Dr. E.P. Manby's report to the Local Government Board upon the sanitary circumstances and administrtion of the Holywell Registration District.

  • Manby, E.P. (Edward Petronell)
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. E.P. Manby's report to the Local Government Board upon the sanitary circumstances and administrtion of the Holywell Registration District. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    16/24 (page 14)
    Mr. R. A. Thomas, the inspector of nuisances and surveyor, is a trained and competent officer who appears to get many nuisances abated without recourse to legal action. Recommendations. The Council should :— (1.) Provide, with the least delay possible, a satisfactory public water supply for the town, and a modern system of sewers, and sewage disposal works. (2.) Themselves undertake the systematic scavenging of the town, so that filth may be frequently and regularly removed from the neighbourhood of dwelling-houses without' the inspector of nuisances having first to report that such removal is necessary. In this connection, water-closets should be established as generally as is possible, when proper sewers and water supply are available. Where water-closets cannot be provided, pail-closets should replace privy-middens, and sanitary dustbins should be used for ashes. Where fixed receptacles for ashes are allowed, they should be properly roofed and ventilated. (3.) See that the common lodging-houses are duly registered, inspected, and maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. The inspector of nuisances should be invested with the powers of inspector of common lodging-houses. (4.) Revise their byelaws in accordance with modern requirements. (5.) Make regulations under Art. 13 of the Dairies, Cowsheds and Milkshops Order, 1885, and see that these are duly enforced. (6.) Bring about improvement in the sanitary condition of those dwellings in their district which, by reason of dampness, absence of through ventilation, or otherwise, are likely to affect unfavourably the health of the occupants. (7.) Combine with neighbouring authorities for hospital purposes. Concluding Observations and Recommendations. In addition to the recommendations already detailed, I would strongly urge the appointment of a whole-time medical officer of health for the districts instead of the present part-time appoint- ments. I regard this as one of the first steps towards securing im- provement in the general sanitary condition of these Flintshire districts, and a similar viewT has been expressed by my colleagues, Drs. Fletcher and Spencer Low, with regard to the adjacent rural districts of St. Asaph and Hawarden which they have recently inspected. One health officer would be able to superintend, and co-ordinate, the work of the various inspectors of nuisances, and generally to bring about sanitary reforms in a manner which is impossible under existing conditions. At present in the Holywell Registration District, six District Councils profess to combat insanitation and infectious disease with the aid of four medical officers of health and seven inspectors of nuisances. Each medical officer is entirely independent of the others, and each inspector is practically independent, not only of