BARK 2 TO THE BARKING TOWN URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL. MEDICAL OFFICER'S ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1896. GENTLEMEN, I beg to submit my Report for the Urban District of Barking Town for the year 1896. The population, estimated up to the middle of the year, is 16,500. Population, as per census of 1891, 14,301. Area in acres, 3,813. Persons per acre, 4.32 ; persons per inhabited house, 5.06. In 1896 there were 283 deaths and 698 births. The natural increase of population by excess of births over deaths was therefore 415. Water Supply.—No complaint has been received by the Sanitary Department in connection with the water supply during the year. The Creeksmouth supply, which is from a well belonging to Lawes' Chemical Manure Company, has not been complained of. The other water supplies in the district have not been complained of and no cases of disease have been traced thereto. Cisterns.—The supply is constant, though the newer houses receive their supply via a storage cistern. No. of houses in the Town, 3,375. Number in 1895, 3,161. No. of cisterns, 1,713. 2 Condition of the Houses of Working Classes.— As I pointed out in my last year's Report, on the whole, the working class is housed well. The old property is a constant source of trouble, partly due (and for the most part) to the bad construction of the sewers, and the drains, and w.c.'s connected thereto, and partly to the carelessness of the tenants themselves. This will be seen in detail under the heading of the various courts. The District Council is doing all in its power to remedy these defects by (1) Where they are found to be under the control of the Sanitary Authority, testing the sewers and, if necessary, re-laying and ventilating them. (2) Causing flushing apparatus to w.c.'s to be adopted by the owners. (3) More numerous sanitary dust bins. (4) Frequent inspections by Sanitary Officials. In connection with the property of a more modern type, 1 think much improvement might be brought about by a more thorough system of ventilating the house drains. Overcrowding.—Four cases have come under my notice during the year, all of which have been abated. A good deal of difficulty has been experienced in getting information upon which to act. Burial Grounds.—The condition of the Cemetery continues to be excellent. Some improvement might be made in the winter time for the better accommodation of mourners, as the Mortuary Chapel (when the weather is bad) is cold and comfortless in the extreme, but as the Council are, by Order from March 25th next becoming the Burial Authority for the district, doubtless this will receive attention. The Axe Street Ground is now voluntarily closed. The Burial Ground in North Street is kept in excellent condition. The Churchyard is still open for the burial of those who own graves there. One could wish that some step might be taken to render it more attractive. Number of interments during 1896, twenty-three. Slaughter Houses.—There are three Registered Slaughter Houses in the District, and one licensed one. The usual inspections have been made and notices, as to cleansing and whitewashing, served and complied with. 3 Bakehouses.— Number, 18. Inspected and notices served for cleansing. Common Lodging House. —One in the district, limewhited according to the Public Health Act twice a year. Milkshops and Dairies, Number 33.—Inspected frequently; Dairies limewhited when necessary. Inspection of District. This may be divided into two parts. 1. The Town. 2. Outlying District. 1. The Town. The following Courts and Alleys of the Old Town have been inspected during the year with a view of ascertaining their conditions as to— 1st.—Gradient, ventilation, deposit (if any), and general condition of sewer. 2nd.—W.C. accommodation, with respect to population, whether adequate, and what means of flushing were adopted. 3rd.—As to adequate and suitable means of disposal of house refuse. The Properties which have been thus inspected and reported upon to the District Council, with the action taken upon such report, are as follows:— Name of Property Inspected. Condition of Sewer. W.C. Accommodation and House Refuse Disposal. Action taken by District Council. 