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33
There was no connection between the cistern and the water closet,
and no other case occurred in the neighbourhood, so that I am
quite unable to account for its origin, although the symptoms
were identical with those of malignant cholera.
At various times during the year I received complaints
respecting certain peculiarly offensive smells which occasionally
pervaded the atmosphere of the south-western parts of our
district, and in the early part of October my suspicions that they
came from the Haggerstone Gas Works were confirmed, by a
most frightful smell in the day time, when I sent two Inspectors
at once to the Works, and after receiving their report, communicated
with Dr. Sutton, the Medical Officer of Health for
Shoreditcli, offering my assistance, if required, for suppressing
the nuisance. The Shoreditch authorities took active steps to
prevent a recurrence, so that the nuisance has been abated
without any legal proceedings having been necessary on the part
of this Board. Complaints were also received about the Blood
Drying Works in Bow, so that I reported the matter to the
Sanitary Committee, who brought up a report recommending
that the Metropolitan Board of Works be communicated with,
which was agreed to. The number of nuisances abated during
the year was 6445, which is nearly 200 more than in 1875-6. Of
this number 597 consisted of nuisances arising from defective or
choked drains, 149 of yards that were either undrained or in which
the means of draining were defective, 411 in which the traps were
broken or the cover wanting, and 28 from cesspools which were
discovered on making a search, affording a total of 1314 nuisances
from defects in the arrangements for drainage. The number
from defects in houses was much greater, viz., 3870, of which
2196 were caused by the want of whitewashing, cleansing, and
repairing, 537 by broken dust bins, 296 from defective paving
in the yards, and as many as 841 from improper water supply
apparatus. There were also 651 houses disinfected by the officers
of the Board, 30 cases of overcrowding abated, 49 pigsties
c