HH62/2/LANARK/23

Transcription

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without staff, and having charge of the whole county, it
was to me a matter of the utmost importance that I should
be able to keep myself thoroughly in touch with everything
likely to affect the public health. In order to do this
thoroughly and effectively, the Committee specially ap-
pointed for the purpose recognised that the Medical Officer
must be the head of the health departments, and the bye-
laws were accordingly framed with that end in view, at the
same time giving to each of the three County Inspectors
full supervision over their subordinates, and a wide discretion
in carrying out such work as the removal of nuisances,
construction and reconstruction of ashpits, privies, drains,
and sanitary work of a like nature.
The regulations referred to were presented to the County
Council at their meeting on the 19th of May, 1891, and
unanimously agreed to. At the instance of the Board of
Supervision, they were also brought before each of the
District Committees and agreed to, and at the date of
writing have now been fully approved by the Board of
Supervision.

Staff. - The sanitary staff of the county, under the control
of the Council, at the present time, consists of the County
Medical Officer, with offices at Hamilton; a County Sanitary
Inspector for each of the three wards into which the
county is divided - Upper, Middle, and Lower - with offices
at Lanark, Uddingston, and Glasgow respectively; eight
assistant inspectors in the Middle Ward, devoting the
whole of their time to the work; and two assistant inspectors
in the Lower Ward who also devote their whole time to
their sanitary work. There is, in addition to these officers,
a clerk under the Medical Officer; one under the Chief
Inspector for the Middle Ward; and one under the Chief
Inspector for the Lower Ward.

Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milkshops. - Regulations for
these have been considered and approved by committees

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appointed for the purpose in each ward of the county.
They are uniform throughout the county, except that in
the Upper Ward, 380 cubic feet have been allotted for each
cow, and 400 in the Middle and Lower Wards. I was
extremely anxious to have no difference in this respect, but
in the case of the Upper Ward it was urged that the
conditions were very different from those in the more
populous districts of the Middle and Lower Wards.
The regulations are very much the same as those generally
adopted by other counties, and I anticipate a gradual but
important reform from their adoption and enforcement.

Sale of Food and Drugs Acts. - These Acts, so far as
the landward portion of the county are concerned, have
hitherto been practically inoperative. The best means of
putting them into operation have been under the considera-
tion of the Council, and arrangements have been made by
which Dr. Clark of Glasgow, the County Analyst, reports
on samples submitted to him by the sanitary officials of the
various districts. It is expected that during the year 1892
the working of the Acts will be in full operation.

Pollution of Rivers. - The question of river pollution is
one which is engaging the anxious consideration of nearly
every County Council in Great Britain. The Rivers Pollu-
tion Prevention Act has not accomplished the good that
some sanguine sanitarians anticipated it would, and in fact
until about a couple of years ago it was practically a dead
letter. However, since the formation of County Councils,
renewed attention has been given to the need for action,
and a determination shown on the part of many counties
and of large cities and burghs to fairly grapple with the
difficulties with which the whole subject bristles. That it
is feasible, or even advisable, to attempt to restore to its
natural state a river flowing through a district dependent
upon large industries is, I feel sure, what few would admit.
It is, however, beyond dispute that an unnecessary and