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8
Considerable difficulty having arisen in connection with
nuisances caused by the keeping of pigs in large numbers, a new
bye-law was drawn up and sanctioned by the Local Government
Board, giving the Council larger powers for dealing with it. This
bye-law came into force in February, 1906, and details relating to
it can be found in my Report for the previous year.
The third regulation is the adoption of a new bye-law during
1908, limiting the hours in which foul and offensive material may
be collected in or carried through the district, and making it
compulsory for all such material to be placed in suitable carts for
conveyance. These three regulations can now be legally enforced
and penalties recovered for their non-observance.
In 1903, the attention of the Health Committee was directed
to the frequency with which the drains of almost new houses
were found to be defective, and as a result new regulations were
made by that Committee and the Works Department for ensuring
the proper testing of all drains of new houses prior to occupation.
This matter is referred to in my Report for 1904. The carrying
out of the regulation means a considerable increase in the work
of the Sanitary Inspectors, but its value is undoubted.
During the eight years there have been one or two small
outbreaks of infectious disease, either Scarlet Fever or Diphtheria,
such as are the common experience of most similar distrcts, but
the only really serious outbreak was that of Small-pox in 1902.
The prevalence of this disease in that year was a matter of great
anxiety, but no difficulty was found in dealing with it owing to
the foresight and wisdom of the local authorities in having a
special isolation hospital already provided.
In my Annual Report for 1902, will be found a copy of a
letter from the Medical Officer of Health for Richmond and myself,
sent by us to every medical practitioner in the two districts,
suggesting a means for detecting doubtful cases of Small-pox.
The plan then instituted of co-operation between the public health
officer and the private doctors in connection with one particular