View report page

44
owners of the house property will then be required to remove all
cesspools, &c., and to carry their drains into this.
Cesspools were discovered under the closets of ten houses (3 to 21)
in Old Bethnal Green road: these were removed—properly filled in
—and the closets connected with the drain.
The drainage of the houses, 1 to 15, Camden street, was found to
be in a very defective condition, and the whole of the houses were
re-drained.
An old brick drain, from 47 to 67, Pollard row, in a very defective
condition, was removed and replaced with glazed pipes.
In March a communication was received from a medical man
in the neighbourhood, drawing our attention to numerous cases of
fever at Bayst terrace, Russia lane. Some time before this a fever case
had been reported at one of the houses which I visited, and to a superficial
inspection no sanitary defect was discovered beyond some
imperfect traps, which were remedied by the landlord. This time,
however, I had the drains thoroughly opened up, and found from
Nos. 1 to 14 cesspools and drains constructed of wood and brick, with
sewage matter percolating into the houses. By my order, the whole of
these were removed and replaced with proper glazed pipes, and no
further case of fever has been reported. I regret to say, however, that
one of the cases referred to terminated fatally.
At the houses, 10 to 21, Paradise row, old brick drains leaking into
the basements were discovered and remedied.
In Carlton-place, Cudworth street, and Barnsley street, a block of
about sixty houses were found having a decayed 18-inch brick drain
in a dilapidated condition—there were rat burrows in every direction
running under the houses by which this tubular cesspool was ventilated
into the living rooms of the inhabitants. Notice was served
upon the trustees of this estate to demolish the old drains and relay
with pipes; the work has been since carried out in a satisfactory
manner.
A block of houses in Cheshire street was found to be very badly
drained, the pipes imperfectly jointed, and for a great portion with the
fall the wrong way. In this case the owner was called upon to relay
the pipes at a proper level and with a sufficient fall, which was
accordingly done.