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46
The Piggeries in Lachmere Grove were inspected and
the reports duly placed before the Board. The Police Court
was attended in reference to them. The owners pleaded that
they had not sufficient time to carry out the improvements
which they had promised to do, so the magistrate adjourned
the cases for a month, at the end of which time the styes
had all been bottomed with impervious material, drains
properly constructed, &c., so the summonses were abandoned.
No complaint has since been made, Whilst inspecting these
piggeries I found many pigs suffering from foot and mouth
disease; the Cattle Inspector (Metropolitan Board) was
communicated with and took the necessary steps.
The Alum and Ammonia Works have been the subject
of considerable attention and reports; various suggestions
have been made and carried out by the proprietors to
endeavour to suppress the disagreeable vapours emanating
from these works, but, from some cause, either the inattention
of the men, or, the breaking of the machinery, the
nuisance after an interval of freedom has recurred. These
intervals of freedom show clearly that the manufacture can
be carried on without annoyance, and the Board are
perfectly right in insisting, for the comfort of the neighbourhood
that it should be so. On seven different occasions, I
telegraphed, by Order of the Board, for the attendance of
Mr. Keats, but was unable to obtain his services.
A matter of great importance and one which claims our
utmost attention, is the water we drink. In the month of
July, not feeling at all satisfied with the water supplied to
my house, the Inspector took a sample from the cistern,
and also the same water, after filtration, to Dr. Muter,
the Board's analyst. The cistern water was found to be
one of the worst of 15 samples analysed, taken from various
parts of the district, whilst the same water, when filtered,
was rendered actually the purest of the whole 15 samples
analysed. The cistern stands by itself, has no connection
with any water closet, is cleaned out every week, and the
waste pipe is not connected with the sewers; therefore, the