Dr. F. St. George Mivart's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the borough of Christchurch, South Hants / [F. St. George Mivart].

  • Mivart, F. St. George.
Date:
1898 [sic]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. F. St. George Mivart's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the borough of Christchurch, South Hants / [F. St. George Mivart]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    OFFICIAL COPY. Dr. F. St. George Mivart’s Report to tlie Local Government Board on the Sanitary Circumstances and Administration of the Borough of Christchurch, South Hants. Richard Thorne Thorne, Medical Department, January 21st, 1899. For a number of years past the unsatisfactory condition of the water supply and sewerage of the Borough of Christchurch, as sufficiently revealed by annual reports of the Medical Officer of Health, and occasional local complaints, has from time to time been under observation by the Board. In particular, the discharge of crude sewage from certain sewers into the waters of the rivers Stour and Avon at points within the borough area has been much in evidence. Two inquiries with respect to an application for the issue of an Order determining to what extent the tidal waters of the rivers Stour and Avon shall be deemed to be a “ stream ” within the meaning of the Rivers Pollution Prevention Acts of 1876 and 1893 were held by General Crozier and Mr. Tulloch, two of the Board’s Engineering Inspectors, on the 31st of August, 1894, and the 27th October, 1896, respec¬ tively. After the former of these inquiries, the Board wrote on the 5th October, 1894, to the Town Council of Christchurch, calling their attention to the highly unsatisfactory state of things brought to light and added, “ The Board must therefore request that the Town Council will formulate an efficient scheme of sewerage and sewage disposal for their district at an early date.” As the result of the latter inquiry an Order was issued by the Board on the 4th June, 1897, declaring to be a “ stream ” within the meaning of the above-mentioned Acts, the tidal waters of the Stour and Avon lying to the west of a line drawn across the estuary of the two rivers, locally known as “ the Run,” at a point adjacent to the spot called “ Haven House,” and shown on a plan scheduled in the Order. In June, 1897, a temperate and apparently well-grounded complaint in regard to the sanitary condition and administration of the borough was referred to the Town Council for their observations, and after some pressing, an unsatisfactory reply was received from that body. In the early part of the present year, the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health once more drew attention to the insanitary state of the borough, and dwelt upon the serious danger arising from a water supply drawn for the most part from shallow wells. In view of the unsatisfactory state of affairs which was thus and in other ways shown to persist in the borough, the Board determined on inspection of it by one of their medical staff, and, in accordance with instruc¬ tions to make local inquiry, I visited the district early in September, 1898. General Description. The Urban District of Christchurch, which is co-extensive with the Municipal Borough of the same name, has an area of 1,009 acres, and its rateable value is £12,898 18s. 11 d. There is no outstanding loan ; indeed, no loans have been contracted. The amount of the present General District rate is 8d., with an extra 3cl. for road watering over a portion of the District. The numbers of inhabited houses as given in the census returns for 1871, 1881, and 1891 are 664, 716, and 823 respectively ; the number is now estimated, as I am informed, to be about 900. LONDON: PRINTED FOR HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY* OFFICE, By DARLING & SON, Ltd., 1-3, Great St. Thomas Apostle, E.C. And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from EYRE & SPOTTISWOODE, East Harding Street, Fleet Street, E.C.; or JOHN MENZIES & Co., 12, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, and 90, West Nile Street, Glasgow; or HODGES, FIGGIS, & Co., Limited, 104, Grafton Street, Dublin, i WELLCOME library 1898. No. 135. 748—375—10/98 Wt 13798 D & S Price One Shilling. 19