TO THE BARKING TOWN URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL. Barki GENTLEMEN, I beg to submit my Annual Report for the Barking Town Urban Sanitary District for the year 1895. The population estimated up to the middle of the year is 16,000. Population as per Census of 1891 = 14,301. Estimated population by House to House visitation =15615. Estimated deficiency by absehtees at work or away from home from various causes = 385. TOTAL 16,000. Area in acres = 3,813. Persons per Acre = 4.19. Persons per inhabited house = 5.28. WATER SUPPLY. The Town itself is supplied by the South Essex Water Company. The water is pure and the amount supplied unlimited. There are 142 houses in the District supplied from wells on the premises and a few supplied in other ways. CONDITION OF THE HOUSES OF THE WORKING CLASSES. Barking being an old Town there are still a few Courts and Alleys remaining where the houses are small and confined. They are built without damp courses and many of them are connected with badly paved yards. This class of property is a continual source of trouble to the Sanitary Authority. On the other hand, the more modern part of the Town is in very fair sanitary condition, especially that section of it built since the adoption 12 years ago of the Model Bye-Laws of the Local Government Board. Copy of Bye-Laws adopted are enclosed with this report. OVERCROWDING. Four cases only have been discovered during the year and these on the usual notices being served were immediately abated. BURIAL GROUNDS. The new Cemetery situate on rising ground on the Rainham Road about a male from the Town is in excellent condition. Efforts have been made for the voluntary closing of the burying ground at the back of the old Meeting Room in Axe Street and have proved successful. SLAUGHTER HOUSES. All of which these are found in good order when inspected. BAKE HOUSES. These are 18 in number and are periodically inspected and cleansed. MILK SHOPS, COWSHEDS,AND DAIRIES inspected frequently. Copies of Bye-Laws in force in the District added to this Report. During the year a house to house inspection of the District has been made. Temporary Assistants were appointed to assist the Inspector of Nuisances to carry this out. The results of the House to House Inspection are included under the various heads of this report. In May, I was instructed by the District Council to prepare a report concerning the various properties situate in Prince Regent and Linsdells Courts, Heath Street. Both these Courts consisting of 21 inhabited houses were found unfit for human habitation and notice served on the Owner to put them into proper condition. RESULTS. Linsdells Court consisting of 4 houses then inhabited were voluntary closed. Prince Regents Court has also been closed with the exception of 2 houses now used as a store and one house is still inhabited. (1) SEWAGE SYSTEM. The Water carriage system is the main system adopted in the District;It is only in the outlying Country parts where this is not found. The sewage is precipitated into 3 large tanks each holding a days supply (about 250,000 gallons each) where it is chemically treated. The effluent is discharged into the Creek. The Sludge is pumped up into wooden troughing and gravitated into separate sludge pits to dry. It is subsequently carted away by the Market Gardeners of the District for manuring the land. Houses in the District = 3161. Number of W.Cs in District. = 3008. Number supplied with water = 2078. Number not do. = 930. In several of the courts and alleys one W.C. may be common to 2 or at most 3 houses. Number of Privies. = 64. Number of Earth Closets. = 28. Number of Houses with no W.cs 61. but which use another in common.3161. During 1895 the collection of the Town refuse has been done by Contract, each house to ba served once a week. There were numerous complaints and the work is now done by the Council. The Scavenging of the Town is done by the Council and is in my opinion very well carried out. At the beginning of the Summer in addition to the ordinary periodic flushing of the Severs,a gang of men with the Eire Engine hose were employed for some weeks in flushing the house drains in the District. There have been also numerous complaints during the year as to the foul emanations arising from the sewer ventilators in the roads and though every effort has been made by flushing to minimise this nuisance hitherto during the hot weather, although there was some, there was not much improvement. In some cases the ventilators have been closed and shafts run up the side of a neighboring building instead. SANITARY IMPROVEMENT. 