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27
The Mortuary.
56. I visited the Mortuary on several occasions and found
it always well kept. It was used for 35 bodies during the
year, compared with 19 in 1894. I reported to the Committee
that on one occasion at the end of the year I found five bodies
in it. These figures indicate the urgent need for the new
Mortuary, for which plans have already been prepared. Three
bodies of cases dead of infectious disease were moved to the
Mortuary by the Sanitary Inspectors.
Dust Shoots.
57. I am pleased to be able to state that there has been
less nuisance from Dust Shoots during the year than in
previous years. I paid frequent visits to the various shoots,
and reported to the Committee those that were within the
300 yards limit prescribed by the Bye-Laws. The principal
shoot has been on land specially purchased for this and other
objects, on the levels. This shoot came within the prescribed
distance, but it was far enough away from houses not to cause
any nuisance from smell. There was, however, a complaint
from the nearest houses of a plague of flies, which was no
doubt a result of the contiguity of this shoot. Special efforts
were made to burn the worst of the refuse, and cover the surface
with soil turned up in the field. I think, however, that
the only satisfactory remedy is to provide a shoot much
farther away, which can easily be procured on the levels.
58. I have inspected a new apparatus that has recently
been tried by the West Ham Corporation, for desiccating
house refuse, the resulting desiccated materials being found to
be of commercial value for making bricks. This apparatus is