Report to the board of supervision as to outbreak of typhoid fever at Crosshill, parish of Cathcart, and county of Renfrewshire / by Henry D. Littlejohn, M.D., F.R.C.S.

  • Littlejohn, Henry (Henry Duncan), 1826-1914.
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the board of supervision as to outbreak of typhoid fever at Crosshill, parish of Cathcart, and county of Renfrewshire / by Henry D. Littlejohn, M.D., F.R.C.S. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    6/14
    Beo Plan, App. No. IV. Coloured Blw on Plan. Coloured Purple. Coloured Red. school age. ‘ He left school on the 6th December, and returned on 4th January,—illness reported to be cold. Again left on the third week of January, and has not again returned.' The disease appears to have made its first appearance in Crosshill about 18th January 1875, and on the 14th February broke out in Colville’s dairy—the first case proving fatal on the 4th of March. After the middle of February, the disease became epidemic in Crossbill. In the uieantime, pending the analysis of the specimens of water from Eagleshain, I made a survey of the sanitary state of Crossbill. I was very favourably impressed with its general cleanliness. The system of ash-pits prevails, but I could detect no undue accumulation ; and I satisfied myself that the contents of these ash-pits were chiefly cinders and dry debris. I saw no ash-pits that could be looked upon as nuisances. The cleansing of these receptacles, however, is left to the discretion of the householders; and I thought it advisable, under the circumstances, to recommend the autho- rities to insist on a general emptying of the ash-pits throughout the burgh. In several of the houses that I visited, I had complaints as to what was believed to be the esc.ape of sewage gas. On inquiry, I found that for some ten or twelve days prior to my visit, the authorities had, by means of a competent tradesman, been examining the internal house - fittings throughout the burgh, for the purpose of detecting any impei-fection in the apparatus; and that they had also calle<l the attention of ,Mr. Colledgc, the liurgh Surveyor, to the state of the general system of drainage. Crossbill stands at a considerable elevation above the Clyde, into which it drains; and I could not help suspecting that its very position exposed it to the risk of great pneumatic pressure in its drains, and that this circum- stance might account for the complaints just referred to. Accompanied by ilr. Colledge I carefully examined the main drains, and ascertsvined that Crossbill occupies the summit of three drainage systems. The eastward portion of the burgh draining into an open ditch, running cast into the Mire Burn, and thence to the Clyde. The western and northern portions by a brick sewer (Langside Road), formerly called the Blind Burn, running directly north ; and an elongated narrow portion to the south by a brick sewer (City of (llasgow), formerly called the Kinning-house Burn, passing westwards. In the case of the eastern part of the burgh, the free ventilation afforded by the open ditch, w.as a sufficient guarantee that no undue pressure existed in that drainage area, and no complaints were made from that quarter. It was otherwise in the other drainage areas—draining directly into large built drains. What struck me as remarkable, however, was that the main drains of these two areas were ventilated by suitable openings in the streets along their course, apparently in an efficient manner. These openings were exa- mined, and from only one of them was there a marked escape of sewage gas. This opening was situated on the drain passing to the west. The condition of the main drains was found to be excellent. There was no deposit, and the contents, comparatively small in amount, were running freely. I remarked that while the course of the drains was ventilated, the highest points of each drain and of its various branches were not trapped and ventilated. Mr. Colledge agreed with me that at the sites in question openings should be made; and the authorities at once gave the requisite instructions for this being done. As to the house drainage, I found in nearly every case tliat the drains w’ere ventilated by pipes passing to the roof, and that in this respect Crosshill con- trasted very favourably with Edinburgh and other places which I had exa- mined. The construction of the houses, which were excellent, so far as cubic space was concerned, was faulty as regards the position of the sanitary conveniences. In all cases the W.C. was ventilated. This was directly outwards in the better class of houses, while in the flatted tenements the opening was into the common stair. Internally these conveniences