoda- tion. Treatment, &c. of Disease. * SeweragGj &c. Water oupply, &c. Qns, 3., 8-12. 2-7, aS-SO. a.3-15, 19. 16-18, 20-28. 29-34. 35-33, 57, 70. Bridport. (Dorsetshire). The mayor, alder- men, and bur- gesses are the local board. The P. H. and L. G. Acts were adopted by peti- tion of the in- habitants under § 12, Aug. 1859. The borough comprises the parinh of Bridpoiit, a.nA parts of the parishes of Allingtou, Bathen- hampton. Burton, Brad- stocl:, Bradpole, Sy- mondsbury, and Wal- ditch. A. - - 358 3 0 R. V. £15,870 0 0 P. - - 8,004 H. D. R. There is no adjnini»g dis- trict which should be included. Clerk, 70?. per annum. Sani- tary inspector, 30/. per annum. Surveyor of highways, 10/. There is no offi- cer of health. No medical ad- vice from any paid officer. There is a regular system of inspec- tion. The inspector of uuisances in- spects food. of nuisances. Means sufficient, and immed A Report of deaths is made by the registrar Fcrer has occasionally appeared. A cholera hospital has been erected in case of such disease breaking out. Sewers are periodically disinfected by disinfec- tants being poured down. No means of conveying infected patients. Coroner not a medical man. No registi-ation of disease Epidemic disease is ascer- tained by the reports of medical men practising in the borough, and the report of the inspector lately acted upon, to the council. Public sewerage and drainage are not sufficient; the atten- tion of the authorities, how- ever, is now directed to the best mode of remedying de- fects in drainage. Seicers are ventilated by air holes, trapped. The vaults [of privies] are emptied from time to time ; in some instances the water- closets are connected with the drains which discharge themselves into the rivers. Some houses have waterclosets, but the majority privies. Blany houses drain into the public sewers. Proceeds of disposal of sewage, mi. Water siippli/ is insufficient Attention is being directei to obtain a supply of wate from a distance. At present there is no wate supply beyond the well and springs on the pre- mises. No works have been under taken as yet. 71. Briglxtori. (Sussex). The iTiayor, alder- men, and bur- gesses arc the local board. The L.G. Act was adopted under §12. 3Jarch IS60. A provisional or- der has been madeunder§77, altering and re- pealing parts of a local Act. Local board con- stituted under 6 Geo. IV. c. clxxix. The district (the municipal borough.^ is conterminous with the parish of Brighfhelmston, other- wise BllIGHTOX. A. - 2,320 0 0 H. V. - £402 963 19 0 P. (1861) - 77,693; Estimated- 90,867. H. (1861) - 13,.307; since then tliere has been a large increase. (1867 - 22-3. D.R.-^ 1868 - 20-1. (.1809 - 20-2. There are local board districts within the ad- joining parish of Hove, (the whole of which is within the parlia- mentary borough,) now practically iniited for the purpose of sewage outfall, which might with great advantage be incorporated ; also the parish of Preston, now included within the parliamentary borough. P. (1861), 1,044, now upwards of 3,000. Head inspector of nuisances at 31. per week ; four assistant inspec- tors at salaries varying from 1/. iss. to 1/. Is. a week. No of- ticcr of health. An inspector under the Fac- tory and Work- shop Regulation Act, 1867, acts in the district. Medical assist- ance is received from the sur- geons of the pa- rochial districts. There are three medical men on the sanitary committee of the Town Coun- cil. A house to house inspection is made from time to time when necessary : the districts inha- bited by the poorer classes being frequently inspected. The powers for inspecting food are found use- ful, and are acted on. § 2 N. R. Act Amendment Act, 1863, does not extend to unwholesome food sold, but only when of- fered or depo- sited for sale. No contribution to lios- piials. There is an hospital, but infectious cases are not admitted ; they are received at the workhouse infirmary. No disinfecting appara- tus. Infectious cases are con- veyed in a special vehicle kept by the parochial authorities. Coroner not a medical man. No registration of disease. Periodical reports of the state of the districts are received from the sani- tary committee. A clerk in the Registrar- General's office fur- nishes quarterly reports concerning births and deaths and causes of deaths. The registrar of deaths supplies a weekly re- turn to the Sanitary Committee. These means are suffi- cient for ascertaining the presence of epidemic disease, and the infor- mation given is imme- diately acted on. In 1866 there were two or three cases of cholera; there was no difficulty in dealingwith this out- break. A complete system of sewers is now being constructed; an Act has been obtained for the construction of intercepting sewers with an outfall in the sea about seven miles away. Subsoil not waterlogged. Sewers are ventilated by grat- ings, by special flues, as brewers' chimnies, and by a furnace at the ash depot, which is on high ground. House drains are trapped to about one-third of a mile beyond low water mark, and at a third point to low water mark of spring tides only. When cesspools are in use the soil is carted away when re- quired by farmers and mar- ket gardeners. No revenue is derived from this by the corporation. Houses generally supplied with waterclosets. About 4,500 houses drain into the public sewers, which (at present) are extended into the sea at two points. Water supply by a privat( company, from wells in thi chalk. There are two ser vices, constant and inter mittcnt; the latter is mosth used, and nearly all thI houses are supplied witi , water. Quantity and qualiti .good. ■ § 76 P. H. Act and § 51 L, G Act have been acted upon (q but the carrying out of thesf i,, provisions is found to b( ui very difficult, and involves sljif great deal of trouble, then' are so many needless re- strictions in the way, iife, which a remedy may be applied, and the means foi recovering the cost of the works are defective. No abandoned works. It has been necessary to re* construct some old sewersj but not to a large extent, i 1;