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Certain houses in Shadwell, viz. 8,9, 10, Lalbour-inVain Street,
and 6, 7, and 8, Brewhouse Street, adjoining properties, having
fallen into a bad structural condition, and bring unfit for human
habitation, were closed by a Magistrate's order, and ultimately
demolished by the owners.
The Sewer emanations in Wapping have caused a great deal
of trouble at short intervals during the year. The smell resembled
that of paraffin, and combined with the usual noxious effluvium from
the sewer ventilators wan particularly offensive. The Engineer of
the Metropolitan Board was notified on several occasions when the
smell was very bad, but although steps were taken to trace the cause
they were without result; complaints of effluvium from sewers in
other portions of the District were frequent, and the Metropolitan
Board was requested by your Board to continue the deodorization
of the sewers, which had been practised during the hot weather of
the preceding year with good effect.
Messrs. Schofield & White's Manure Manufactory, St. Paul's
Road, the Fur Dressing premises in Gill Street, and the Animal
Charcoal Works in New Gravel Lane, all came under my inspection,
the latter on several occassions. The smell from this place was
frequently most pungent and disagreeable. On one occasion I found
a large accumulation of offensive bones both inside and outside the
bone hole, the doors of which were wide open. The only way to
keep this place in anything like order is to make frequent inspections.
For some time past these premises have been visited three times a
week, and the result is satisfactory.
The Limehouse Cut came under my observation several times
during the year, but until the hot weather set in there was no
effluvium. An examination made in August revealed the condition
of the water, which was anything but satisfactory. It was turbid,
of a greenish tinge, with an unpleasant odour, and contained a large
quantity of dark offensive matter, and was largely contaminated
with sewage. The water was examined again in October, when the
weather was cooler, and though impure it was not in a condition to
affect injuriously the health of the District.
On 16th November your Hoard passed the following resolution :
"That in the interests of the Public Health, and to enable Nuisance
Authorities to discharge the duty of checking and preventing the
spread of infectious diseases such as Smallpox, Fever, Ac., provision
should bo made by legislative enactment to secure the compulsory
disclosure to the said authorities of all cases of such diseases
immediately upon their occurrence." A copy of this resolution was
ordered to be forwarded to the Local Government Board.
The importance of this resolution it is difficult to over estimate,
and should it with the others of a like character passed by various
nuisance authorities have the effect of producing legislative enactment,
a weapon such as they have never had before will be put into the