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87
Prince of Walks Baths, opened in 1901. Situated in Prince of Wales
Road, Kentish Town. Standing upon an area of about 33,000 square
feet. Comprising four swimming baths, namely,
First Class Men's Swimming Bath, water area about 100 ft. by 35 ft.
Second ,, ,, ,, ,,
First Class Women's „ „ 75 ft. by 25 ft.
Second ,, ,, ,, 50 ,, ,,
Slipper baths for men, 30 first class and 65 second.
„ women, 10 ,, 25 „
Public Washhouse with 50 compartments, 50 drying horses, mangling
room, waiting room and creche, refreshment rooms and administrative
department.
The King Street and the Prince of Wales Baths are supplied with water from
their own artesian wells upon the premises.
§ 7. DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE.
Drain Testing.—Upon receipt of a complaint, notification of infectious
disease, or other cause, a Sanitary Inspector tests a drain.
He tests it to confirm or disprove a nuisance, the nuisance being the escape
of sewer gas into or adjacent to a house.
The test employed is a gaseous test, the substance used being judged through
the sense of smell by the characteristic odour it produces, e.g., oil of peppermint
or other essential oils, or, better still, by the odour and in addition through
the sense of sight by the visible fumes given off in the chemical exchange of
two substances, e.g., phosphide of calcium and sulphide of allyl which, in the
presence of moisture and water, decompose and re-combine with phosphorescent
combustion giving off white fumes of phosphide of allyl, having the pungent
odour of garlick.
Every precaution is taken that the test is not discharged until lodged within
the drain, and that the drain is trapped or stopped at every inlet and outlet.
If then the fumes of the test escape from within the drain and through the
ground and are smelt in or about the house, it is evident that the drain is
defective, and the owner is so informed either verbally or by written intimation
notice.
It is necessary to suggest to owners, magistrates, County Court judges, and
others, that Sanitary Inspectors have no more power of seeing through solid
ground than ordinary mortals, and that the constant request made that a
Sanitary Inspector should state what work is required to be done to a drain
that he has not seen is unreasonable.
The next step is for the owner to open the ground at the most likely points
to ascertain the defects, and whether the Inspector previously give or do not
give instructions that the drain must be exposed, it is obvious that the nuisance
cannot be abated unless the ground is opened and the drain exposed.