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poor localities, are unfit for the purpose of storing water for drinking. They
should, therefore, he abolished, and a constant supply of water, direct from
the main, without the intervention of either butts or cisterns, should be substituted.
As the Water Companies are willing to assist the local Boards in
carrying out in this form the constant supply, I trust that water-waste preventers
will be erected in all the poor localities of the Metropolis.
It is with much pleasure that I am able to report that there are 80
of these machines in this District, which afford a constant supply to more
than 6,000 poor people.
Public Dust Bins.
There are about 160 public dust bins in this District, all of which the
contractor is bound to empty daily. The importance of the daily emptying
of the public dust bins cannot be over estimated, and it should be rigidly
enforced; for the smell of the contents of these receptacles, when they arc
allowed to remain unemptied for a period longer than 24 or 30 hours, is
sometimes intolerable, and is a cause of ill health to persons living in the
vicinity of them. I am sorry to say that the contractor has not given any
more attention to the emptying of the public dust bins during this quarter
than he gave during the preceding one, as complaints of the non-removal of
dust have recently been more numerous.
Nuisance in St. Mary Street.
The Rector of Whitechapel Parish has made frequent complaints to this
Board of the nuisance arising from the smell of urine, caused by hundreds
of persons rushing over to this street from the theatre immediately opposite.
From the indecency practised by these people, the Rector is almost prohibited
from using the large school room for public meetings. Several attempts
have been made by the Board to remedy this most disgusting nuisance, and
considerable expense has been incurred in their endeavours to suppress it, but
hitherto very little success has resulted from their endeavours. Three
additional lamps have been recently erected in this street, which, it is to be
hoped, will tend to abate the nuisance.
Relapsing Fever.
From a return which has been kindly furnished to me by Mr. Vallance,
the Clerk to the Board of Guardians, and which is appended to this Report,
it appears that from the 4th October to 31st December, 113 cases of illness,
supposed to be of relapsing fever, have been sent by the Relieving Officers to
the London Fever Hospital and to the London Hospital, viz., 106 to the
former and 7 to the latter. Of the total cases, there were 59 of males and
54 of females. The majority, viz., 66, were sent from the Registered Common
Lodging Houses, 13 from the Workhouse, 1 from the Refuge in Crispin
Street, and 33 from other houses in the District.