Report to the Local Government Board for Scotland on the sanitary condition of the Lews / [by Frederick Dittmar and Alexander B. Millar] ; presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of His Majesty.

  • Dittmar, Frederick.
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report to the Local Government Board for Scotland on the sanitary condition of the Lews / [by Frederick Dittmar and Alexander B. Millar] ; presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of His Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    low-lying and boggy ground. They are almost universally unpro- tected, and animals have free access to them. In some we actually saw ducks and geese disporting themselves. These dip wells only contain water during the winter months or in wet weather. In dry summer weather the people are obliged to go long distances, in many cases to the nearest mountain stream or loch. In the case of tj^phoid fever the shallow dip wells, which are so common, are certain to be contaminated by drinking vessels from infected households. A small number of the “wells” are now being pro- tected with concrete walls and a pump placed thereon. The cost of providing a gravitation supply by forming Special Water Supply Districts in the Lews would probably be prohibitive—the rental being so low. The rates are already very high and the bulk of the population in many townships is on the verge of pauperism. In suggesting a remedy for the state of matters existing in the Lews, it is our opinion that the Board should call on the Local Authority to carry out the provisions of the Public Health Acts. It is quite clear that since the passing of the Local Government Act of 1889, this Authority have done little to improve the conditions in the Island. We are of opinion that the Local Authority should, in the first instance, take proceedings in each township against those most able to bear the expense of erecting byres for their cattle. In the second place, strict measures should be taken to see that the surroundings of their houses are kept in a comparatively clean condition, and an example should be made of those who continue to deposit filth of all kinds immediately around their doors. In the third place, the Local Authority should see that the Road Authority keeps the side channels open and does not allow them to become silted up. If these matters were properly attended to, a beginning would at least be made towards improvement in the sanitary condition of the townships in the Lews. It is only fair to state, in conclusion, that the active interest in and attention to the details of sanitary administration on the part of the Public Health officials in the Long Island have had the effect of putting these portions of the Hebrides in a more satisfactory sanitary condition than Lewis. The appointment of an energetic Medical Officer of Health with a suffcient staff of trained inspectors (preferably from the mainland, but with a knowledge of Gaelic) over the whole of the Outer Hebrides from the Butt of Lewis to Barra Head is, we think, a question for consideration by the Board. We are of opinion that it would tend to efficiency in administration if a step of this nature were taken. We have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servants, Fred Dittmar. Alex. B. Millar. Appended are details of houses visited by us in various townships in the Lews, and also a series of photographs of houses.