View report page

27
During the early part of April, the house was thoroughly
cleansed, re-papered, and painted, and let unfurnished, (the stair
carpet being the only thing allowed to remain) to a second family,
in which there were three children, and within a fortnight of
their taking up their residence thereat, all the children were swept
off by malignant Scarlet Fever. Satisfied that there was some
local cause producing so malignant form of the disease, I directed
the drainage to bo thoroughly explored, and in addition to finding
the drains all untrapped, I discovered that two large cesspools
were at the rear of the house which had been left for surface
dminage 6 years previously, when the premises were drained into
the main sewer.
One of the surface-drains was close to the back door, and the
other was in a tool-house in a corner of the garden, a place
which would be sure to excite the curiosity of children coming
to a new home. Both cesspits were half full of black decomposing
filth. The difference in the severity »f the two
outbreaks is striking, as being suggestive of the fact that the
infection comiug from the first cases was probably intensified
by being further subjected to the influence of Sewer Gas.
The cesspools were filled in with lime, and the drains leading to
them obliterated, while the drain-pipes in connection with the
main sewer were re-laid and properly trapped. No case of Fever
has been reported since,
(Case No. 2.)
In a house in the Vauxhall district, there were 9 cases of Fever,
and 7 deaths, (in three families) reported in 1875—6. On visiting
the premises, I found that the w.C. was on the underground floor
and in a very foul and neglected condition, although there was
ample water-supply; and as the inmates described the house as