On the advantages to be derived from the adoption of the Local Government Act, as exemplified in Croydon / by Edward Westall.

  • Westall, Edward.
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the advantages to be derived from the adoption of the Local Government Act, as exemplified in Croydon / by Edward Westall. 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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    the high rental of land, being so near London, pre- vents a large profit, although the irrigation is effected by gravitation; but where the land is of less value, or where the pumping of the sewage to a higher level can be done at a less cost than now, as doubtless it will be ere long, the sewage will become a source of large profit, and thus still further conduce to the reduction of the rates. But, you will say, After all your trouble and expense, you had an increase of fever and other zymotic disease. That cannot be denied; but I question if the amount in the outbreak anything like equalled what must have proved the continued ratio, had matters remained as they were. I will give briefly the causes; for it is matter of history now, and can be looked upon dispassionately. Many mistakes were made, as usual in all transitions, even from a bad to a good system. First, too large a surface of ground was opened at one time, and allowed to remain open too long; that ground being a soil more or less saturated by impu- rities from cesspools, old dung-pits, etc.; and, by the adoption of back drainage, this evil was greatly aggravated. A large rainfall (34 inches, the average being about 24); a high mean temperature (50’ 17), and the flow of the Bourne (a periodical stream before alluded to), added to the mischief by filling the trenches, causing percolation into the wells, and the exhalation of much noxious vapour. In addition to these causes, no provision having been made for ventilating the sewers, many of the closets and sinks in the upper part of the town became stink-traps, for the escape of the tainted air into the houses. There was quite enough to bring fruit from the seed sown by neglect of all and every precaution for so many years before. It must be borne in mind, also, that fever was prevalent in many of the towns of nearly every county in England, in that year, 1852. We must not suppose that such mischief can occur again, or in other places, however bad they may be, with this experience before them, and only moderate precaution.