[Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Peterborough City & Borough.

  • Peterborough (England). City & Borough Council.
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Peterborough City & Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    BOROUGH SURVEYOR’S OFFICE, PETERBOROUGH, 17th March, 1899. To the Urban District Council of the City and Borough of Peterborough. Mb. Mayor and Gentlemen, I again have the honour of presenting to you a Report on the Sanitary work carried out within the Borough during the twelve months ended 31st December last. Our great troublo during the year was caused by the offensive odours which were emitted from the surface venti¬ lators connected with the main sewers. This was due in a great measure to the unusually hot and dry summer ; with a view to lessening the nuisance, additional sewer flushing was resorted to, the work being carried out night and day, and this to a certain extent brought about an improvement, but I am still of opinion that, broadly speaking, surface ventilation carried out under such circumstances as exist in this Borough is a mistake, and this opinion is supported by the action taken in other towns so situated. The whole of the sewers throughout the Borough, have been thoroughly examined and where accumulations of silt etc., were found to exist, immediate action has been taken to remove them. Automatic flushing tanks are being constructed and ven¬ tilating shafts erected at all points of the Borough, when these works are completed I am convinced that the cause of of so much complaint will be removed. The work of laying on water to Water Closets which are without such supply is in progress, but there are a great number which have not yet been attended to, during the coming summer I have no doubt that more rapid progress will be made. The appointment of an assistant Sanitary Inspector will prove of great service as the constant out-door inspection will tend to keep the Borough in a much more sanitary condition than formerly. A systematic inspection is now being made of every house and its appurtenances, wherever defects are found to exist, immediate action is taken to remedy them. The Medical Officer of Health and myself continue to make periodical inspections and thus keep ourselves well acquainted with those parts requiring special attention. You have recently given instructions that where more than three new dwelling houses are erected additional ventilating pipes shall be fixed, this will assist in giving free outlet to the drains. The Bye Law which regulates the distance from a Dwell¬ ing House at which Swine can be kept has been in operation during the last twelve months to the advantage of a large number of the inhabitants. I am not aware of any case of Small Pox having ocurred in the Borough or district, and therefore the Hospital has not been in use. 32 Dwelling Houses have been disinfected after cases of scarlet fever etc., and the disinfecting stove used on 35 occasions. 5169 loads of house refuse have been collected during the year ; early steps will be necessary for the provision of another site for disposal of this material, the Albert Place meadow being rapidly filled up. I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, J. W. WALSHAW, Sanitary Inspector.