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been removed; 76 cases of overcrowding and 14 smoke
nuisances have been abated; 4 cellar entrances to yards were
closed, 4 cellars paved and drained, and the illegal occupation of
5 cellars and basements discontinued; urinal accommodation has
been provided in 32 cases; 14 complaints of offensive effluvium
were remedied, and one well was discovered and filled in; 54
dust complaints were received and attended to, and 21 houses
were closed by the owners in preference to executing the necessary
repairs; 103 bakehouses, 18 licensed cowhouses and 9 slaughterhouses
have been periodically inspected.
These particulars, I hope, speak sufficiently for themselves, in so
far as mere figures can represent works, but in addition to the
above, the following details of our every-day work must be added.
These consisted of the removal of 625 persons to hospital, 270 of
which were suffering from scarlet fever, 207 from diphtheria, 143
from enteric fever, and 5 from puerperal fever; 6167 articles of
bedding, clothing, &c., were removed from various premises,
disinfected at the depot and returned to the respective owners,
and 22 lots of bedding were destroyed; 1896 notices respecting
dustpails were served, and 1803 pails were sold and delivered
to occupiers of the several premises, and the sum of £225
7s. 6d. in respect of the same paid into the Vestry's account;
2093 letters were written, 2142 persons called at the office respecting
notioes, repairs and enquiries of various kinds; 80 notices
were served in respect of combined drains, and 232 notices were
served under Section 40 and the drains opened up by our own men
for examination and report. This opening of drains is, in my
opinion, one of the most useful courses that your Committee ever
adopted. It settles effectually all dispute as to who should open
the drain, and at the same time discloses its condition. In 87
cases the attention of the District Surveyors was called to dangerous
structures, bulged walls, etc., and in some cases results followed;
144 complaints were received from H. M. Inspector of Factories
respecting various workshop and trade premises; many of these
were of such a nature that in themselves they did not constitute a
nuisance under the "Public Health (Loudon) Act," although it
was desirable in most cases that the matters referred to should
have attention, and in every case where it was possible to effect
improvement it was done. The same remark applies to 64 cases
received and dealt with during the year from the Mansion House
Council on the Dwellings of the Poor; 31 certificates, under
Section 48, were granted in respect of new buildings; 6 dead
bodies were removed, on sanitary grounds, from rooms occupied in
whole or in part by other persons.