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72
level was at eight to twelve hours after high tide or just preceding
high water, shewing that the ground water took about two hours
to reach its maximum height."
A section of the ground in the sump-hole shews five feet of
made-up ground above, succeeded below by 13 feet of Thames
mud, 3 feet of peat, and 6 feet of sand.
In cuttings made for new sewers it is frequently found that the
street has been made up with house-refuse, and there can be little
doubt that the surface soil of North Woolwich largely consists of
made-up ground. Though the actual sites of houses were not
usually of such ground, the impurity of the surrounding soil
must have a considerable effect in making the air impure. The
ebb and flow of the tide in the ground would drive impure about
of this soil, and where sites of houses are not concreted, such
air would be specially drawn into them. The impurity of the
ground was further increased by the defective drainage previously
existing, but which has now been for the most part remedied.
The organic constituents of the impure soil will slowly be oxidised
and an ultimate greater purity of the soil be attained; but this
will take many years.
Meanwhile, no other practical steps can be suggested beyond
a diligent prosecution of the house-inspection, and health-visiting
which are now being carried out.
It is satisfactory to find that though the death-rate of that part
of the Borough known as North Woolwich is high, it is yet lower
than that of the adjoining parts of East and West Ham. This is
shown in Dr. Sowden's Annual Report on the health of East Ham,
in which he points out that in each of the three Boroughs the
wards which are situated on low-lying, damp, alluvial soil, have
much greater death-rates than the remainder of each Borough.
Prospect Cottages.
These are six two-roomed cottages, with no backs, situated in