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sufficient surface drainage, become thick with slush, and almost impassable.
It is to be wished that, not only in St. Giles, but throughout the metropolis,
a better kind of paving may soon be generally adopted.
Sewerage. 10. The Sewerage of St. Giles is very complete; not a single
street or court being without a sewer, although, of course, all are not equally
good. During the past ten years nearly three miles of new sewers have been
constructed, thereby eminently promoting the health of the district. A
large number of 9-inch pipe house drains have been laid in the same period;
but I regret to say that, in Bloomsbury especially, numerous houses have
only old brick drains, many of them, in a decayed state. These drains are
generally laid over the old cesspools, into which they empty ; and when the
cesspool gets filled, the soil overflows into the drain, and thence into the
sewer. Nothing can prevent foul and noxious odours in houses where such
a mischievous arrangement exists : and I feel persuaded that there would be
no objection to the removal of these old drains, and their replacement by
good 9-inch pipes, if the occupiers were fully aware of the dangerous
elements of fever existing under the basements of their houses.
Water Supply. 11. There are no wells, as far as I can ascertain, in
use in the District. There are, however, a few underground tanks for the
storage of water. These are generally built of brick, and are commonly
placed in or near stables. The water they contain is not used for drinking
purposes.
The New River Company1 s Supply. 12. Our supply of water is
derived from the New Biver. Considerable pains are taken by the
Company to render it pure; and it stands high, —in fact, second to
the Kent Company's water, in general excellence. I subjoin a Tabular
Statement of the composition of the London "Waters, from Dr. Frankland's
Report, published in the Registrar General's Annual Summary, for the
year 1872. It will be observed, that the New River water contains
only a minute quantity of organic elements, which are the most deleterious
ingredients of water for drinking.

14. The Company's water, as delivered from the mains, is a species of
nectar when compared with the liquid actually drank by many of our poorer
people. This liquid is frequently a solution of dropped leaves, bits of