HH62/1/CLACKM/7

Transcription

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smoke have been tried, but without much success, but there are several
forms of apparatus in the market which are said to be very satisfactory,
and it may be useful to refer shortly to these. The most successful type
of apparatus seems to be mechanical stokers, and of these the coking
stokers of Vicar, Cass and Sinclair, seem to be the best, and the following
is a short description of these three:-
CASS'S FURNACE. - In this furnace the fuel gravitates from a hopper on to a
large dead plate, where it is coked by the heat from a fire brick arch at front of
flue. The combustible gases are ignited by the air which passes through the white
hot clinker at the back of the bars. The bars come out one at a time for four
inches and all go home together dragging the fuel with them. The rate of move
ment is regulated so that nothing but clinker flows over the back of the grate.
This system has been in use at Mr Herbert Fletcher's colliery, at Boston, for
thirteen years, and is absolutely smokeless
VICAR'S FURNACE, SINCLAIR'S FURNACE - Are similar in principle to Cass's,
but have shorter fire bars and pushers to force fuel over the dead plate to the
travelling bars Vicar's furnace is amongst other places on at the London
Hydraulic Power Company's, the Liverpool Hydraulic Power Company's, Messrs
Coates' Thread Mills, of Paisley, Messrs Musgrave's Cotton Mills, Bolton, all of
which are practically smokeless. Sinclair's stokers at Penicuik Paper Works,
Edinburgh, on a range of sixteen boilers, besides being smokeless, are estimated
to have saved £1,500 in fuel in nine years.
The results from these forms of mechanical stokers seem to be so
good that it might be useful to make a practical trial of one of them in
Alloa, as there certainly is need of some such remedy being adopted.

INSPECTION OF BAKE-HOUSES.

I have personally visited all the Bake-houses in the Burgh at least
once, and several two or three times. The most were found to be in a
satisfactory condition, and in accordance with Bake-house Regulations,
under the Factory and Workshop's Act. There was one in a most un-
satisfactory state, from the near proximity of a privy closet to the door
of the Bake-house. The Bake-house itself was not so clean and tidy as
it ought to, but after some pressure was brought to bear on the occupier
the necessary alterations were carried out.

COMMON LODGING-HOUSES.

I have inspected these frequently, and cannot report that they are
all satisfactory. There is one, at least, which is hardly fit to be used as
a Common Lodging-House, from structural defects of the premises; and
others are scarcely so well kept as they might be. These houses often
becomes centres of infection, and hence the reason why they require
careful supervision.

DAIRIES AND BYRES AND MILKSHOPS.

I have, along with Mr. Keith, made a point of visiting all the Dairies
and Byres within the Burgh. This is a duty remitted usually to the Sanitary
Inspector, but its importance demands the most careful attention of all
those connected with sanitary administration. In the Sanitary Inspector's
report full reference will doubtless be made to the condition of the
Dairies and Milkshops within the Burgh, but speaking generally much

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more attention is needed to cleanliness of Byres, Milkshops, and Milk
vessels than is now given. In some cases no fault could be found to the
various details of the business of a dairy-keeper, but this was by no
means so universal as could have been desired. The Regulations for
Dairies and Milkshops in force in the Burgh are sufficiently stringent for
all purposes, although the cubic space allowed for each cow is small,
viz., 500 cubic feet, but if the Regulations were acted up to there would
not be much to complain of.

REPORT ON BURGH HOSPITAL.

I have made frequent visits to the Isolation Hospital, and made a
report to the Commissioners regarding its present state, and its capability
of being extended. At the present time there are only two wards, each
capable of receiving six patients. As long as there were only one form of
infectious disease prevalent in the Burgh this would be ample, but if
there were, for instance, cases of scarlet and typhoid fevers, in different
sexes, they could not be treated in only two wards. The internal ar-
rangement of the wards and rooms is not good, nor are the general
sanitary arrangements in conformity with present-day ideas. One very
great defect is the want of a disinfecting apparatus, so that clothing of
patients cannot be disinfected before they return home, or bedding dis-
infected before the bed is occupied by another case. The whole question
of improved Hospital accommodation for the Burgh of Alloa and for the
whole County was considered at a joint-meeting of representatives from
the Burghs and County Council, and at present there are indications that
a satisfactory arrangement will be come to. The advantages of a Com-
bination Hospital have been pointed out already by me, and it is not
necessary therefore to refer further to this matter.

INSPECTION OF MEAT.

I have made frequent visits to the Slaughter-house with the object
of inspecting any carcases there, whether there was reason to suspect
their quality or not, as the mere fact of such a supervision being exercised
has a good effect. On one visit the whole carcase of a cow was con-
demned, as the animal had suffered from advanced tuberculosis. There
could be no doubt this animal should never have been sent to the Public
Slaughter-house as intended for human food.
On a recent inspection, as reported to the Burgh Commissioners, I
had to order the destruction of some of the internal organs and a con-
siderable portion of the carcase, as I found evidences of disease in these.
After I had made a microscopic examination of a piece of the diseased
tissue, I found that the disease was what is called, popularly, "Wooden
Tongue," from the pecular hardness it causes when the tongue is affected.
The carcase otherwise was in excellent condition, and certainly had been
purchased as a sound animal.

EPIDEMIC OF SCARLET FEVER.

An epidemic of scarlet fever of a mild type prevailed during the
months of September and October, and gave rise to a considerable