HH62/45/143

Transcription

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boring down into the Old Red Sandstone; this water will, however, require to
be pumped to make it available, and, although of excellent quality, it is a very hard
water, and not well suited for washing purposes.
The village of Bankfoot has, during the past year, suffered from occasional
outbreaks of Enteric Fever. The cases have shown a remarkable malignancy, and as
nothing has been done towards forming the village into a Special Drainage
District, as requisitioned for last year, it is to be hoped that the inhabitants may now
see that the small increased rates, which would be the result of such a scheme, would
be a mere trifle when compared with sickness and death. The proper drainage of
Bankfoot would, from an engineering point of view, be a comparatively easy matter,
and ample provision could be made for its systematic flushing. As regards Water
Supply, Bankfoot is at present amply provided from wells, the majority of which are
liable to pollution; this risk would be minimised were a proper system of Drainage intro-
duced. Moreover, a Water Supply by gravitation might easily be obtained, if thought
desirable. The Water Supply may be a matter of choice, but the introduction of a
proper system of drainage is an absolute necessity, if the village is to cease to produce
its annual crop of fever cases.
Stanley has had a considerable share of the attention of the District Committee
bestowed on it, in consequence of the County Finance Committee calling upon the
former to enquire and report as to what could be done to prevent the pollution of the
River Tay by the sewage of the village. The first difficulty encountered was, that
although there was an extensive pollution of the river going on, Stanley was found to
possess no proper system of drainage, two small ditches which flow through the
village having been gradually converted into little else than common sewers. These
ditches are partly open and partly covered, and constitute an element of considerable
danger to the health of the village, especially since the introduction of the gravitation
water supply, and the consequent temptation to erect water-closets. A report was
sent in by the Medical Officer recommending that settling-tanks should be erected
near the point at which the sewage of Stanley enters the river, and that, after
settling, the partially purified effluent should be used for irrigating some ground well
suited for the purpose. The District Committee decided, on consideration, not
to proceed with the purification works, as it was assumed that Stanley would soon
require a proper system of drainage, and, as this would not discharge at the same
point as the present ditches did, any works erected here would be practically useless
for the new drainage. This is partly true, but there is a small portion of the village
which cannot be otherwise drained than to the present outfall, and the works would
not have been completely useless even in the event of the village having its main
sewage outfall carried to a different point. As the matter at present stands there is
no purification of the sewage before its discharge into the river, nor has anything been
done by the inhabitants to form the place into a Special Drainage District. Both
measures are very necessary.
In connection with the sewage of New Scone, a report was sent in by the
Medical Officer recommending that a duplicate system of settling-tanks and filters
should be constructed, as the best means of purifying the effluent sewage before its
discharge into the stream. This was reported on by Mr. Ritchie, C.E., and the
necessary works have been authorised by the District Committee. As was
remarked in the Annual Report for 1892, the Scone Drainage System requires
to be extensively remodelled. There are many houses in the village not connected
with the main drain at all, whilst others have been in the past connected with
this drain by branch drains not laid down by the Special Drainage Committee,

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and the workmanship of these has been proved to be of a very inferior kind, by the
frequent chokages which have taken place. The Special Drainage Committee
should lay down main drains in all the thoroughfares of the village, and the Local
Authority could then insist upon the house drains being connected with these, instead
of discharging, as occurred last year in at least one instance, on to the surface of the
public road. The wells on which Scone entirely depends for its water supply have
been found to be in a condition far from safe, and the sooner the inhabitants send a
requisition to the District Committee to have their village formed into a Special
Water Supply District the better. There are several available sources from which
good supplies of water could be obtained without any extraordinary expense, so that
there should be no hesitation in discontinuing the old surface wells, seeing that Scone
is likely to become quite a favourite residence on account of its very healthy situation,
and the increased facilities of communication which will be afforded by the electric
tramway now being projected.
2. During the year general enquiries have been made as to the sanitary condition
of the District, and much special work has been necessitated in consequence of out-
breaks of infectious disease, in connection with which valuable assistance has
been received from the local Sanitary Inspectors, some of whom have shown a zeal
and tact which cannot be too highly spoken of. Special enquiries were made in
connection with the necessity for the formation of Special Water Districts, sewage
purification under the Rivers Pollution Prevention Act, &c.
3. Reports were sent in to the District Committee dealing with the purification
of the sewage discharged by the villages of of Scone and Stanley. On the outbreak of
Smallpox at Crianlarich in the early part of the year, a small portable hospital was
secured, which was stored at the Royal Infirmary, ready for immediate use should
a case of the disease occur. From four to six patients can be treated in the hospital
at one time.
No certificates have been required in the Perth District, as it has invariably
been found that proprietors have been only too glad to remedy defects in
connection with their houses, on those being pointed out.
No action has been required in connection with offensive trades, or the sanitary
condition of Factories and Workshops, during the year.
4. Of Retail Bakehouses, fifteen are in operation in the district. These have been
inspected and found to be in a very satisfactory condition; the owners of some of
them deserve praise for the good order in which they keep buildings which are old
and consequently require more labour bestowed on them to ensure cleanliness.
5. The Perth Royal Infirmary being still the Hospital used by the Perth
District for the treatment of persons suffering from Infectious Diseases, the Medical
Officer is still enabled by his position on the Staff of that Institution, to supervise the
treatment and isolation of patients admitted. In both respects he is satisfied, and,
what is of more importance, so are all the patients who have been under treatment
during the year. The Directors of Perth Royal Infirmary have, in accordance with
their agreement with the Local Authorities, expended a large sum in fully equipping
the Institution for the increased work; the Laundry and Disinfector have now been
in full operation for some months, and are giving entire satisfaction. In the event
of Smallpox breaking out, the portable Hospital, which is stored in Perth, would be
immediately erected in the vicinity of the outbreak, and the supervision of the treat-
ment of any cases admitted to it would be entirely under the Medical Officer, a local
Medical man being engaged to attend upon the patient. Twenty-eight cases of
Infectious Disease have been admitted from the District to the Perth Royal

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