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47
transferred with a consequent temporary increase of waste due
to imperfect fittings, which continued until detection by the
waste meters had been followed by repair, the quantity used in
the constant supply districts was gallons per head per day
less than in the previous year."
My own experience agrees with that of the Water Examiners on
this subject.
Appended is a table contrasting the advantages and disadvantages
of the two systems of water supply, from which it will be seen
that the advantages are wholly on the side of the constant service.
Whatever may have been the effect upon the public health of
Hackney of the water scarcity, there must be a unanimous agreement
that the action of the Vestry in causing water to be distributed
during the period the mains were shut down, providing jars for the
storage of water where no such means had been provided, and the
distribution of disinfectants to house-holders for offensive sanitary
conveniences, went a long way to prevent injury by the want of
water.
In inquiring as to the effect of a scarcity of water on the public
health, one naturally turns to the records of those diseases which are
associated with the presence of filth, foul smells and sewage emanations,
etc., that is, gastro-enteric affections, especially infantile
diarrhœa; but this term appears to be used very loosely, and a
large number of deaths which formerly would have been recorded
under the head of diarrhoea, are now registered under gastro-enteric
catarrh or gastro-enteritis, these latter terms being more precise and
more in keeping with pathology.
However, on reference to that part of my report dealing with
diarrhoea and enteric disease, it will be seen that there were 184
deaths from diarrhoea and 108 from gastro-enteric disease during the
third quarter of 1898, the corresponding deaths for the third quarter
of 1897 having been 177 from diarrhoea and 68 from gastro-enteric
disease, so it will been seen on comparing the two years that there
was a large excess of deaths during last year from disease which a
scanty water supply might well be considered to aggravate.