[Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, County of Zetland (Shetland Islands).

  • Shetland (Scotland). County Council.
Date:
1920
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, County of Zetland (Shetland Islands). Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/28 (page 12)
    I 2 knitting- industry. Wherever infectious disease occurs, inmates are warned as to the disposal of woollen goods. Probably the bleaching process, through which these finally pass, sterilises them to a very considerable extent. Gutting stations are also workplaces, and these are elsewhere discussed more fully. E. and F. Housing. General housing conditions have already been referred to. The area immediately outside the Burgh of Lerwick, to the Northward, comprising particularly the parts known as the Docks, Lochside, Fleet, Burgess, and Pig Streets; and the Northroad- side, is not in a proper sanitary condition. Without going into detail, it may be stated with confidence that many of these houses are unsatisfactory in construction, overcrowded, and unprovided with privy accommodation or drainage. No immediate remedy seems feasible. If any of these houses were condemned, (as has apparently been done) and closed, no housing is available for the inmates. There is hope that in time, in the Burgh of Lerwick, the worst and most overcrowded houses may be closed, thanks to the Housing Scheme now under way. But the District Committee has no such scheme. The truth is that de facto, if not de jure, the localities mentioned are really in Lerwick Burgh. The work of the inhabitants is in the Burgh for the most part, their children attend the schools there, and their money is spent mostly in shops within its boundary. It is well known that Lerwick Burgh depends largely for its prosperity upon the annual herring fishery. Most of the workers live in the District, and visit in their spare time the Burgh, in which much cf their earnings are spent. The implication is that an extension of the Burgh to include the populous (for Shetland) area immediately outside it seems desirable on sanitary and administrative grounds. The District Committee meets but once monthly, and most of its members travel from afar, but were these localities included in the Burgh, their representa- tives, always at hand, could attend meetings at any time. The Burgh Council no doubt has financial objections to this extension. The provision of lighting and sewerage—especially the latter—would be at considerable cost, the technical difficulties being great. But there is no doubt as to the general ultimate desirability of this course. G. Rivers Pollution. There is no problem of rivers pollution.