HH62/2/STIRLI/51

Transcription

[Page] 50

been laid at a large outlay by the District Committee. They
extend, with interruptions, for nearly a mile, and are bound to be
useful in keeping the roads and footpaths in a dry and clean
condition. But a difficulty has arisen in regard to the alleged
emptying into them of slop water and excremental matter, and
complaint has been made as to pollution thereby of the streams
into which the channels enter, one of which streams is used for
trade purposes, and another, it is stated, for the domestic water
supply of a farm. The District Committee have caused placards
to be issued prohibiting the inhabitants from doing anything to
defile the channels, or cause pollution of the streams in question.
Upper Banton. - There is practically no drainage. The slop-
water finds its way into the middle of the road, where it has made
a rough gutter for itself, the gutter ending in the burn at the foot
of the row. There is no covered drain or regular surface channel,
nor is there any footpath or properly formed roadway, and the
smell last summer was abominable. Many of the houses have
neither ashpits nor privies.
Lower Banton. - There are neither surface channels nor covered
drains. The surface and slop-water find their way into neighbour-
ing water courses.
Queenzieburn. - In many respects this is a model colliery row.
The surface channels are about 60 feet from the houses, are partly
of concrete and partly fireclay inverts, have a good slope, and are
flushed several times daily by an automatic flushing tank, placed
at the head of each channel. The channels discharge through an
iron grating into a catchpit in which the solids are collected. The
effluent crosses the public road by means of a glazed pipe, and
discharges into the burn.

Bakehouses. - There are five retail bakehouses in the District.
On the whole they are in very fair condition, four of them being
exceptionally good. In one of them the surface channel into
which waste water is emptied requires renewal, and the owner has
promised to have this done. There is no drain connection of any
sort inside any of the bakehouses. They are all kept clean, are
not overcrowded, and are sufficiently ventilated. The floors are of
suitable materials, and the walls and ceilings are whitewashed
regularly.

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Piggeries. - These are of the usual unsatisfactory character.
They are all, or nearly all, built and floored with wood, which is
saturated with filth. There is, as a rule, no proper drainage.
The bedding is not often enough renewed, and the manure heaps
are in many cases removed only once a year, in spring time, when
the material is spread on gardens, &c.
Complaint was made during the year regarding some piggeries
at Bannockburn. They were built against a wall only about ten
feet distant from the main door of a dwelling-house and adjoining
a public road. They have now been removed by order of the
District Committee.

Slaughter-houses. - There are eight in the District. With
one exception they all appear to have been properly licensed under
section 30 the Public Health Act by the former Local Authorities.
In regard to the exception, certain improvements in walls and floor
have been insisted on before granting a license. Most of the
slaughter-houses are kept fairly clean; but in one case Mr.
McKerchar has had a good deal of trouble. The owner has been
warned that if cleanliness is not maintained it will have to be
enforced by legal proceedings.

Common Lodging-houses. - There is only one in the Dis-
trict. It is in the village of Gargunnock, is well conducted, and
kept scrupulously clean.

Scavenging. - Two scavengers are employed - one for Ban-
nockburn and Whins of Milton; the other for Cambusbarron,
Causewayhead, and occasionally Cambuskenneth Abbey. Their
work is confined to street cleaning, excepting at Bannockburn,
where one large ashpit receives both street sweepings and house
refuse. It is emptied frequently.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

The Notification Act came into force on May 28th last.
Under the Act medical practitioners' certificates of cases of
infectious disease are required to be addressed to the Medical
Officer of Health. But it was obvious that there would be
a needless loss of time if medical men in the neighbourhood of
Stirling sent on the certificates to me in Glasgow, to be afterwards
returned by me to Mr. McKerchar in Stirling. I therefore

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