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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
145
way about 100 yards apart, or in lieu of these, shafts 6 inches in
diameter either erected in the street or carried up the side or front
of the nearest house.
To ascertain if these methods were similar to those adopted
in provincial towns a series of questions was sent to the Medical
Officers of Health of 70 provincial towns and 57 replies have been
received.
The questions were as follows:—
(1).—What methods are adopted in your district for the
ventilation of the sewers?
(2).—Do you receive many complaints of offensive smells
from surface ventilators in the streets ?
(3).—Have you ever been able to trace any connection
between offensive smells from sewer ventilators and
Diphtheria or other disease?
(4).—Is each house drain intercepted from the main sewer?
(5).—Do you require a ventilator on the sewer side of the
intercepting trap?
With regard to the first question asked two towns have no
sewer ventilation at all, 15 have surface ventilators only, 33 have
both surface ventilators and ventilating shafts, and seven have
ventilating shafts only.
With regard to question 2 in group (1), those towns with no
system of sewer ventilation, no complaints were received. In
group (2), those with surface ventilators only, with the exception
of Huddersfield there have been complaints received, in four the
complaints were numerous, in six a few, and in four no additional
statement was made beyond recording the fact that complaints
had been received. In group (3), those towns with both surface
ventilators and ventilating shafts, in two cases no complaints had
been received, in 16 a few, and 15 no particular statement was
made except that complaints had been received. In group (4),
towns with ventilating shafts only, no complaints had been
received.
In group 3 in many of those towns as the complaints are
received ventilating shafts are being fixed and the surface ventilators
sealed up.