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162
ON THE SANITARY CONDITION OF
they arise chiefly in small streets; in Rotherhithe, complaints are very rarely
received ; and in Lambeth, St. Pancras, and St. George's Hanover Square, occasionally.
In St. George's in the East, it is stated that complaints have abated during
the last two or three years since boiling water was prevented from entering the
sewers. Similar replies are given in respect of extra-metropolitan localities.
No complaints have been received at only two places, viz.: Bristol and Richmond
(Surrey). In the former, the sewers are not ventilated ("the house drains are
ventilated, but are disconnected from main sewers by syphons") in the latter, a
system of extracting and burning the sewer gas ''has been in use for several years
and perfectly clears the sewers of foul gases."
With regard to the second question, I anticipated that the replies would not be
very definite, for it is of course a matter of extreme difficulty to produce convincing
proof that illness has been caused by the emanations of air from sewers. Nevertheless,
direct injury to health has been traced to street level ventilators in no less
than twelve localities, viz.: Battersea, Hampstead, Islington, Kensington, Newington,
Stoke Newington, Wandsworth, Westminster, Leicester, Norwich, Sunderland and
Walthamstow ; and in twenty-five localities, the Medical Officers have grounds for
strongly suspecting sewer emanations as a cause of ill-health. The complaints
attributed thereto are lowered vitality, general malaise, gastric disturbances with
sickness and vomiting, unhealthy or ulcerated throats, enteric fever and diphtheria.
In seventeen instances no illness has been traceable to sewer ventilators at the road
level.
From ventilating columns or shafts on walls, trees, &c., no ill effects were
traceable in twenty-four instances where these were used, "except," adds Professor
Corfield, "from the ventilators of soil pipes when ending too near to windows or
chimneys;" and at Malvern, a badly-placed shaft against a chimney was a source
of complaint. The Medical Officer of Scoke Newington states that he has been
able to trace cases of ill-health to emanations from shafts, but it is not stated how
these were placed, but at Blackpool from defective shafts against houses, several cases
of ill-health have arisen and consequently their experience is against the use of shafts
in that position. In Marylebone and Paddington no decided answer can be given.
Several authorities speak highly of shafts and columns and substitute them for
street level ventilators which are complained of, or erect a shaft in addition to the
grid, which thus becomes in many instances an inlet instead of an outlet. In
Battersea this appears to be their regular experience. The report states: (b.)" No
complaints. The street level ventilators are rendered harmless where shafts are
taken up houses." (About 170 shafts have been so erected). In the Douglas report,
however, this reversal of action was not always found to follow the use of shafts,
although the general concensus of opinion is that it does occur as a rule.
The replies to the question as to desirability of Sanitary Authorities having
compulsory powers give a majority in favour of the suggestion. Of Metropolitan
Authorities seventeen are in favour, eight against, and four replies are indefinite ; of
extra Metropolitan Districts, fourteen are in favour, nine against, and four indefinite.
The thirty-one in favour of the suggestion are :—
Battersea.
Bow.
Camber well.
Chelsea.
Clapham.
Deptford.
Fulham.
Hammersmith.
Islington.
Lee.
Paddington.
Poplar.
St. Giles.
St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
St. Marylebone.
Wandsworth.
Westminster.
Abergavenny.
Belfast.
Brighton.
Bristol.
Croydon.
Dundee.
Eastbourne.
Hull.
Leicester.
Malvern.
Manchester.
Norwich.
Walthamstow.
Willesden.