London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

View report page

St James's 1866

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St James's, Westminster]

This page requires JavaScript

20
minently before the Vestry and has received so
much annual attention that it may seem superfluous
to allude to it here, and my only object in doing
so is to record the fact that it really has received
the consideration it deserves, discouraging though
it is to be compelled to add that every year it
appears to become more serious. In the ordinary
course of things this must be so, and it is
scarcely necessary to state that where decay
once clearly begins, its progress is very rapid,
especially when assisted by such indefatigable
agents as Rats. Pending the Report of Mr.
Haywood, Surveyor of the City Sewers, who has
received instruction from the Yestry to report
his opinion as to the best means of improving the
Regent Street Sewerage, and whose more extensive
experience may suggest some less formidable
escape from the difficulty, than that which has
presented itself to my mind, it is futile to pursue
the matter further at present, except to point
out that future exigencies and contingencies
must, or should be considered, in connection
with the present, and also that in the mean
time these Tributary Sewers being a constant
source of anxiety and expense—as experience
proves beyond a doubt—they may in the course