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28
Railway Arches.
In November, 1835. and February, 1886, your officer's attention was directed to
the unhealthy condition of certain of the railway arches in the parish, and an offensive
effluvium emanating from some works on a plot of land held from the S.E. R.Co. It is
only necessary for me to remind you of the rather lengthy correspondence which took
place between me and the medical adviser of the Co., who in the instance now
spoken of, was the first to call attention to the matter. No good came
of it. I regret that the condition of the places remains very much as
it was prior to the discussion of the affair, and it appears likely to remain in abeyance
until the hot season calls forth what I now begin to look upon as an annual summer
complaint, or until something more serious than complaint arises. The
Railway Co., have shown themselves either unwilling or afraid to set earnestly to work
to get rid of the nuisances upon their own premises. I beg therefore most sincerely
and anxiously to direct the attention of the Railway Co. to the fact, that the land on
both sides of their lines is being covered with houses, and yet they allow these offensive
and injurious manufactures to be carried on, not only to the detriment of the health
of their own men and to the annoyance of their passengers, but also to the risk of the
surrounding inhabitants.
In the judgement of many eminent health officers, the best method of testing the
health of any district, is by taking the zymotic diseases as a criterion, since these
diseases in a great measure point to the localities which are badly drained, overcrowded,
illventilated and filthy, and where the inhabitants mostly are poor, insufficiently
nourished, or else indifferent as to the conditions requisite to good health,
under which they live. There has been no special epidemic in any one particular
locality, which has indicated a worse plague-spot than usual in our parish. The cases
ot various kinds oi fever, small-pox, measles and diarrhoea have been sporadic rather
than epidemic—that is, these cases have been scattered over the parish as isolated cases,
rather than as taking whole streets, alleys, or courts. But even in these distinct cases,
much aid might be afforded the Medical and Sanitary Officers, by an earlv notification
of them from the medical attendant; and I think no undue interference, or officious
display ot power would be shown, if your officers could by any means induce the
medical practitioners to help them in this matter, which they deem of such vast importance
to the health of every parishioner. We desire to render help as to matters of
disinfecting and purifying, by which, if life be not absolutely saved in the cases attacked,
the help might at least be useful in checking the spread of these direful complaints.
e theiefore make what we deem a humane appeal to the practitioners to help us in
these infectious cases, by notifying to the Sanitary or Medical Officer, at the Public
mces, Lower Road, the occurrence ol cases wherein useful aid may be rendered, by
oisinlection of house, or room, or bedding, or clothing, or by any other means.
I am, Gentlemen,
Truly yours,
J. SHAW.
Medical Officer of Health.