Dr. R. Deane Sweeting's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the Crickhowell Rural District, with especial reference to the prevalence of enteric fever in the parish of Llanelly, Breconshire.

  • Sweeting, R. Deane, (Richard Deane Roker)
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. R. Deane Sweeting's report to the Local Government Board on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the Crickhowell Rural District, with especial reference to the prevalence of enteric fever in the parish of Llanelly, Breconshire. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    Mr. Hurley could undertake this duty, as well as that of surveyor, and an additional inspector could supervise the remainder of the district. But an even better result might he obtained by having a whole time inspector for the whole district and separating this post from that of surveyor. Bye-laws with respect to scavenging and slaughter-houses were sanctioned by the Board on April 8th, 1908 ; with respect to Nuisances and New Streets and Buildings on May 18th, 1908. Adoptive Acts.—The Infectious Disease (Prevention) Act, 1890, was adopted in 1907. The Public Health Acts Amendment Act, 1890, has not been adopted. Chicken-pox and Cerebro-spinal Meningitis were at one time added to the schedule of the Infectious Disease (Notification) Act, 1889 ; but the addition has since been revoked. No other diseases are now added. Hospital and disinfection.—There is no hospital at all in the district, though home isolation of infectious diseases is quite futile in the great majority of dwellings. Under the superintendence of Mr. Hurley, rooms are fumigated with formaldehyde vapour, after the occurrence of infection, and liquid formalin is used for washing woodwork and floors. But there is no apparatus in use for the efficient dealing with infected clothing and bedding and personal belongings. Canal Boats.—& few barges, diminishing in number, ply on the Monmouth and Brecon Canal. They appear to be effectually dealt with under the Public Health and Canal Boats Acts. Enteric Fever in Llanelly Parish. This is the most populous parish in the Crickhowell Rural District, and is placed in the extreme south, east of and adjacent to Brynmawr Urban District. A large part of it is really urban, comprising not only the more or less dense localities above mentioned, which are situated on the banks of the Clydach brook, but also numerous detached rows of cottages (mostly inhabited by colliers and quarrymen), placed on the hills overlooking the Clydach valley. Many of the dwellings in the parish are structurally dilapidated, damp, and badly ventilated. Water is mostly from springs, of which the chief named are Ffynnon-y-coed at Cheltenham, Brunant at Clydach, and Maes-y- gwartha at the place of that name. But there are numerous other (unnamed) local springs, and a few dip wells. There is no sewerage at all ; and house drainage, when present, is primitive and inadequate. Slop-water nuisances abound in the parish. Many of the pit privies, too, are foul and overfull, though they are now better scavenged than formerly, through the instrumentality of the “ foreman scavenger ” specially appointed for this parish. Similarly, pig-keeping has greatly diminished, and the condition of styes has improved of late years. Since the date of Dr. Reece’s and Mr. Fawcett’s report, the following have been the number of deaths from enteric fever each year from 1901 to 1909 in the whole of Llanelly Registration Sub- district which includes Brynmawr Parish and Urban District and