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9
Although in most cases some sort of drainage to the yards is
provided, it is almost invariably ineffectual. The fall of the paving,
which consists usually of fragments of flagstones, is generally in the
wrong direction, so as to harbour instead of discharging the moisture;
while the trap into which the water is intended to discharge, is most
frequently either a sink-stone or a bell-trap, the latter usually without
a bell. Your igth Regulation requires " all drains or sinks to be
properly trapped;" and we submit that a bell-trap (even if the bell be
there) is, in consequence of its insufficiency and the liability to the
loss of the bell, not a proper trap, and that a dip-trap of sufficient
dimensions should be insisted upon to supersede the trap-less sinkstones
and the bell-traps, which have long since been discarded by
all authorities on sanitation.
Your 16th Regulation requires every house to be provided with
a dustbin of sufficient size and with proper cover. There are
numerous cases where no dustbin is provided; Many others where
the basement itself is the dustbin, or where the dustbin is formed
inside the house under the stairs. In most instances it is found in
the yard, but is seldom fitted with cover.
The three defects above enumerated—the imperfect paving of
yards or back areas, the absent or defective traps, and the uncovered
dustbins together constitute an evil of the greatest magnitude; for
all the air entering the back windows of the houses is thus tainted by
the foul emanations from these untrapped, ill drained and filthy
yards, and from the putrescent contents of the open dustbins.
The condition of the waterclosets throughout the District is
such as appears to us also to call for special comments. They
are almost invariably without water supply; and the flushing byhand
which is supposed to be done by the occupier being rarely
attended to in the absence of any facilities for that purpose, there is an
insufficient quantity of water to carry off the sewage; the consequence
being a permanent stench and a frequent stoppage of the waterclosets
and drains. In many cases the closets are found to be in a permanently
filthy condition, with the doors not hung. Whatever may be the
habits of the inhabitants of the District, the average arrangements of
the waterclosets are such as not to admit of cleanliness, and are quite
incompatible with all ideas of sanitation or decency. In the case
of certain combined dwellings, where the trough system of waterclosets
has been adopted at the instance of your officers (as at
Booth Street) the system has failed in consequence of insufficiency
of accommodation and the absence of urinals for the men, and
special arrangements suitable for the use of children, and the evil
there sought to be remedied has consequently been intensified.