HH62/2/RENFRE/51

Transcription

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tion of the numerous interests involved, and the unexpired leases
which will have to be dealt with - although only in respect of mere
patches of ground, it must be accepted that it will require diplomatic
talent of the highest order to negotiate a working agreement.
As the result of complaints made to me, I, in company with the
chief sanitary inspector, made a careful inspection of the drainage
system of the Village of Langbank. The result surprised me. I found
that no fewer than 23 house-drains or branch-sewers discharged
separately, simply at the side of the highway, which is the main pro-
menade of the village, the sewage finding its way as best it might
down to the River Clyde. The sewage of the greater part of the village
discharges simply at the side of the road. I reported the circumstances
of the case to the District Committee, and the representatives of the
parish were constituted a sub-committee to deal with the matter.
The sub-committee went over the ground with myself and the sani-
tary inspector, and agreed that the existing condition of things was
a standing menace to health. It was further agreed that the proper
solution of the difficulty was to construct an intercepting pipe-sewer,
with which all the independent drains of the eastern, and greater,
portion of the village should be connected, and to lead the sewage to a
point of outfall in the river, about a hundred yards from the side of
the highway. The sewage of the west end of the village, which has
a declination in a westward direction, is already collected by a large
pipe-sewer, and led to a considerable distance; but the sewer, impro-
perly laid, for a part of its course, on the surface of the shore, had be-
come dislocated and broken. It was proposed to relay the defective
part of this sewer, and protect its point of outfall. Mr. Murray was
instructed to prepare a plan and approximate estimate of the cost of
carrying out such a scheme - the cost would have been insignificant
- and a meeting of the inhabitants was convened to consider the
matter. I regret to say that the proposal was rejected by what, for
the size of the meeting, must be considered an overwhelming majority.
It was urged that there had been no death from the zymotic (or filth-
produced) diseases within recollection, and, in effect, that the time to
lock the stable-door was when the steed had been stolen. The repre-
sentatives of the parish felt that it would be undesirable to proceed
further, and the matter was allowed to drop, in the meantime. I
was unable to make any reply at the time to the allegation that there
had never been a death from zymotic disease in the village; it seemed
to me that it was a very surprising circumstance, apart from all ques-

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tions of drainage. A subsequent reference to the death-registers of
the parish enables me to state that during the ten years 1881-90,
there had been one death from enteric fever, one from scepticemia,
(blood poisoning), three from diarrhea, one from scarlet fever, and one
from whooping-cough; I refer to this, not as indicating an unhealthy
condition of the village, but as an illustration of the loose way in
which the case against the proposed scheme was argued.
As the result of complaint by the proprietor of the Dargavel Estate
as to the pollution of the Dargavel Burn, whose tributary streamlets
in part arise in the vicinity of Bishopton, I was required to inquire
into the matter and report to the District Committee. My report,
summarily, was to the effect that while the Village of Bishopton con-
tributed to the pollution of the stream, there was no nuisance at the
point with reference to which complaint had been made, viz., Her-
schaw Farm, that there were other material contributions to the pol-
lution of the stream arising upon the Dargavel Estate; that the water
of the burn at Hershaw was not, and never had been, within the
memory of living man, fit for use for domestic or dairy purposes; and
that, in brief, the time was not ripe for dealing with the pollution of
the stream in an effectual manner.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF INTEREST AND IMPORTANCE IN CONNECTION WITH
THE PREVALENCE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE IN THE COUNTY DUR-
ING 1891.

The system of compulsory notification of cases of infectious disease
came into operation over the whole county landward upon the 15th
of May, at which date the County Health Department took over the
control and management of this department of work. The Notifica-
tion Act had already been adopted in the parishes of Cathcart and
Eastwood, in the first of which no fewer than 259 cases were notified
prior to the 15th of May, in the second 4; 10 cases were notified,
voluntarily, in the Abbey Parish, 9 in the parish of Govan, and 1 in
Neilston parish. Of the total, 283, nine, or 3·2 per cent., were removed
to hospital. I have no record of the cases which occurred in the
Second District prior to May 15.
From the 15th May to the 31st December 502 cases were notified
to me. Of these, in the First District 25·2 per cent. were removed
to hospital; in the Second District 25·7 per cent. I cannot help
regarding it as a very satisfactory circumstance that in the first year