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Medical Officers of Health. They affirm the purity
and wholesomeness of the supply derived from the
river.
Until the system of constant supply is completed
it is the duty of the owners and occupiers of houses to
take care that cisterns, tanks and butts for containing
water are properly covered over and frequently cleaned
out; that they do not receive the drippings from roofs
and gutters ; that they are not placed in close proximity
to dust bins or other filthy deposits ; and, especially,
that there is no untrapped waste pipe communicating
with the drains.
A persistent waste of water is not uncommon and
should be avoided by every good citizen, as it is likely
to cause an inadequate supply in several adjoining
houses producing stopped drains and other evils.
STATISTICS OF LONDON.
The births registered in the year 1880 amounted
to 132,173 and the deaths to 81,128. Epidemic diarrhœa
prevailed in the summer and caused 3,767 deaths.
In 1879 there were only 1,835 deaths ascribed to this
cause. The mortality from scarlet fever, diphtheria
and whooping cough shewed some excess above the
average of the previous ten years, while the mortality
from all kinds of continued fevers shewed a large