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7
Reports on the health of the district generally, especially
as regards the occurrence of Infectious diseases, have been
submitted by me to each meeting of the Council, also special
reports on analysis of drinking water and other matters from
time to time.
RAINFALL FOR YEAR 1903.
The total rainfall for the year was 36.13 inches, as
against 20.89 inches for 1902—an increase of 15.24.
Rain fell on 177 days as against 157 for the previous year.
The wettest month was October when 6.46 inches of rain
was registered. The dryest month February with 0.84 rainfall.
There were 4 days on which over 1 inch of rainfall was
registered.
The longest period during which no rain fell was 26 days
—June 20th to July 15th.
Monthly average 1902 1.74.
„ 1903 3.01.
There is no doubt but that the excessive rainfall did good
scavenging work and made the summer months much more
healthy than usual. The general death rate for England and
Wales fell much lower than usual, being in the proportion of
13.9 per 1000 living instead of 16.9, the average rate in the
first three quarters of the ten preceding years. It also produced
a great fall in the infant mortality rate. Compared
with the mean rate in the third quarter of the ten preceding
years the deaths of infants under one year of age showed a
decrease of 31.4 per cent; and epidemic diseases were much
less prevalent than usual.
SEWAGE DISPOSAL WORKS.
These works have been much improved, the original old
precipitation tanks having been so altered as to make them
into open septic tanks for the additional treatment of the extra
flow and an additional stormwater filter added.
An additional filter is also being constructed which no
doubt will be in operation at the time this report reaches you.
This consists of a circular filter 80 feet diameter, the
walls being formed of large pieces of refuse dustructor clinker,
the filtering material itself being of the same material graded