HH62/1/AYR/45

Transcription

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[neighbour] hood of Crosshouse. While the village of Crosshouse itself was not
quite so badly off for water of a certain kind, a number of the miners'
rows were without any supply, except what was conveyed long dis-
tances. As a requisition from over ten inhabitants to form Cross-
house into a Special Water Supply District was sent to the District
Committee, I was instructed to report to a sub- committee of the
Local Authority, who were investigating the matter, as to the water
supply of Crosshouse and neighbouring hamlets. Samples of water
were taken from the principal wells in Crosshouse as well as from
some of the miners' rows. Those from the village of Crosshouse
seemed to be the worst. From analyses of these I was satisfied that
all the wells in the village, with the exception of one (Lady Well),
were contaminated with animal organic matter or its products. The
population of Crosshouse village was, in 1891, 846; and that of the
neighbouring hamlets, 878. In connection with my inquiries
regarding the water supply, I quote the following from my report of
the 10th of August last to the District Sub-Committee:-
As there is frequently a direct connection between an impure water
supply and certain diseases, I examined the returns of deaths in the parish of
Kilmaurs for five years, from January 1, 1886, to December 31, 1890, inclusive.
During these five years there were registered in the parish 77 deaths from
zymotic disease, and of these 49 deaths occurred in the village of Crosshouse
and neighbourhood. Making allowance for the fluctuations of the number of
inhabitants in the parish at the various periods, we get an average annual zymotic
mortality of 3.8 per 1000 of the population of the parish, which is certainly
high; the average annual zymotic death-rate for the whole of Scotland is only
a little over 2 per 1000. It must be noted that a number of those deaths
was due to such diseases as measles, whooping, and scarlet fever, which are
not supposed to be caused directly by impure water. The diseases which are
well known to be frequently connected with an impure supply of water are
typhoid fever and diarrhoea; and of the former there were six deaths
registered, and of the latter seventeen deaths, chiefly of children, in the
whole parish. All the deaths from typhoid fever occurred in the village of Cross-
ouse and in its neighbourhood, while of the seventeen deaths registered in
the parish from diarrhoea, eleven took place at Crosshouse and neighbourhood.
These deaths, of course, do not give us a correct estimate of the amount of
sickness from these diseases, but we may safely assume an average of ten cases
from typhoid fever to each case which proved fatal, and a much larger pro-
portion of illness in the case of diarrhoea to the deaths from that disease. It
may likewise be mentioned that several cases were sent to Kilmarnock
Hospital from Crosshouse, two at least of which died there, and of these deaths
do not appear in the register of Kilmaurs parish. This preponderance of
cases of fever and diarrhoea in the Crosshouse district leads me to the con-
clusion that the water supply in that district has been at fault.
I recommended that a new water supply be provided.
As a large number of the villagers in Crosshouse were opposed to
the formation of a special water district they sank a new well, which
promises an abundant supply, but whether it will become polluted
from the same source as the old wells remain to be seen.
Drainage and Sewerage. - The only special drainage district in
the Kilmarnock District is that of Troon, unless we include Mauch-
line, which has been formed into a special district for this purpose,
although the drainage works have not yet commenced. Respecting
the drainage of Troon, there were last summer several complaints -
and not without foundation - regarding offensive smells from the

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ventilating gratings of the street sewers. There is no doubt that
there is considerable difficulty in draining satisfactorily a place like
Troon, owing to the small gradients which are obtainable, and the
tide-locking of the sewers. Still, with good flushing and ample
ventilation, the sewers should work fairly well. As to Mauchline,
the present defective drainage cannot be too strongly condemned.
Although this village, from its aspect, with a natural slope to the
river Ayr, would seem to be well situated for drainage, we find that
it is very faulty in this respect. Where there are underground
drains here they are generally not proper pipes, and they usually end
in unventilated cesspools, which are not properly disconnected, or
into a small burn which runs through the village, and, in the
summer months, must constitute a nuisance. The drainage of Hurl-
ford and other villages is in many respects defective. As the greater
number of these places are not in a position to be formed into
special drainage districts, the Local Authority may be expected to
make some improvements in connection with their drainage.
The condition of slaughter-houses, &c., in this district requires
supervision. Proposed bye laws for their regulation are in the hands
of the District Committee.
Dwellings. - In several of the villages there are to be seen old
houses more or less out of repair. Although a wholesale condemna-
tion of these houses is not always wise, there is no doubt that owners
of properties should keep them in a decently habitable condition, or
else the Local Authority must have recourse to their powers and
duties under Part II. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act.
It is hoped, however, that the proprietors of those dwellings
will see that it is their duty to remedy grave structural defects with-
out being compelled to do so.

GENERAL AND SPECIAL INQUIRIES, AND ADVICE
GIVEN AS TO SANITARY MATTERS.

The greater number of the parishes in this district were
personally visited, more in connection with outbreaks of infectious
disease, complaints as to water supplies, &c. I made several special
visits to Mauchline in connection with the prevalence of diphtheria
there, and the defective drainage appears to have been a potent factor
in its causation. I shall refer to this subject elsewhere. Several
reports were made by me to the District Committee - among other
things, recommending the adoption of the Notification Act; on the
hospital accommodation in the district, with recommendations to
make arrangements with the directors of the Kilmarnock Hospital
for 20 beds for the use of the district, besides the getting of an
ambulance waggon; and also a report in connection with the services
of the parish officials, &c.
Respecting offensive trades, the only complaint was about a
knackery outside the burgh of Kilmarnock. When I visited it
there were no operations going on, and the premises appeared clean.
The slaughter-house is a wooden erection, which, with other draw-
[backs]