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4
Isolation Hospital.
The Isolation Hospital, as will be seen from previous
remarks, has continued to fulfil a very useful and important
function, and on more than one occasion has been fully
occupied. The enlargement of the Institution has become
a public necessity, and will ere long be carried out.
Buildings, &c.
It is estimated that at the end of the past year there
were over 5000 occupied houses in the district, and during
the same period 175 new buildings were completed.
Sanitation.
With regard to sanitary administration, I believe all
matters appertaining to drainage, removal of house refuse,
general scavengering, and water supply, have received careful
attention; systematic inspection of all dairies, cowsheds,
slaughter-houses, bakeries, &c., has been properly carried
out, and numerous improvements have been effected in
connection with many of those places. The question of
water supply is one that has necessarily occupied the attention
of the public generally in a far greater degree than usual,
owing to the severe epidemics of enteric fever at Maidstone,
Lynn, and elsewhere. As is well-known, we in this district
are not dependent upon local sources for our supply, and I
think we have every reason to feel satisfied with the excellent
quality of the water supplied by the Company that serve
us, as evidenced by the usually favourable reports furnished
monthly by the responsible authorities. This does not,
however, exonerate us from the necessity of seeing that the
cisterns and receptacles into which the water is delivered are
properly and frequently cleansed; and whenever possible I
have never ceased to advocate the water used for drinking
and culinary purposes being drawn direct from the main. It
may be a useful precaution to drink boiled water, but where the
water is obtained directly from the main I do not think that,
in this district at least, this measure is at all indispensable.
Should the existence of a well in this district come to my
notice, I invariably have the water tested by the competent
analyst employed by your Council, and whenever there is