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Companies to adopt this unjust and perilous course, but the same Act
gives them also the power to proceed summarily before a Magistrate to
recover their rates, and so avoid the seriously responsible risk to health
and life by depriving large numbers of persons of one of the first
essentials of life for weeks and months together.
The East London Company has of late years done much to
improve their water supply both in quantity, quality and system, hence
it is the more regretful that they should exercise this despotic power to
the danger of the whole community.
ARTIZANS AND LABOURERS' DWELLINGS' ACT, 1868.
I have reported upon and recommended the adoption of this Act
in respect of 38 houses during the year. The dwellings were situate in
Upper York Place, Harford Street, and Pedley's Orchard.
This Act has been put into operation many times in the Hamlet
since 1868, and upon the whole the results have been very satisfactory—
the necessary repairs and alterations based upon my reports being
carried out under the advice and supervision of your Surveyor.
METEOROLOGY.
Atmospheric changes have been unusually numerous, especially
from about December, 1881, to May, 1882, and the effect upon the
public health has been proportionately exceptional, assuming conditions
almost characteristic of an epidemic, the symptoms observed in patients
being relatively the same in all cases, affecting brain, nerve, muscle;
producing despondency, neuralgic and deep-seated continuous aching
pains, especially in all the regions at the back of the body from the
head downwards. These symptoms were invariable in innumerable
concurrent cases, and could be only attributable to either some septic
cause (blood poisoning), or as is far more probable to an exceptional,
abnormal disturbance in the constitution of the atmosphere, acting
through the medium of the nervous system. I am convinced that
Meteorological conditions have recently exercised an unusual and potent
influence upon the general public health; and, although in a diminished
degree, this influence still prevails and is especially marked in its effects
upon persons suffering from other illness. Although it is my duty to
make reference to all matters affecting the public health, it is sufficiently
obvious that I cannot recommend to the sanitary authority any
practicable measures by which they can abate or suppress this source
of danger, beyond advising those who suffer therefrom to avail themselves
of the advice of their medical advisers.
NEW DWELLINGS.
The District Surveyor, Mr. C. Legg, has kindly informed me that
notice was given for the erection of 36 new houses during the year.
As nearly all the open spaces in the Hamlet have now been built
upon there only remain the back gardens of the older houses to be
covered. Upon these limited spaces the so called Public Health and