1. Crooks' Court, East Street Unventilated No flushing apparatus Flushing apparatus and ventilating shaft ordered. Sewer not yet opened 2. Morgan's Court, East Street Unventilated, not yet opened ,, 3. White's Court, Broadway Filled with deposit, blocked Flushing apparatus Old sewer taken up, sewer re-laid 4. Prince Regent's Court Not opened, unventilated Dust bins inadequate Houses declared unfit for human habitation, see Special Report 5. Linsdells' Court ,, ,, ,, 6. Orchard Avenue Drains unventilated. considerable deposit Fairly good Propose to take action, 150th Section P. H. Act, 1875 7. Laby's Alley Drains unventilated and blocked Dust bins inadequate ,, 8. Orchard Terrace Drain unventilated Fairly good Owner agreed to render premises in habitable condition 9. Wellington Buildings ,, As these are Courts open to the street there should be a w.c. to every house 10. Suffolk Place ,, W.C. accommodation inadequate. No flushing apparatus Drains now under examination. 11. Padnell Place ,, ,, ,, 12. Parson's Buildings ,, ,, ,, 4 Wetherell's Court, also was included in this List, but as this property was simply a mass of ruins it was proposed to obtain a demolition order, but on the owner agreeing that the Council should demolish and re-coup themselves by having the materials for their trouble, the legal proceedings were not begun. Model Cottages, Church Road.—These were voluntarily closed at the early part of the year by the owner, in compliance with notice of the Local Authority. The rest of the courts and alleys of the Town have been inspected by me and it is proposed to deal with them seriatim. 2. Outlying District. In connection with the outlying districts, 1 have to report that I have inspected the condition of the watercourses, and it is my opinion that during the summer months, especially if the season is a dry one, a good deal of care will have to be exercised to prevent some of them, at least, becoming a source of danger to the health of the Town. The Loxford Brook, the Roding itself, and the watercourses Over-tlie-Gates, having a connection with the East Ham sewerage scheme, are especially dangerous. This matter is now before the Sanitary Committee. I have, in addition to these systematic inspections, visited many parts of the Town during the year, sometimes at the request of ratepayers or on account of the outbreak of infectious disease in such locality. Sewerage System. The system proposed by the scheme of 1884 is that by water carriage, in sealed stoneware pipes, having separate pipes for surface drainage. (About 1200 yards of the old brick sewer of the town still remains, into which the surface water of that part of the district finds its way.) The sewage of the Town flows by gravitation down to the Sewage Outfall Works by the side of the Creek, to be treated in the manner described in my report for 1895. Creeksmouth is not connected with the Sewerage system of the Town. Eldred Road, part of Ripple Road, and Kennedy Estate are now served partly by cesspools and partly by cesspools and earth closets. The Council have this matter in hand, and it is hoped that it may be found possible to unite this district to the main system. In several parts of the Town, flushing apparatus to the w.c.'s have been provided by the owners of the property at the instance of the District Council. 5 The scavenging is done by the Council, and is, 1 consider, well done. The collection of house refuse is also done by the Council, but there is in my opinion some room for improvement on this head. The annual flushing of the drains and sewers with the fire hose and an extra gang of men, was again resorted to this year, but until the structural condition of the drains themselves, and their house connections is improved, I fear this will not be the power of good that it might be. The offensive emanations from the sewers still continue; efforts are being made to deal with this nuisance. (a) By ventilating shafts; wherever possible to erect them without danger to neighbouring houses. (b) Increasing the means of ventilation of the sewers throughout the District, especially in that part which up to the present has remained unventilated. (c) Experiments are now being made having for their object the possibility of destroying the foul gases before they escape into the air above. Sewerage Over-the-Gates.—The disposal of the sewage of Over-the-Gates is another difficulty still unsolved. The proposal is to effect a junction with sewers of the East Ham District if this be possible from a financial point of view. Should the two Authorities be unable to come to terms some method will have to be devised of crossing the Creek. The contract is signed for the laying of new sewers in Bridge Street, New Road and Axe Street, and the thorough ventilation of that part of the old sewers still unventilated, will (it is hoped) soon be proceeded with. Sanitary Improvements Effected During 1896. (1) Collection of house refuse by the Council's carts and men. (2) Sewering, &c., of Morgans Quay, under the 150th Section of the Public Health Act, 1875, (3) Re-laying of drains in:— (a) White's Court. (b) Cowbridge Lane. (c) Suffolk Place, Hart Street, &c., and many other places. 