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18
It affords me much pleasure to speak favourably of the improvements
effected in the Lyham Road, at one time so greatly and, I
may add, so justly complained of. In its former condition it was a
source of not only much inconvenience to the inhabitants generally,
but of positive danger to those who resided in its vicinity.
My poor-law medical duties in this locality, before the present
re-construction of the road, were onerous in the extreme; for
scarcely a day passed that I did not have occasion to make repeated
visits—not unfrequently at night—to patients seriously ill from
preventible causes connected with this road, but since the improvement
referred to, my visits have not averaged more than two in the
week. The improved moral character of the neighbourhood is also
amongst the most satisfactory results of this great and long required
work of sanitation.
DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE.
I have dealt so frequently with this subject in former reports
that it would be needlessly occupying my limited space by again
referring to it, further than to congratulate those most concerned
upon the prospect there now is of shortly witnessing the completion
of the high level sewer, a work second to none in importance in its
connection with this sub-district.
OFFENSIVE PONDS.
No metropolitan district, I believe, contained so many ponds as
did Clapham at the commencement of the operations of your
Board. From long neglect most of these had become so foul, so
offensive, and so dangerous to health, as to compel me to notice
them in all my former reports. I am pleased to find that the
trouble taken and the money expended have not been thrown away,
but that a visible improvement has resulted from what has been
already accomplished in respect to them, during the past year
especially. There are, however, two or three remaining to be
dealt with, and I must express a hope that they may be attended
to before the increased temperature of midsummer renders it, as
it cannot fail to do, equally as dangerous to attempt to cleanse them
as it will be to suffer them to remain in their present condition.
JOHN MAC-DONOGH,
Medical Officer of Health for Clapham.