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14
(Dagenham Village) employed in a large telephone factory, and
some on river-side labour. At Chadwell Heath an increasing number
of residents employed in London. Water supply mainly from South
Essex Water Company.
The system of sewerage for these localities is now completed,
and the house connections are being made. I anticipate a great
improvement in the sanitary condition here in the immediate future,
now that this system has been at length successfully completed,
after much anxious action on the part of the Council for a long
time past. Scavenging is done by the Council's Contractors, and
pail-closets will be abolished and w.c.'s substituted, as the house
connections are being made. Birth Rate, 34.1. Death Rate, 11.9.
Death Rate from Zymotic Disease, 0.6.
hornchurch.—Large village and scattered groups of houses
extending over a large parochial area. Part of the parish adjoining
and actually forming part of the town of Romford. Stands mostly
on gravel, partly on clay, and some small part, running down 'to 'the
river Thames on alluvium. Population (estimated) 8,500. Principally
agricultural. Foundry and brewery in the village, and an
increasing number of residents having their occupation in London.
Birth-rate, 24.5. Death-rate, 9.8. Death-rate from zymotic disease,
nil.
Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever prevailed to a considerable extent
but mainly in the North-West part of the parish, which actually forms
part of the town of Romford. Scarlet Fever was mainly caused by
personal infection from neighbours, the part of Romford near being
similarly affected. Thanks to the help of our Isolation Hospital,
the disease did not assume an epidemic character. Diphtheria, too,
was prevalent to a considerable extent, and i fear that the prevalence
of this disease must, to a large extent, be connected with faulty
house drains. In my last year's report I mentioned that the (Council
had instructed the Sanitary Inspector to test all the drains in
thickly-populated parts of the parish, but, unfortunately, this was
stopped by a magisterial decision given against the Council in a case
where an owner was proceeded against for refusing his drains to 'be
tested, so that this can only now be done where a nuisance is suspected
to exist, or where infectious disease has occurred. In such cases
is has almost invariably been found that the sewerage arrangements
were faulty.