1. Cesspools abated in Hardwicke Street. 2. New Sewer made parallel with West Bank (part of the Town called "Over-the-gates") 5, Voluntary closing of Axe Street Burying Ground. 4. Closing of Linsdells Court and Prince Regents Court (almost entirely) 5. The Fish Offal carrying nuisance having re-appeared, steps were being taken to cause its abatement, when the action of a neighbouring Authority rendered further action on our part unnecessary. 6. Opening of a new Mortuary. 7. The Council resolved to collect the du6t and refuse of the Town by their own carts and men. This has been carried into effect. On the various Industries of the District no special liability to disease has been observed by me in connection therewith, I think the shorter hours of the Beckton Gas Stokers has been accompanied, by an improvement in their general condition of health. Manufacture of Sheep Dip alone has been brought under my notice as seriously affecting those engaged therein. A certain number of the workmen engaged here are liable to attacks of severe Dermatitis due to the effects of the arsenic on the skin, Steps are being taken to render this industry as far as possible innocuous to the workers. The chief Industries of the District are:- Beckton Gas Works. Chemical Manure Works. Market Gardening. Dock Workers. An increasing number of workers in the City due to the convenience offerred by Workmen's trains. INFECTIOUS DISEASE. No of Infectious cases during year = 117 as against 246, in 1894. ACTION TAKEN TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE. GENERAL. House visited by Sanitary Official. Isolation as far as practicable off patient. Disinfectants supplied. Bedding &c disinfected by Steam (Washington Lyon's patent) where possible. Printed precautions delivered and verbal instructions given. Whitewashing, repapering, fumigating, cleansing of premises, burning bedding where considered necessary. Notices sent to Schools, Laundries, Pawnshops &c as to the occurrence of Infection Disease in particular houses. SPECIAL MEASURES. SCARLET FEVER. 46 notified, 27 removed to Hospital. The remainder were isolated as well as possible at their own homes. Of this number 2 died, ENTERIC FEVER, 11 cases of this Disease were notified during the year. Special instructions given as to the disinfection of Bowel secretions. None of the Public or Private Schools in the District have been closed for Infectious Disease during the year. In July there was a rather serious outbreak of measles but the Disease gradually sub-aided and on the separation of the children for the holidays it dropped almost entirely. There have been 13 deaths from this disease during the year 7 occurring in July, A circular note was sent round to the Teachers warning them and describing the initial symptoms of the disease for their guidance. Death rate = .81. WH00PING COUGH A large number of cases of this disease have come under my notice, 22 deaths occurring in the year. 5 deaths in March, 5 in April, and 4 in September. Death rate for the year, = 1.37. DIPHTHERIA AND MEMBRANOUS CROUP. The monthly returns for this Disease are as follows:- cases. deaths. cases. deaths. January. 4. 2. July. 3. 1. February. 2. 0. August. 4. 0. March, 2. 1. September, 7. 2. April. 3. 0. October. 2. 0. May. 3. 0. November. 5. 0. June. 6. 3. December. 8. 0. TOTAL No of cases, = 49. TOTAL No of deaths.= 9. In connection with these diseases and their causation,20 cases out of the 49 notified were found associated with defects in Sanitation. Death rate in 1894. = 25.8% do. 3.825 = 18.3% so that not only have the cases been less numerous but less fatal also. Death rate or the year = .56. ENTERIC FEVER. Nothing in the way of food supply was definitely made out as causing any of the cases, though one might have caught it by eating shell fish. In one ease a leak in the drain ventilation pipe was found underneath the bedroom window; other cases had occurred in the house previously. In one case, through the revelations made by the smoke test in the House drain, sewer gas was found to enter the house through the cellar bricks. There were 11 cases in all with 3 deaths. Death rate for the year = .18 DIARRHOEA AND DYSENTRY. There were 35 cases of this disease. 