HH62/2/LINLIT/3

Transcription

[Page] 2

Services of former Medical Officers of Health dispensed with.
All the former local Medical Officers of Health
acting for the parts of the County outside the Burghs
have been dismissed and compensated.
The County's industry is mainly Mining, and
thus there are a number of villages and hamlets
made up of colliers' 'rows.'

Scarcity of Water.
In consequence of the increasing industry in
shale and coal, a very serious condition as regards
water supply has been brought about; for a large
part of the County has been so drained by under-
ground workings that during last summer, which
was an exceptionally dry one, many were in great
straits for enough water with which to cook their
food. In fact, a condition of matters exists at
present which calls for immediate remedy. In
some villages the inhabitants have had to use the
water pumped from the mines where men were at
work. A more dangerous source of supply could
scarcely be had. In other places ditch water,
often badly fouled, has been the only source for
many families.
I am glad to say the District Committees have
not been slow to foresee the water famine which
has been rapidly approaching. They have in a
praiseworthy manner exerted themselves to their
utmost to as speedily as possible provide for this
most pressing want, but I am sorry to mention that
nothwithstanding their great efforts the speed of
their project has been and is now being hampered.
However, there is still hope that their exertions
shall meet with the success they deserve.

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General Sanitary condition, Drainage and Scavenging; and the Difficulty of making Sanitary Progress owing to Defects in the Public Health Scotland Act.
The general Sanitary condition and the Drain-
age and Scavenging of many places are far from
what they should, be, and the shortcomings in the
Public Health Act render their rapid improvement
impossible. I shall only instance two separate
cases of glaring nuisances, to show how difficult it
is for progress to be made in the right direction:
- In the hamlet of Bridge House Rows, a property
belonging to a Glasgow coal master, the people
prefer to drink from the ditches to going a long
distance for a somewhat purer supply. The water
of these ditches at the times of my visits was
fouled in the most disgusting way it could be - by
human excreta. The drains were untrapped. The
privies, of which there was only one for each 33
inhabitants, were filthy, broken - down, brick
structures connected with open ashpits. The
Sanitary Inspector for long urged the proprietor
to improve matters, but the dilly-dallying of the
latter forced Mr. Frew to seek my certificate,
which was granted. The case came before the
Sheriff-Substitute, who had several courses open
to him, and chose that one which allows him to
appoint a third party to report, and on whose
report he shall decern. In this case the third
party, it might be thought, would be an expert in
Sanitary work. But no, he was an architect in the
town of Linlithgow. Nearly two months after the
date of my certificate, the Sheriff gave judgment
on the report of the Architect - the opinion of the
Sanitary Officials being thus set aside.