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140
The "many cases" of diphtheria referred to were in reality
few, and due to a definite cause quite apart and distinct from house
sanitation.
2. With repsect to some of the houses being infested with rats,
the following facts were ascertained on investigation by the
Sanitary Inspectors, viz.:—
East side of Nisbet Street.—The drains of the whole of these
houses (39 in number) were tested, and the only defect found
was one defective trap. The tenants of five houses complained of
rats. Three of these tenants stated they had not seen any rats but
had heard gnawing under the floor. The Inspector took up the floor
boards but could not find any evidence of rats beneath. In one
of the other two houses, the tenant stated a rat had been seen in
the house. The Inspector found two holes in the flooring which
he took up, but failed to find either rat runs or other evidence
of rats or any communication with the drains. In the fifth house,
the tenant stated the cat had caught a rat in the house some time
before. The floor boards were also taken up here with negative
results.
West side of Nisbet Street.—The drains of the whole of these
houses (36 in number) were tested but no defect was discovered
in any of the drains.
The tenants of three houses complained of rats ; two of these
stated that their cats had brought dead rats into the house. The
Inspector searched for evidence of the presence of rats, taking up
the floor boards for this purpose, but no evidence was found.
In the third house, the tenant complained of the presence of
rats and stated they had caught several in a trap. The Inspector
found, in this case, rat holes in the front cupboard. The floor
boards were taken up and evidence of nesting was found in this
case, but neither "rat runs" nor communications with drains
were discovered.