Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the town of Eton / by Edward Cresy, Superintending Inspector.
- Cresy, Edward, 1792-1858.
- Date:
- 1849
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the town of Eton / by Edward Cresy, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.
19/20 (page 17)
![a wall raised five feet in height above the level of the meadow land, would prevent the floods from passing in the direction they now do, diverting them into another channel, without injuring the habitations, or spreading over the town. The direction of the embankment, is shown upon the plan, and the cost of throwing it up, may be estimated at 2500/, 32. Proposed Boundary.—The accompanying plan indicates the district to which it is proposed to apply the Public Health Act, namely, all enclosed with the dark line, and com- prising the whole of the dwelling-houses, yards, gardens, and orchards of what is denominated the town of Eton. Eton Wick, with its cottages, may be advantageously com- prised, and have a similar system of drainage and water supply if deemed necessary. There are here 40 or 50 houses draining into open ditches, at times described as being in a very filthy state. The college, and the various houses in its neighbourhood, chiefly occupied by the masters and pupils, should be included within the proposed boundary. And if the whole of Eton were placed under one j urisdiction and management, it would be pro- ductive of the greatest good both to the town and college. Upon an examination of the sewers of the college I found them of the largest size, and recently constructed at a vast expense, yet the privies of the head master, the Rev. Dr. Hawtray, and of several of the other masters, still retained their capacious cesspools, which had no communication Avhatever with these new sewers. In several instances the privies were placed directly under the windows of the sleeping-rooms, doubtlessly affecting their salubrity, more than the contiguous trees, which it has been suggested should be cut down, but which might safely remain, if surrounded by a purer atmosphere. The Local Board should consist of nine persons, to be elected by the owners of property and rate-payers, and one-third an- nually to go out of office by rotation; the number of vacancies to be again filled up in a similar manner. 3.3. Summary.—By a reference to section 10, it will be seen that the mortality here exceeds that of a healthy district; continued fever, diarrhoea, influenza, are constantly met with in several of the streets and alleys which are imperfectly drained. There could be no question, but that immense benefit would result from the introduction of a proper system of sewerage, comprising at the same time the suburban and town drainage ; from the peculiarly low situation of Eton, too much stress cannot be laid upon the importance of cutting oft' the land drainage before it reaches the town, and providing a proper outfall in flood times; during which seasons, the water [13.] c](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b20423342_0023.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
