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ings and refuse, and depositing it on land adjoining the road leading
from Rainham to the river. This accumulation has now reached to such
an enormous extent, that combustion takes place in various portions,
causing the emission of foul smelling smoke. The condition has been
reported by me to the Council (as mentioned in a previous part of this
Report). The Council has also called for and received a report of this
matter from the County Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Thresh, which
confirms my report, and the subject is now in course of negotiation
between the proprietor and the Council.
10.—Bye-laws as to houses let in lodgings; offensive trades, etc.
There are bye-laws, but there are no common lodging-houses in the
district. There are no offensive trades carried on in the district, with
the exception of a fish manure factory and a soap factory at Rainham
Ferry, on the banks of the Thames. The former has been dealt with
above. (Nuisance, etc.) The latter, owing to the bone boiling, in the
course of soap manufacture, is very offensive.
11.—Schools ; Sanitary condition, water supply, etc.
All the public elementary schools in the district are in good sanitary
condition. With the exception of a few in the more remote parts of the
district, which have private wells (the purity of the supply being
periodically examined by me), all are supplied by the South Essex Water
Co. The education authority has a special Medical Inspector, who
reports to me children excluded from school owing to their verminous
condition, and these are visited and instructions given as to cleansing,
etc. When a child, on school attendance, is notified to me as suffering
from infectious disease, the school authorities are written to and advised
to exclude children from the same family from school for a definitely
mentioned period. When the school master or mistress notifies to me
the exclusion of a child for suspected infectious disease, such child is
visited and the disorder from which it is suffering verified.
I have recently drawn up a simple sheet of instructions to parents,
advising as to their action in sending children to school who present
suspicious symptoms of Scarlet Fever or Measles. This has been
printed and, by approval of the School Medical Officer, sent to the heads
of the various schools in the district, for distribution amongst the
children attending school, with instructions to give it to their parents. A
good many children have been sent to school who have been found to be
suffering from infectious disease unrecognized by their parents, and have
been the means of infecting others. It is hoped that this may tend to