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Owing to the greater attention given to Infant Welfare, there
has, during recent years, been a steady decline in the infant mortality
rate, which is regarded as a valuable index of sanitary efficiency.
Poor Law relief is adequate.
The London hospitals are available for suitable illnesses and
are chiefly utilised for serious surgical cases. The Poor Law infirmary
at Hillingdon provides accommodation for cases unsuitable for
hospital treatment.
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DISTRICT.
Water.
The supply is constant and sufficient. Its source is from
deep wells sunk in the chalk locally. Its good points are its purity,
its freedom from risk of contamination, and the absence of any
solvent action on lead pipes. Its great defect is its hardness, which
is not excessive. The London water supply is often taken as a
fair standard, and the water supplied in this district is slightly
less hard than that in London.
About 10 per cent. of the houses (these are in outlying parts
of the Yiewsley area) are supplied by shallow wells.
No complaints as to the character of the water were received
during the year.
No cases of contamination occurred. To a limited extent the
Frays is unwisely used as a source of drinking water, and was
apparently the source of a case of typhoid fever some years ago,
so that the question is of some importance.
Rivers and Streams