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epidemic diseases had occurred therein. A large number of the
nuisances complained of consisted of choked or defective drains,
or of accumulations of manure and other filth, and a considerable
number of these nuisances were discovered on inspection.
I append a list of streets inspected, showing that in 6193 houses
there were 25043 rooms occupied for living or sleeping in,
many for other purposes. This number includes, this year, rooms
used as kitchens, and more or less as living rooms. There were
9266 families and 36567 inmates dwelling in the 6193 houses,
and 3223 nuisances were discovered on these premises by the
inspection. This shows the great necessity for the Sanitary
Act, as previously to 1866 the officers of the Board had no
power to examine premises unless they had good reason for
believing that a nuisance existed thereon.
The kind of nuisances which have been abated during the
past year by your officers, are set out in the appendix, and may
be summed up as follows:—391 consisted of choked drains, 262
of undrained or badly drained yards, and 324 of premises where
the traps were wanting or defective, making, with five cesspools
drained, 1011 nuisances from defective drainage. The number
of houses which required cleansing, whitewashing, and repairing
(for defective roofs, &c.), was unusually large, viz., 2388; of
yards requiring new paving, or repair of paving 326; of houses
in which the water supply was defective 70; and to which there
were no dust-bins, 386, making an aggregate, with those in
which there were defective drainage, of 4187; so that almost
one fifth of the whole number of houses in the district were, on
examination, found wanting in some of the requirements necessary
for the comfort and well-being of the inhabitants.
The inspection of cow sheds and slaughter houses occupied a
considerable time, as the Committee, accompanied by myself and
Mr. Jones, inspected the whole 171 at least once, and as several
were opposed, these were visited two or three times. They also
attended at the Petty Sessions, held at Preseott Street, on two