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Source of supply.—The report referred to also contains
the following most important information:—“That
“several of the Water Companies are now impressed
“ with the necessity of ultimately abandoning the rivers
“Thames and Lee as sources of water-supply; and some
“ of them have already completed works for utilizing
“ subterranean waters which have undergone natural
“ filtration through great thicknesses of gravel and sand,
“ whilst others are sinking deep wells into the chalk."
Your Medical Officers sincerely hope that the latter source
of supply, for the adoption of which they have So long
contended, may be universally and speedily secured.
Sanitation.— General remarks.—The sanitary work of
the past year was of far greater amount and importance
in the maintenance of the health of the District
than has been hitherto accomplished. The increase, chiefly
consisting of inspections of houses with the remedying
their defects, and of the general removal of nuisances,
arose out of the special precautions that were adopted
against the anticipated advent of Cholera in this country.
For the purpose indicated additional Inspectors of
Nuisances were appointed who carried out, under the
supervision of your Medical Officers of Health, a systematic
house-to-house inspection by which a vast mass of
sanitary defects was brought to light and remedied which
could not otherwise have been discovered. As a result
of the labours of those officials it will be seen on reference
to Table VI., Appendix, (in which the principal
sanitary operations for the year are enumerated), that
the number of house-inspections amounted to 32,473;
and the number of notices issued for the abatement of
nuisances to 3,342. The corresponding numbers of the
year preceding were 10,241 inspections, and 1,14.6
notices.