HH62/2/LINLIT/29

Transcription

[Page] 28

The wells in connection with most dwelling-
houses in the County, so far as I have been
able to investigate, are frequently badly placed
and almost invariably fed by surface drains.

Special Complaints.
In July a Memorial, signed by 20 landlords
and farmers, complaining of the smoke caused by
Philpstoun and Champfleurie Works as being a
nuisance, was sent to the Linlithgow District
Committee, who handed it to me for a report.
I was unable to find that a nuisance existed
within the meaning of the Public Health Act,
and this was intimated to the Memorialists.

Bake-houses : Power for Local Authorities to make Bye-Laws much required.
I inspected the Bake-houses of the County,
and found that in LINLITHGOW DISTRICT (outside
the Burghs) there are two bake-houses, and these
are in the village of Kirkliston. Neither of them
is satisfactory.
In BATHGATE DISTRICT (outside the Burghs)
there are three Co-operative Society bake-houses
and five private. The Society bake-houses are
much superior to the private, but they are not
what they ought to be. One small bake-house in
Broxburn is very dirty and without ventilation, and
I intend to try to get it closed as soon as possible.
No proceedings have been taken against any
of these bake-houses, but I would here remark
that in consequence of the inadequate provisions
in the Statute it would be most desirable to obtain
legislative powers for Local Authorities to make
Bye-Laws for bake-houses, as it seems to me that
this method would be the simplest and most satis-

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factory way of securing the cleanliness and care
so essential in conducting the manufacture of so
important a food supply as bread. Some of these
bake-houses are built in the same block with the
dwelling-houses, and consequently should such a
disease as scarlet fever occur in the dwelling-house
most serious contamination of bread might arise,
especially when the disease is so slight as not to
necessitate the calling in of a medical attendant,
and when of course notification of the disease
would almost certainly not be made.

Common Lodging-houses.
There are no Common Lodging-houses in the
LINLITHGOW DISTRICT outside the Burghs, but in
BATHGATE DISTRICT there are two on a large scale.
One of these is in Uphall, the other in Broxburn.
Both are places that should never have been
licensed, for they are quite unsuited for the purpose.
There is a smaller Lodging-house at Fauldhouse,
for 16 lodgers, which I have not yet seen.
The Hospitals in the County in which the
Local Authorities are interested are in LINLITH-
GOW DISTRICT, - Dalmeny Hospital, which is a
small cottage, now occupied as a dwelling-house,
and Bo'ness Hospital, a badly arranged, insanitary,
and altogether objectionable building. Into the
latter one patient was sent from the County
suffering from typhoid fever.
I have strongly advised the Local Authority
to lose no time in acquiring adequate and suitable
Hospital accommodation.
In BATHGATE DISTRICT there are Drumshore-