On enteric fever in Dundee and neighbourhood / by T.J. Maclagan.

Date:
1867
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On enteric fever in Dundee and neighbourhood / by T.J. Maclagan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    carried by the inhabitants to the streets, whence it was carted away early in the morning by the authorities. In one or two courts there was found a large stone or iron box, which served as a receptacle for the accumulated filth oh the neighbourhood, and which was generally emptied every morning, but in some cases only three or four times a week. The liquid state of much of the filth in these, rendered it impossible to clean them out thoioughly. This could only have been done by having a hole in the bottom, and washing them. This plan, however, was not adopted.. Wherever these tanks existed, the inhabitants complained much of the bad smell which came from them, especially when they were being emptied. It has already been mentioned that, whilst these low-lying portions of the town (chiefly the closes running off the Overgate) supplied the majority of the cases of typhus which were treated in the hospital, it was exceedingly rare to get a case of enteric fever from that locality. One or two cases, however, did occur 5 and, for the sake of example, I shall give a description of the place whence one of them came, and which also supplied many typhus cases :— Methodist Close runs off the north side of the Overgate, one of the most densely populated parts of the town. It is a dark narrow alley, completely roofed over, and terminating in a small paved court or cid de sac, whose only opening is the close which leads into it. At the farther end of the court is a winding stair, forming the means of access to the houses. Close to this stair, and in a corner of the court, is a large iron box, into which is emptied all the filth of the inhabitants, who frequently perceive bad smells coming from it, chiefly in the morning when it is being emptied—a matter of daily occurrence. At time of visit, the box was one-fourth full of a horrid mixture of ashes and ordure. The case of enteric fever occurred on the second floor of the winding stair already alluded to. The whole aspect of the place was dank and dingy. This may be taken as a sample of the closes which have a court attached to them. The majority have no such court, but consist simply of an alley, hav- ing stairs leading off. Wherever a court existed, there was certain to be an ash-heap or box (such as I have described), leading to the retention of filth in the locality. Not one case of enteric fever came from one of those closes having no court, and, therefore, no con- venient spot for the deposition of filth. Let us contrast with this the state of those portions of the town in which enteric fever was much more common. The north-eastern part of the town (Maxweltown) and the upper part of the Scouringburn have already been indicated as enjoying notoriety in this respect. As compared with the lower parts of the town, these (and especially Maxweltown, where the fever was most prevalent) seem to possess many advantages. They are of more recent construction, the houses are less densely packed together, the courts are more airy, the closes are less dingy, and their general