Dr. Blaxall's report to the local government board upon the sanitary condition of the urban sanitary district of Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn, Montgormeryshire.

  • Blaxall, F. R.
Date:
1878
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. Blaxall's report to the local government board upon the sanitary condition of the urban sanitary district of Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn, Montgormeryshire. 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.

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    2 /0-f a failure to observe tbe principles which should govern excrement removal, these new contrivances can scarcely be considered as having resulted in any real improvement on the old system. Thus the receptacles are all too large to admit of their being con- veniently lifted for the purpose of emptying, and as no arrangements have been made for the systematic removal of the contents, these are allowed to accumulate for weeks together, sometimes till they overflow, when notice is given to scavengers, who, at their convenience, call round and clear out the receptacles with scoops, with the result of leaving a great deal behind, while if the receptacles be wooden, the contents leak also through the bottoms of the vessels, causing almost as much pollution to the soil as the old cesspit-privies. No absorbent is used, and I have seldom seen more revolting nuisances than are exhibited under this plan of excrement removal. The waterclosets. comparatively few in number, discharge either into closed cesspits or into sewers ; there is no adequate means for flushing them, and the soil-pipe is often unventilated. Thus the excrement is liable to lodge in the pipes and drains, while the sewer air finds a ready means of escape through the pan of the closet. The cesspit-privies remaining are still very numerous and afford examples of aggravated nuisance, the stench arising from them often indicating their position before they come in view. The pits are large, pervious, and unventilated, and the contents are left undis- turbed for months, or sometimes even for years, and where, as is often the case, these privies adjoin dwellings, the walls of the latter become saturated with filth, rendering the houses unfit for habitation. Many of the privies are in a very dilapidated and filthy condition, and the amount of privy accommodation is very insufficient, one privy often having to serve for several families, while some houses are totally unprovided. It is satisfactory in the midst of so much that is revolting to be enabled to make exception in favour of one locality, namely Dysart Terrace, consisting of 21 houses. Here the owner has provided each dwelling with a properly fitted earth-closet, and has arranged for the contents being systematically removed, and the closets supplied with fresh earth. I inspected each of these closets, and although all were not in an equally satisfactory con- dition, yet the majority were in good working order, and where such was not the case, the cause was found to be in damp ashes having carelessly been employed, instead of dry earth, the ashes caking and consequently not shooting properly when the spring was acted upon. On the whole these closets afford examples of a system of excrement removal, that, with ordinary care, can be efficiently worked, and is unproductive of nuisance. In illustration of the evils attending the usual means in operation in this district, as above described, the following examples may be adduced :— xHinples. (1.) Reynold’s Cottages, Frankwell.—Two privies built back to back, one of them situated in a kitchen, the other immediately outside the dwelling, the wall of the kitchen forming the back of both privies, which discharge into a cesspit situated underneath the dwelling ; the outer privy is used by four families. (2.) Francis Yard. —A cesspit-pit privy used by 11 families. The pit is about 16 feet feet long. (3.) Veynor Yard.—Four adjoining privies with large receptacles, all in a filthy condition. One of the said privies is immediately under a pantry window, and the occupant of the dwelling complained to me that the pantry stank as much as the privy. (4.) Britannia Yard.—Six or seven privies discharging into one cesspit about 25 feet in length. The privies are used by nine families, and are not more than 20 feet from dwellings. More- over, the yard in which they are situated is quite closed in, and the people complain that the atmosphere in and around the dwellings is pervaded with stench from the privies. (5.) Bank Yard.—Cesspit privy adjoining a dwelling, the contents of the pit percolating into the cellar. In the same yard is a large closed cesspit into which waterclosets drain. (6.) Market Hall.—Provided with four privies which discharge into a large closed pit which has been cleared out twice or three times only during the last seven years. (7.) New Inn Yard.—Privy with a wooden receptacle placed imme- diately over a deep pit (probably an old cesspit) which at the time of my visit was half full of liquid filth, partly the result of leakage from the receptacle above; adjoining the privy is a dwelling, the interior of which was remarkably clean, but the poor people complained that sometimes they could hardly live in the house, the stench from the privy was so great. (8.) Greens Houses, The Frolic.—A row of foul privies situated in a narrow passage opening into a yard. They all discharge into one long cesspit which is allowed to get so full that sometimes the liquid filth overflows, and may be seen coursing down the gutter in front of the dwellings. The privies at one end of the row adjoin the back of a dwelling in Davis’ Court, giving rise to intolerable nuisance ; the liquid filth from the cesspit appearing in the ashpit under the fireplace in the living room, to such an extent that it has to be emptied out daily, and the whole house is