Dr. Thresh's report report to the Local Government Board on the extensive prevalence of typhoid fever in Southend, Essex / John C. Thresh.

  • Thresh, John C. (John Clough), 1850-1932.
Date:
[1890?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. Thresh's report report to the Local Government Board on the extensive prevalence of typhoid fever in Southend, Essex / John C. Thresh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Dr, Tliresh's Report to the Local Board on the extensive prevalence of Typhoid Fever in Southend, Essex. The Urban Sanitary District of Southend has an area of about 3400 acres, and comprises three distinct populous districts—-Southend proper, Prittlewell, and Porters Town. It is situated near the mouth of the Thames on its Northern bank. The town of Southend lies on the river’s edge, Prittlewell is about one mile inland, whilst Porters Town is between the two and a little to the East. The Eastern and older portion of the town is built on ground only a few feet above Ordnance datum ; behind the ground rises gently towards Porters Town, and on this slope new streets of houses are being rapidly built. The Western division of the Town is more modern, and occupies an almost level tract of land on the Cliffs, having an elevation of about 100 feet above Ordnance datum. The Cliffs slope somewhat abruptly to the river’s bank. Most of Prittlewell lies on the Northern boundary of this area, one portion, North Street,being on ground sloping to the North. The population of Southend at the last census was 7947, with an average of 5’3 persons to a house. The number of inhabited houses is now stated to be 2280, and taking the same average to still obtain, the population will be 12,116. During the season (July to October) there are large numbers of visitors staying in the town. It is very difficult to get a reliable estimate, some asserting that there are as many as 20,000 during the height of the season ; if we take half that number as the average we have a population of 22,000 during the summer months. Besides these, crowds of day excur¬ sionists are brought in daily, a moderate estimate being 2000 per day. Geologically considered Southend is built upon a patch of brick earth and sand lying upon the London clay. This patch is of very unequal thickness, thinning off both towards the East and West, and thickest therefore in the middle, where it seems to fill in a valley in the clay, having a maximum depth of about 45 feet. Porters Town lies upon this thicker portion of the sand, in which the ground water level seems to be from 20 to 25 feet from the surface. Southend being a popular seaside resort, contains no manufactories in which any considerable number of work people congregate. There is however an extensive brick yard between the town and Prittlewell, and a considerable amount of refuse matter (contents of ashbins etc.) is brought in barges from London and burnt at the brick-kilns, causing a decided nuisance when the wind blows from the North, i.e., from the kilns towards the town.