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their own homes, one subsequently died of congenital heart
disease.
Premature infants born at home may be removed to hospital
if necessary. A specially heated incubator is available for removing
cases by ambulance to hospital.
For cases remaining in their own homes special draughtproof
cots heated by hot water bottles, blankets, clothes, special
feeding bottles, etc., may be borrowed free of cost at the request
of the doctor or midwife in charge of the case.
Home Helps are available when necessary.
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE AREA
WATER SUPPLY
Except for eight houses in Goat Road, supplied by the Sutton
Water Company, the whole of Mitcham is supplied by the
Metropolitan Water Board.
There are in addition eight licensed caravan yards, each containing
a stand pipe and supplying a total of 26 caravans.
The water has been of a consistently high standard of purity
and no case of infectious disease has been transmitted by water.
A large number of the houses in the Borough have no supply
of drinking water direct from the main, but are supplied from a
tank in the roof. Provided this tank is properly covered and is
cleansed regularly, it provides a satisfactory supply, but frequently
the covers are left off and the tanks become contaminated
with dead birds, mice, etc., drowned whilst obtaining water. All
the more modern houses are, however, supplied with one tap for
drinking purposes direct from the main supply.
Nine samples of deep well water were submitted for chemical
and bacteriological examination and were reported to be
satisfactory.
RIVERS AND STREAMS
Twelve visits have been paid to all works suspected of discharging
effluent into surface water sewers.