6 (4) Demolition of old houses in Linsdell's Court. (5) Re-laying of part of sewer in Axe Street. (6) Many important alterations and additions to Infectious Diseases Hospital. (7) Fish-offal nuisance stopped. (8) The making-up of Cooke Street. The Walk, and Gascoigne Road. Chief Industries of the District. I have to add to my list of Industries in the District: 1st, the re-opening of the old Jute Works as an India Rubber Factory and 2nd, Tar Works. I have received no complaint in connection with Sheep Dip Works since my last report. Infectious Disease. No. of Infectious cases during the year, 165. In 1895, 117. In 1894, 246. Action taken to prevent the spread of Infectious Disease: General :— (1) House visited by Sanitary Official as soon as practicable after the receipt of notification. (2) Isolation of patient. (3) Disinfectants supplied gratis. (4) Bedding, &c., disinfected by steam (Washington Lyon's Patent) wherever necessary, or in certain cases, burnt. (5) Houses examined with a view of detecting defects in drainage or any other Sanitary imperfection. (6) Printed precautions circulated, and verbal instruction given. (7) Fumigating, whitewashing, re-papering, and cleansing of premises whenever considered necessary. (8) List of notified cases sent weekly to the managers of Schools, Laundries, Pawnshops, &c. 7 Scarlet Fever :—During 1895 there were 46 notifications, 27 removed to the Hospital. During 1896, 59 notifications, 48 of which were treated in the Council's Hospital, Upney. The increasing per centage treated at the Hospital is thus very marked. There were 2 deaths in 1896, being exactly the number that took place in 1895. Enteric Fever: —Special Report submitted to the Council, on the 21th November, 1896, and forwarded to the Local Government Board, on the 1st December, 1896. [copy.] BARKING TOWN URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL. Medical Officer of Health's Office, Barking, Essex. 24th November, 1896. To the Chairman and Members of the Barking Town Urban District Council. Gentlemen, I have from time to time reported to yon as to the progress or otherwise of Enteric Fever in your District, and now acting upon your instructions I heg to submit (as far as practicable) a report upon the whole epidemic. The first case came under my notice on the 13th July last, and was immediately removed by ambulance to the London Hospital. He had been ill many days (about 10 I should think) before I saw him. I made the strictest enquiries as to whether he had partaken of shell fish of any kind, with the result that he might have done occasionally, and both the milk and water supply were apparently without fault. Under my instructions the house drains were tested ana found (by the smoke test) to admit sewer gas into the house. The defects were remedied under the supervision of the Sanitary Inspector. The list annexed hereto gives as far as is known the number of cases with the result of enquiries made in every case. From such list and enclosed Spot map, it will be apparent that by far the greater number of cases occurred in the course of the old sewer of the town and its connections, out of the total of 34 cases 18 prevailed in this connection. Upon examination, the sewer in the upper part of Axe Street, around which several cases occurred (see map) was found in some respects defective, and it has been resolved to lay down a fresh sewer with proper fall and ventilation in its place. The District Council have still under consideration the best method of dealing with the old sewer throughout its entire length with reference especially to its adequate ventilation (see Surveyor's report hereto annexed). Means Adopted for Checking the Spread of the Disease : 1. Removal to Hospital—out of the 34 cases notified, 28 were treated in Hospital, either at the Council's Upney Isolation Hospital or at one of the London Hospitals. 2. Instructions given by Sanitary Inspector as to the use of disinfectants, which were supplied gratis. 8 3. Strictest enquiries made as to water and milk supply, etc., etc. (see enclosed Schedule) connections of w.c.'s, gullies, ventilating shafts, tested by smoke test (Aspbyxiator) as to whether sewer gas could escape or not, and if any defect found, remedied as far as practicable immediately. 