View report page

Complaint has been made of frequent and offensive smells
arising from a ventilator in a sewer in St. James's Road. It
is situated in front of the house No. 54. l am informed that
there is a case of typhoid fever at No. 54, and that several
cases of sore throat, diphtheria, low fever, gastric fever,
typhoid fever, and other disorders which are generally caused
by emanations of sewer gas, have occurred in the immediate
locality, I do not know the course of the sewer, but have
been told that it is one which belongs to the Metropolitan
Board, and that it crosses Southwark Park in a diagonal
direction towards China Hall. I presume there is a long
length of sewer which is not sufficiently ventilated. I am
under the impression that this is the case in other parts of St.
James's District, as diphtheria and similar complaints are
much more prevalent in that district than in other parts of
the parish, where the houses are, generally speaking, of an
inferior class.
At the Vestry Wharf, 483 loads of dust and 172 loads of
slop have been received during the last fortnight. All the
manure has been removed. There are about three barge
loads of dust remaining to be sifted. Efforts have been made
to clear the place, and I hope they will not be relaxed until
that work has been accomplished. As a wharf for the
removal of refuse these premises are indispensable, and it is
not unreasonable that a moderate time should be allowed for
the sifting of materials, without which they are valueless ; but
I believe it was never intended that the wharf should be used
as a depôt for an indefinite period, and I do not think it is a
suitable place for such a purpose.
August 14th, 1882.
During the fortnight that ended on the 5th day of August,
111 births and 80 deaths were registered in Bermondsey.
These numbers correspond to an annual birth rate of 32.1,
and an annual rate of mortality of 23.8 per 1000 of the estimated
population. The death rate in London was 18.6. Of
the deaths, 32 were aged under one year, 15 between one and
five years, and 10 above 60 years.