[Report 1880] / Medical Officer of Health, Birmingham.

  • Birmingham (England). Council.
Date:
1880
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1880] / Medical Officer of Health, Birmingham. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    24/100 (page 24)
    I 24 iii. Advice to the Sanitary Authority on matters affectiny public health. The improvements in St. Bartholomew’s Churchyard, and in St. IMartin’s Churchyard, liaviug rendered inevitable the exhumation and re-interment of the human remains lying there, I was requested to examinethe condition of the ground and advise upon the best means of i)reventing injury to the public health. The remains removed from certain parts of St. Bartholomew’s Burial Ground were jdaced in another part of the same, while thirteen bodies exhumed from St. Martin’s Churchyard were enclosed in lead coffins and re-interred in the Church of England Cemetery. The demolition of Cannon Street Chapel also required the removal of a large number of human remains, which were conveyed to Witton Cemetery. I am glad to state that the method of disinfection and procedure which I advised were elfectual in preventing any nuisance in every case, and that in no instance was illness produced, even among the men engaged in the work, which was of considerable magnitude and duration. My opinion as to the fitness for habitation or otherwise of certain properties in Price Street and Lench Street having been sought, I visited and inspected them, and gave a certificate to the Improvement Committee to the effect that the buildings Avere unfit for human habitation. liaviug received a request to inspect and furnish a Keport upon the Sanitary condition of the Workhouse, and a Besolution from your Committee to do the same in regard to the Borough Lunatic Asylum, I duly complied Avith both requirements. The following are copies of my Eeports upon these Institutions : Medical Officer of Health’s Department, January 13th, 1880. To the Health Committee. Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, I beg to report that liaAdng received a request to visit and report upon the sanitary state of the Workhouse, I have, under the guidance of Lieutenant Carter, the jMaster, Avho kindly rendered me eA’ery assistance, made the required inspection, as far as the principal portions of the building are concerned, viz. :—The Master’s jiresent House, the Master’s neAv House, not yet occupied, the new Tramp Ward, INIales’ Surgical Ward, Females’ Surgical Ward, Males’ Epileptic Ward, Females’ Epileptic Ward, ncAV Epileptic Ward, Aged Men’s Ward, the Girls’ School, the Boys’ School, and the Cellar. In the Master’s present House, the pantry and the combined Avatercloset and urinal are in direct communication Avith the drains, acting doubtless as inlets to seAver gas, and therefore highly dangerous. They call for immediate attention. Tlie ncAv House is also not free from defects in its Drainage arrangements. The pantry, sink, and bath Avaste pipe are apparently in direct communication Avith the drains, and tl\e rain Avater spouts, Avhich are also in connection Avith the drains, terminate iqjAvards on a level, or nearly so, Avith and close to the beil-room AvindoAvs in some instances. These points ought to receiA'e attention before the occupation of the house.