4. Circulation throughout the district of printed precautions (copy thereof enclosed). All the cases except one (No. 27 on the list) occurred in localities where the water carriage system has been adopted, but in some of the cases I regret to say no flushing apparatus has up to the present been fitted to the w.c.'s. As to the method of Sewage Disposal adopted in the district, I beg to refer you to my Annual Report for 1895 under that head. With reference to case No. 27 the only one which is unconnected with the main system, the w.c. is connected with the cesspool which is periodically pumped out. In my opinion the District Council should as soon as practicable bring all this District including the Kennedy Estate into the Drainage System of the Town. (The Council have already approached the Owners thereof on the subject). General Recommendations : 1. Flushing apparatus should be applied to every house which has a w.c. 2. As far as practicable the house drains of the old houses of the Town should be tested as to the condition of their connection to the Main Sewer. 3. The old Sewer should be properly ventilated and flushed. 4. The drains in the old courts and alleys should be flushed and ventilated. General Summary.—Total No. of cases 34, number of deaths 11, death rate per cent. 32.3. Probable Causation.—(as far as ascertained up to present date). (Note.—Some of the cases are inserted, under more than one heading.) I have not discovered any facts which cast suspicion on water or milk supply. I have not yet been able to connect the rainfall with the disease, except that coincidentally with the large amount in September, the cases rapidly diminished in number. Rainfall in July, 1*48 inches; August, 195 inches ; September, 5-65 inches. The last case notified was on October 2nd, that was discharged from the Hospital on November 18th, and the Town is therefore now entirely free from the disease. Sanitary defects (including defective drains) 26 Eating shell fish 8 Bathing in polluted water 1 Doubtful 4 I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, C. F. FENTON, Medical Officer of Health. P.S.—Two more cases occurred in December, both of which were connected with defects in the drain of the Court in which they resided. Notified Cases of Enteric Fever Occurring in the Urban District of Barking Town, from July 13th to October 2nd, 1896, Inclusive. No. of Date. Case. Name. Age. Residence. Where Treated. Result. Supposed Cause. Remarks. 1 July 13th Charles Harvey years Broadway London Hospital Recovered Sanitary defects of house 2 July 17th William Thomas 20 „ 33, Axe Street „ „ „ No cause discovered 3 July 18th Henry Wade 13 „ " Barge Aground," Broadway At Home „ Drains defective 4 July 23rd Nellie Brewer 14 „ 38, St. Mary's Road „ „ No defect discovered Drains tested and found perfect 5 Aug. 7th Allan Garrard 33 „ 11, Back Lane London Hospital Died Drains defective Drain ran under the house and was nearly full 6 Aug. 7th James Dean 22 „ 157, Morley Road „ „ Recovered Eating shell fish 7 Aug. 8th Percy Chas. Dean 5 „ 3, Chalk's Yard „ „ Died „ 8 Aug. 10th Elizabeth Smith 25 „ 114, Axe Street „ „ Recovered „ Drains defective in addition 9 Aug. 12th Beatrice Major 22 „ 127, Axe Street At Home „ No cause discovered 10 Aug. 13 th Wm. John Waite 11 „ 4, The Walk Upney Hospital „ Bathing in polluted water 11 Aug. 15 th Arthur Loskwood 11 „ 3, White's Court „ „ „ Drains defective Soil drains leaked underneath w.c.'s 12 Aug. 17th Mary Ann Leach 7 „ l7, Orchard Avenue „ „ Died Effluvia from w.c. was found to penetrate through walls into house 13 Aug. 17th Walter Leach 11 „ „ „ „ „ „ „ 14 Aug. 20th Thomas Kemp 10 „ 41, St. Mary's Road „ „ „ Eating shell fish 15 Aug. 20th Edward Spooner 22„ 103, Axe Street „ „ „ Sanitary defects in house Cesspool for slop-water unventilated 16 Aug. 20th Sidney Smith 22 „ 7, Hart Street „ „ Recovered Not discovered Probably defective drainage 17 Aug. 24th Percy Jaggers 3 „ 7, Cowbridge Lane „ „ „ Eating shell fish 18 Aug. 24th Henry Lockwood 5 „ 3, White's Court „ „ „ Defective drains 19 Aug. 24 th Alfred Watkinson 7½ „ 183, Fisher Street „ „ Transferred Only cause assignable was Defective drainage in addition to London Hospital bathing in, possibly, polluted water 20 Aug. 24th Fredk. Suckling 12 „ 28. St. Mary's Road „ „ Recovered Eating shell fish Southend on day of school treat 21 Aug. 25th Sarah Chiddick 14 „ 118, Axe Street „ „ „ „ ,, and defective drains 22 Aug. 26th Eliza Herbert 38 „ 116, Axe Street „ „ „ Defective drains 23 Aug. 28th George March 18 „ 22, Glenny Road „ „ Died No cause assignable 24 Sept. 2nd John Leach 17 „ 17, Orchard Avenue „ „ „ Defective sanitation 25 Sept. 4th Edward Quinney 4, Cobham Road At Home Recovered Said to be due to clearing out a blocked drain 26 Sept. 3rd Alfred Oram 40 57, Fisher Street St. Bartholomew's Died Notified from hospital No cause discovered 27 Sept. 5th Jessie Hawkins 10 „ 3, Ubele Terrace At Home Recovered Possibly defective sanitation Cesspool 28 Sept. 15th Lily Baker 28 „ Upney Hospital St. Thomas' „ Probably imported 29 Sept. 22nd Annie Kennedy 7 „ 40, Fisher Street Hospital „ No cause discovered Defective drains in Alley 30 Florence Wade 10 „ " Barge Aground " At Home „ Defective drains Tested after 1st case and found defective. Alterations made but tested and still found defective. Tested after 2nd case and found perfect 31 Sept 24th Harriett Leach 19 „ 17, Orchard Avenue Romford Infirmary Recovered Defective drain 32 Sept. 28th George Scotcher 9 „ 9, Hart Street Upney Hospital Died Defective drains Drains found blocked 33 Oct. 1st Ellen Scotcher 14 „ „ „ „ „ Recovered „ „ „ „ 34 Oct. 1st Bertie Major 3 „ 139, Axe Street „ „ „ Uncertain Note.