Report on the prevalence of enteric fever in the Royal Barracks, Dublin.

  • Stationery Office (Great Britain)
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the prevalence of enteric fever in the Royal Barracks, Dublin. 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.

    12/46 (page 8)
    Soldiers' latrines. Latrines nsed by women and children. Urine-tubs. Surface of squares re- quire repair. Ventilating arrange- ments for sewers. Danger of shaft system. We have given special attention to the soldiers' latrines, already referred to, in connection with our description of Sewer No. 3. In the case of those used by the infantry soldiers, we are not satisfied with the plan or working of the trough system of latrines there in use. There is no flush, properly so called, to the troughs; the removal of the soil depends altogether on the outward current of the water with which the troughs are gradually filled, which is allowed to discharge itself by the periodical removal of a plug. There is no wash-out, and it was quite clear on inspection that portions of the solid matter and papers had remained in the trough, either lying in the bottom or adhering to the sides for a considerable time. It is quite impossible to calculate the risks run by healthy men in using these latrines, had they been previously used by others suffering from enteric fever. It is one of the well- known characteristics of that disease that the affected persons frequently go about and use latrines for some time after they have become centres of con- tagion. Those latrines must be considered dangerous from this point of view, and are sufficient to account for the spread of disease among the men using the same. The latrines used by the cavalry soldiers are somewhat better arranged, but, nevertheless, are open to similar objections to those used by the infantry. AVe have remarked on the closets used by the cavalry officers and the mess servants in our preliminary report. We examined many closets in other parts of the barracks, but did not find any out of order ; nevertheless, we recom- mended to the engineer officer in charge that all their connections with the sewer should be examined, and the smoke test applied to each ; this suggestion has been acted upon since our visits. The latrines used by the women and children are all of an unsatisfactory pattern, and, although not out of order, were found to be untidy, and in several cases not sufficiently clean. It was incidentally mentioned by the husbands of some of the married women that their wives objected to use the closets on account of their want of privacy ; although this complaint does not affect the question of the prevalence of enteric fever, yet we think it is one which should receive attention, and be remedied if possible. In connection with the question of latrines we think it advisable here to refer to the state of the urine-tubs employed at night in the barrack rooms. We find these are made of wood, which necessarily becomes saturated with urine, so that it is impossible to effectually cleanse them and render them sweet. Galvanized iron vessels would be found superior to wooden tubs. We found that foul water was emptied into some of the gullies, especially in Lanes Nos. 2 and 3, causing considerable offensive deposits in the pits of the ti 'aps ; this arrangement is a very unsatisfactory way of disposing of slops. Although the surface of the barrack-squares, &c, was generally good and well drained by surface channels, yet in some cases there were pools of water which, from the peculiar nature of the ground upon which the barracks stand, are likely to be a source of dampness. These should be repaired and concreted as soon as possible. Ventilation of Sewers and Soil Pipes.—The ventilation of the three main sewers of the barracks is carried out by means of gratings in the ground, opening directly into the sewer, and by iron ventilating shafts placed against the buildings ,or walls, and when against buildings carried above the eaves or above the ridge of the roof. The arrangements for ventilation on Sewer No. 1, as it passes through the Arbour Hill premises and Royal Barracks, have been described in our preliminary report, in which, however, it is not mentioned that there are ventilators over the course of the sewer as it crosses the Esplanade. The ■ventilating arrangements on Sewers Nos. 2 and 3 are of a similar character, having shafts against buildings and ventilating gratings in the Esplanade, but none in the Arbour Hill premises. Sewer No. 4 is also ventilated by shafts, but no gratings in the barrack premises. There are gratings in the street on the Corporation Sewer, into which the sewer discharges in Barrack Street. We have remarked in our preliminary report on the danger attendant on the system of ventilating main sewers by shafts against inhabited buildings, and the danger of ventilating gratings in close proximity to inhabited buildings or much frequented spaces, such as yards and passages. We consider our remarks on the subject in the preliminary report are equally applicable to all similar cases throughout the barracks.