[Report 1894] / Medical Officer of Health, Wimborne U.D.C. and Wimborne & Cranborne R.D.C.'s.

  • Wimborne (Dorset, England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1894] / Medical Officer of Health, Wimborne U.D.C. and Wimborne & Cranborne R.D.C.'s. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    f Phthisis.—The communicability of this disease to susceptible persons, at any rate, has raised the question whether this disease should not be added to the list of notifiable. While I hardly think this advisable, cases have come to my knowledge that clearly point to the danger to persons, at any rate, with hereditary tendency to phthisis, and I would suggest the necessity for the use of disinfectants in these cases and especially the thorough fumigation of the bed-room of a phthisical patient, at any rate before its being again occupied. General Remarks. During the past year the house-to-house inspection has been continued by the Inspector of Nuisances under my supervision, and the whole of the distiict has now been inspected.—I have made personal inspections with him, and can testify to the reliable manner in which he has done the work. He has also revisited and taken steps to see that our recommendations have been carried out. Summary.—Over noo houses and premises have been inspected and re-inspected and reported to the Authority and the nuisances abated. Vault closets, converted into earth closets ... ... ... ... ... ... 15 Defective closets, accommodation remedied ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 04 Cottages in bad repair, damp &c. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 45 Defective drainage and offensive cesspools ... .. ... .. ... ... ... 33 Offensive pigsties and other nuisances . .. ... ... ... ... ... 27 Wells cleaned out and repaired ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 29 New well ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Cases of over-crowding abated ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 7 Total ... 233 Special attention has been paid to the isolation of cases of notifiable disease and with great success, as only in one case was there anything like an epidemic, and the cause of this has been before explained. I have encouraged the substitution of earth closets with buckets for the old privy, and am happy to report that this is now almost universally adopted in the district, as it is in every way most suitable for country districts where every cottage has a garden. The bucket prevents any great accumulation and is easily emptied. The old custom of open privies placed over streams has been abolished, and to this I attribute a good deal of the improved condition of the district. During the year I have inspected and reported to my Board on various matters, and the most important were connected with the Crichel district and Hampreston and Westmoors, &c. I recommended the substitution of earth closets for the large vaults, and in the newer and better estate cottages where the pigsty, wood-house and closet are placed under one roof, I also insisted on a bucket being substituted. The water supply is good as a rule throughout the district, and wells are generally provided in sufficient number. In the Chalk hills, as Handley, these wells are of great depth and the watfY m the shallower wells trom the gravel is also good. But the water supply in the poor heath-lands is not so satisfactory, and often the only available supply is from a stream or even a pool in the heath. A great many of the cottages in these districts belong to the tenant who has purchased a little heath-land and built his mud cottage thereon. Often there is a great difficulty and expense incurred in getting a good well supply and to insist on this would mean ruin to the owner. In these cases if the water supply can be preserved from contamination from sewage or cattle and is of fair quality, I do not insist on the well being sunk. The only place supplied with water is the village of Hinton Martell, where an admirable supply, procured from an adjoining hill, was laid on to the cottages by pipes through the instrumentality of the late Mr. H. C. Burt. The recent severe floods have, I am glad to report, not been followed by any epidemic as yet, although the children, especially of Sturminster Marshall and Shapwick, have suffered much from colds, the result of the water entering so many of the houses, and some method for the prevention of these floods and the cleaning of the river would be a great blessing. In conclusion I would suggest that it would be of assistance to the Sanitary Officers if the new Parish Councils would consider any conditions affecting their parishes, and report to the Medical Officer of Health, and thus keep him at once informed of anything that may arise likely to affect injuriously the health of the parishioners.