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5,213 houses inspected under the Sanitary Aot of 1866, a large
proportion being houses occupied by two or more families. In
addition to these there were 1,315 premises visited in consequence
of oomplaints, many of which, however, were not inspeoted
throughout, as the complaints referred in some instances to
accumulations of offensive matter, defective means of drainage,
defective water supply apparatus. There were also 367 premises
visited in oonsequence of infectious diseases having ocourred
therein, making a total of 7,099 inhabited houses visited during
the year, or nearly one-fourth of the houses in the district. In
addition there were 129 bakehouses inspected; 81 poulterers'
yards; 134 greengrocers' yards; 43 slaughter-house; and 86
cow-sheds, making altogether 7,572 premises inspected. Nearly
all these were visited at least three times, and a large proportion
more frequently than this, so that a very large amount of work
has been done by the sanitary staff during the year.
The details of the nuisances removed are as follows:—A few
cesspools, viz., 5, have been discovered and removed during the
year. In all instances a search was made for them, in consequence
of complaints of offensive smells in the houses, no other
oause for the smell having been discovered on inspection. They
were all emptied and filled up. The number of choked and
defective drains which have been dealt with was larger than
usual, as no less than 824 nuisances from this cause were abated
during the year ; but the number of choked or broken closet pans
attended to was smaller than usual, viz., 95, which shows that the
poorer classes are getting more acoustomed to and have taken
greater care of the water closets than in former years. The
substitution of yard gulley for bell-traps has been actively carried
out, as 1,066 bell-traps have been removed, chiefly from the betterclass
houses. This number is not so large as for 1886, and will
doubtless become smaller every year, as bell-traps are not
allowed to be used for newly-built houses, and a considerable
number of better-class houses are inspected every year
There were also 727 waste-pipes from sinks and baths dis-