Dr. G.S. Buchanan's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary condition of the county borough of West Bromwich, and on prevalence of enteric fever there / [G.S. Buchanan].

  • Buchanan, George Seaton, Sir, 1869-1936.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. G.S. Buchanan's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary condition of the county borough of West Bromwich, and on prevalence of enteric fever there / [G.S. Buchanan]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    enteric fever exist in West Bromwich, it is obvious that any investigation having for its object determination of the amount of influence of one and another factor in the propagation of the disease is not likely to meet with much success. Conclusion. The defects in the sanitary condition of the borough which I have indicated require the sustained attention of the Sanitary Authority, and these several shortcomings should be dealt with in systematic fashion. It would be advantageous to deal with one area of the borough after another in detail, making use of the sanitary survey made by the Medical Officer of Health in 1892, and the records of the Sanitary Depart¬ ment since that date. It appears especially desirable that yards be properly paved and drained, and that the open drains which carry waste water to the sewer be properly constructed. In the event of the system of carrying slop- drains round the backs of houses and down common entries being retained, the Sanitary Authority would do well to see that the gullies at the street end of the entries are kept free of obstruction. The privy middens and large ash middens with pit privies at present common in the borough, constitute a serious danger to the health of its inhabitants. But the Town Council possesses sufficient powers for securing the substitution of proper Avater or slop closets for these structures. Where the sewer is for any reason not available for such closets, privies may with advantage be recon¬ structed on the principle embodied in the Board’s Model Byelaws. Under no circumstances ought the existing large middens to be permitted to remain, even as receptacles for dry refuse. As the substitution of waterclosets for privies is proceeded with, the system of frequent removal of dry refuse in movable receptacles can be correspondingly extended. The Town Council would find advantage in adopting a fresh series of bye-' laws. Those framed under local Acts with regard to new streets and buildings and nuisances are in many senses obsolete, and those which deal with other matters may usefully be revised. The defects of existing byelaws were brought to notice by the Medical Officer of Health in his annual report for 1891, and since then the Board has, on more than one occasion, draAvn the attention of the Town Council to the necessity of revision of the present antiquated code of the borough. In this connexion the Town Council has the opportunity of making byelaws under the Public Health Acts Amendment Act, which would facilitate dealing with the insanitary conditions of older premises in the district. In view of the disregard of existing byelaws in the borough, the Town Council must needs take care to ensure proper observance of those which it possesses or adopts. Adequate provision by the Sanitary Authority for the reception and treatment in hospital of cases of enteric fever as Avell as other infectious sickness is required, as is also better and more extended accommodation for nursing staff. I note that there is room for increase of buildings on the present hospital site. In any case the Town Council should provide hospital accommodation for small-pox cases elsewhere than at their existing hospital. The Inspector of Nuisances cannot at the present time properly perform his multifarious duties. It is on every ground desirable that the borough should secure the services of a sufficient staff of competent inspectors. G. S. BUCHANAN. December 1895. BE COM ME ND ATI ONS. 1. The Town Council should give thorough and systematic attention to insanitary premises in the borough, and should exercise the various powers they possess or can obtain to remedy their condition in detail. In particular, they should proceed to deal effectively Avith— (>r.) Houses unfit for habitation. (h.) Premises with drains improperly constructed.