HH62/2/LINLIT/5

Transcription

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Another very much more serious case pressing
for immediate attention was the condition of the
Colliery rows of the Kinneil Coal and Coke Com-
pany, near Bo'ness. Here, at the time of my visit,
typhoid fever was raging. In four houses within
a radius of 30 yards, I found the disease, and on
inquiry at the local medical men ascertained that
other five cases within a stone-throw of these then
ill had only just recovered. Now this den of
disease was composed of houses containing some
1200 inhabitants, - 150 of these live in a row of
houses without any kind of convenience at all.
The ashes and refuse are thrown out in front of
the doors, and the privies of the other rows are so
filthy, so few and far away, that the condition of
the place may be well imagined. The Sanitary
Inspector proceeded against the Company. The
case was heard on the same day as the Bridge House
Rows case, and, notwithstanding the dangerous state
of matters, the same procedure was here followed as
in the other case. The testimony of the Sanitary
Officials was practically put aside, and a third
party, the same Architect, was asked to report,
and the case still awaits this report for settlement,
urgent though it may be.
The fault of course lies with our Public Health
Act, which can allow of the remedying of a most
dangerous nuisance of this sort being shelved
perhaps indefinitely.
The only Special Drainage District in the
County is Broxburn, in the BATHGATE DISTRICT,

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but Grangepans Drainage District, in the LIN-
LITHGOW DISTRICT, has just been formed, and a
drainage scheme for there will shortly be under
consideration.
The Scavenging of Villages is a subject which
calls for remedial legislation. A Deputation of
our Medical Health Society waited upon the Lord
Advocate recently, with the object of explaining
the difficulties District Committees have in con-
nection with this, and asked him to explain to
the Secretary for Scotland (who was unfortunately
unable to meet the Deputation) the urgency
of giving Local Authorities powers to form
Scavenging Districts, as they have power to form
Drainage and Water Districts.

Special Investigations.
Apart from frequent general inquiries as to
the Sanitary State of the County, I made special
investigations of -
I. - THE WATER SUPPLY IN THE COUNTY.
II. - POLLUTION OF THE RIVER ALMOND.

Water Supply of Linlithgow District.
I. - (1) WATER SUPPLY IN LINLITHGOW DIS-
TRICT. - I have already indicated how badly off
the County is for good water. In this District,
excluding, of course, the Royal Burgh of Linlith-
gow and Police Burgh of Bo'ness, there are the
Special Water Districts of Kirkliston and Dalmeny
formed in 1888, and embracing part of the estate
of Clifton Hall, in Mid-Lothian, the Village and a
portion of the Parish of Kirkliston, the Village