32 children under 5 years of age. Death rate 2.18. DISTRIBUTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE. DIPHTHERIA. In the epidemic of 1893 and also in 1894 the following Streets were found to be comparatively free;- 1. Longbridge Road. (1895 none) 2. New Street (one case 1895) 3. Tanner Street (one ease 1895) 4. Over-the-Gates (one case 1895) 5. Eldred Road (none 1895) 6. Union Street, (none 1895) 7. Fisher Street (three cases) PHTHISIS. 17 deaths during the year from this Disease. CANCER. Four deaths. INFLUENZA. Five Deaths. This disease still remains in the District with outbursts from time to time. Spot Maps shewing distribution of Diphtheria and Enteric Fever are prepared. There was one case of Puerperal Fever notified. Attributed to decomposition of Stillborn child. It proved fatal. SANITARY REQUIREMENTS OF THE DISTRICTS. 1. In my opinion special attention will have to be given to the Courts and Alleys of the old Town with respect to the defects enumerated above. 2. Hospital accommodation should be provided for Diphtheria and in certain cases for Enteric Fever. The District Council have adopted this suggestion and the old Small Pox Hospital is being fitted up for this purpose. 3. Accommodation in case of an outbreak of Small Pox is in my opinion urgently required, INFANT MORTALITY. Rate for the. year amounts to 162.62 per thousand births registered which is about the same as that for the whole of England and Wales. The only period of the year in which the infantile mortality was at all excessive was in quarter ending September 30th. During that period the earth Thermometer at 4½ feet below surface registered 58" - 61° Fahrenheit. Birth rate = 43.31 per thousand persons living; that for England and Wales being 30.3 . Zymotic Death rate = 5.31. This rate is somewhat higher this year due to the exceptional severity of Summer Diarrhoea, Whooping Cough and Measles. The deaths nearly all occurred in young children. General Death rate = 19.5 This includes those who died in Romford Union Workhouse and other Hospitals. General Death rate for England and Wales = 18.7. The Inspector of Nuisances Report (To whom many thanks for much assistance are due), Infectious Disease and Mortality Tables are annexed. I am, Your obedient Servant, C F.. F E IT T 0 IT ANALYSIS OF SANITARY WORK DONE DURING 1895, FOR WHICH NOTICES WERE SERVED. INSPECTOR OF NUISANCES DEPARTMENT. W. Cs and House Drains stopped. 277. Constructions or Drains defective. ???0. Accumulations of water. 18. Overflowing Cesspools. 15. Leaky Roofs. 76. Broken soil pans. 23. No dust bins. 79. Burst and leaky water pipes. 50. Washing Coppers, brickwork dilapidated. 18. Dust bins dilapidated. 37. Broken taps. 15. Cesspools filled up. 7. Coal gas permeating house. 1. Defective waste pipes and stoppage in ditto. 35. Leaking cisterns. 5. Defective Eaves gutters and stack pipes. 79. Rotten and dangerous floors. 14. Defective outside doors and frames. 4. Defective fittings to cisterns. 120. Defective paving in back yards. 45. Animals kept so as to be a nuisance. 6. Suspension of Water supply. 14. Manure he???s removed. 4. Defective and broken traps. 51. Slop sinks pulled down and not replaced. 4. Cisterns without covers. 23. Filth removed. 3. Underground sleeping rooms abolished. 3. Ventilating pipes to house drains fixed. 8. Chimney pots reinstated on chimney stacks 2. Window frames reinstated. 3. Rotten wall between Washouse and W.Cs reinstated. 5. Broken plastering repaired. 20. Courts and Alleys limewhited. 12. Slaughter houses do. 4. Cooking and Chopping houses limewhited. 9. Waste pipes from Slop sinks disconnected from subsoil drains. 8. Improved water supply. 3. Back yards paved. 41. Soil pans in W.Cs readjusted. 10. Paving and draining stable. 1. Improved ventilation under ground floors. 1. Improved W. C. accommodation. 4. Houses disinfected previous to whitewashing &cleansing 116. House drains tested. 298. Infected Patients removed to Isolation Hospital. 30. Complaints received and attended to. 237. Number of Notices served. 1070. Seizure of bad fish. 1. Compliances to Notices served 997. Signed F. M A R T I N. Inspector of Nuisances.