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29
So soon as the outbreak occurred I made an effort to
trace its true origin, but the matter was surrounded by many
difficulties, and it was not before a week had elapsed that I
succeeded in satisfying myself that I had lighted upon the
true cause.
In investigating such an outbreak one naturally turns to
unhealthy odours—such as may arise from defective sewer
ventilation, from sanitary defects in household and from
accumulations of dung, manure, and other putrefying organic
matter. Although Mr. Stockman and I detected sanitary
defects in one or two cases these were rarely of a serious
nature, and in the majority of cases we failed to find anything
whatever to take exception to—for the houses affected were
some of the best, in a sanitary sense, in the whole district.
As regard odours from the sewer ventilators I found that
there was abundant testimony that these were frequently in
evidence, but, on the other hand, testimony was equally
as unanimous upon the score that these smells had been less
assertive during the proceeding fortnight than they had been
any time during the previous 6 months; this was probably
due to the heavy and persistent rainfall. I naturally concluded
that if the cause were to be found anywhere it would be in
Church End, and more especially in and around Hendon Lane,
and further that the cause would be one that was, in all
probabilty, not in operation prior to November 1st. In making
a careful inspection in the neighbourhood of Hendon Lane
I paid particular attention to the ground lying in a westerly
direction from the situation of those houses first infected,
because in the early part of the preceding week high westerly
winds largely prevailed. I failed, however, to find any condition
that could have proved operative in the production of serious
cases of sore-throat.
The throats undoubtedly presented the appearance of
so-called "drain throats," and it was conceivable, that the
very marked fluctuations of the sewage level in the sewers
for the preceding fortnight might be in some measure
responsible for the outbreak, and especially under the peculiarly