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amounted to 356, which is smaller than in 1884, as the number
in the District without this means of cleanliness is every year
becoming less ; but the apparatus previously provided required
repair in as many as 861 houses, chiefly those of the poor.
Indeed, many of the poor have not yet been educated up to the
point of taking proper care in the use of flushing boxes, which
are in many instances damaged almost as soon as put up.
Another useful measure has been carried out rather extensively,
namely, the provision of a means of drawing water direct from
the main for household purposes, by a length of pipe fitted with
a screw-down tap and connected with the main pipe supplying
the cistern. I may say here, that I am not an advocate for
removing water cisterns from the houses, as the occupiers are in
that case occasionally without water. The number of houses
inspected under the provisions of the Sanitary Act, 1866,
(including the Regulations,) and the Nuisances Removal Acts,
was 5824, and of houses inspected on complaint, 1136, which
with 608 houses visited for disinfection, gives a total of 7568
houses visited during the year. The number of nuisances
discovered on inspection and without complaint, it will be
observed, was more than five times as many as those attended to
on complaint. As many visits were paid to most of these
before the nuisances were abated, the figures show that the
inspectors were fully occupied. In addition to these, 99 cowsheds
and 43 slaughter-houses were frequently visited; 210
greengrocers', fishmongers' and poulterers' yards were examined,
many more than once, and 135 bakehouses inspeoted by Mr.
Sortwell, in addition to attending to the complaints. There were
also 106 houses measured under the Lodging-house Regulations,
and the overcrowding (very slight) abated. Although the
cow-sheds were in fair order, yet it was necessary to issue 45
notices, either for cleansing, repair of paving, chiefly of the
yards, and repair of dung pits; also to oppose the renewal of
the licenses to 3, because the necessary works were not done by
the first licensing day. A list of cow-sheds and slaughterhouses
licensed, will be found in the appendix.