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33
due to defective drains. They state that Typhoid Fever (which
doubtless, is caused through defective drains) has diminished, and
diphtheria has increased since more drainage work has been carried
out. True, typhoid fever cases have lessened, but then, what about
impure water causing this complaint ? Certainly our water supplies
and storages are better supervised now than in former years. The
germ of typhoid fever will exist in water, but the diphtheritic one
has great difficulty in living in it, which in fact will destroy the
bacillus, unless it be very polluted water.
There is no telling how many house traps may be forced by the
pressure of sewer gas, more especially when the main sewer is rushing
full, and backwash taking place into the branches of those sewers
which are not ventilated.
I pointed out that the Isle of Dogs suffered severely after the
floodings of 1888 and 1890, but that since an increased number of
outfalls into the Thames have been made by the London County
Council, in order to allow the pumps to discharge into the river
above high tide, floodings have been obviated and diphtheria lessened
on the Island. At the moment of writing this report the Council are
connecting the Hackney Wick and Isle of Dogs sewers at St.
Leonard's Street with their new sewer, laid down to relieve the main
low level one. In the year 1889, after the flooding, the Diphtheritic
death rate of the Island was 1700 per million living, that of London
being 259.
The following tables will show the incidence of Diphtheritic cases
in the various sub.divisions of the districts. I also give the Typhoid
Fever cases in order to compare the two complaints. The rates per
1000 living are shown. Both diseases will be seen to exist greatest
in North Bromley, which lies farthest away from the Thames, and has
the inadequate and often surcharged low level main sewer running
through it,
C