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This ditch received sewage from certain houses, and in hot weather became
a great nuisance to the public, and doubtless an injury to public health.
The Local Board have constructed a sewer parallel with it which carries
the sewage away from the houses that were formerly connected with it,
and have also diverted the waste-pipe from the Soap Works.
The ditch itself has been partly filled in, and is now very nearly dry.
If there should be any trouble at all arising therefrom in hot weather it
will be an easy matter to have the ditch filled.
INFECTED CLOTHING.
Notwithstanding the action of your Worshipful Committee and the Board
of Trade, in endeavouring to minimise as far as possible danger of infection by
means of clothing of deceased seamen brought in vessels to this country,
three cases have been discovered during the half-year where this offence has
been committed.
As this question is of serious import, I give below details of the cases :—
On 28th July, steamship " Orizaba " arrived in Tilbury Dock, having on
board the effects of A. Mulroa, late seaman of steamship " Callirrhoe," of
Liverpool, No. 54,927, who died of typhoid fever in William Town Hospital,
Sydney, during April, 1888. The effects were sent home by the shipping
master at Adelaide, addressed to the shipping master in London as cargo,
without any information as to their being the clothes of a person who had
died of typhoid fever. They were, therefore, fumigated and the facts reported
to the Board of Trade.
On 14th September, steamship " Frisia" arrived in London Dock with the
effects on board of John Edwards, late of the " Faichion," and Wm. Pikes,
late of the " Hankow," who died at Hong Kong in January, 1888, of smallpox.
No evidence of disinfection having taken place accompanied these
effects. They were, therefore, fumigated and notice given to the Board of Trade.
A letter was afterwards, on 13th December, received from Board of Trade,
covering one from the harbour master at Hong Kong, which stated, in answer
to their inquiries, that the omission to report the non-disinfection of these
clothes was due to an oversight, to prevent which care would be taken for the
future.
On the 11th September information was given by the shipping master at
Tidal Basin of deceased seamen's effects lying in Royal Albert Dock, brought
home on board steamship " Shannon."