—By " drains " is meant the house drains. 10 Diphtheria and Memrranous Croup :— No. of Cases in 1896, 48 ; No. of Cases in 1895, 49. No. of Deaths in 1896, 6; No. of Deaths in 1895, 9 Death-rate in 1894, 25.8 per cent; Death-rate in 1895, 18.3 per cent. Death-rate in 1896, 12.5 per cent. The monthly returns for the disease are as follows :— 1896. Deaths. January 2 1 February 7 — March 3 — April 1 — May 1 — June 6 — July 3 — August 6 1 September 8 3 October 5 1 November 1 — December 5 — 48 Sanitary defects were associated in 22 cases and 3 were imported. Ten out of the 46 cases were treated at the Upney Hospital. There were no deaths. The increased facilities afforded at the Hospital during the past few months will enable us to treat many more cases of this disease during the present year, should they arise. Diptheria and School Attendance. (The figures refer to Children under 15 years.) 1895. 1896. Holidays. January 3 2 First week. F ebruary 2 3 — March 2 0 — April 2 1 First 13 days. May 3 1 Last week. June 5 1 — July 3 1 — August 1 3 All. September 5 4 — October 0 1 — November 2 1 — December 5 4 Last 13 days. From the above figures it will be seen that the heaviest months in both years have been September and December. These months are both those in which children are collected in School, but the period of observation and the numbers are so small that 1 do not consider any definite conclusion can yet be arrived at. 11 Causation and Distribution of Infectious Diseases. Scarlet Fever.—There have been several distinct outbreaks of this disease during the year. The first, traceable to contagion in a neighbouring district. Secondly, I found two children in the peeling stage, in a house to which I was called to see another patient in the early feverish condition. Other cases were distinctly traced to children at school in the peeling stage, the disease not having been recognised through the mildness of the initial symptoms. The absolute necessity of an efficient Isolation Hospital in connection with the checking of this disease was very clearly brought home to the Sanitary Authority by the outbreak in September. Owing to the large number of convalescent cases the Hospital rapidly filled, and several cases had to be isolated as well as possible at their own homes. The disease finally stopped, on all being housed in the Hospital. A scheme is now under discussion for procuring a site for convalescent cases of Scarlet Fever in conjunction with other Authorities. Another point clearly demonstrated was the great length of time the peeling stage may last in some cases. The Town has been singularly free from Whooping Cough and Measles up to the last month, when those diseases began to shew themselves afresh among the young children. There was one death from Whooping Cough as against 22 last year, and no deaths from Measles as against 13 last year. No case of Small Pox has been notified. The Council have, however, agreed with West Ham Corporation for the reception and treatment of any cases arising in the district at the Corporation's Dagenham Hospital now in course of erection. Diarrhcea and Dysentery : No. of deaths in 1895, 35; No. of deaths in 1896, 13. There is a very distinct fall of deaths from this disease in 1896, though I think a few cases returned as Gastro-Enteritis ought probably to be added to make the comparison more accurate. Phthisis.—Eighteen deaths, 1896; Seventeen in 1895. Cancer.—Eight deaths, 1896; four deaths, 1895. Influenza.— Five deaths, 1896; Five in 1895. This disease is apparently endemic in the district. Puerpural Fever.—Two cases, one death ; cause undiscovered. 12 Sanitary Requirements of District: (1) Much still remains to be done to render the courts and alleys of the Town fit for human habitation. (2) The more efficient ventilating of the public sewers, and more stringent regulations as to the efficient ventilation of private house drains. (3) In my opinion the Public Recreation Grounds (now being laid out), are a most important sanitary requirement of the District. General Death Rate.—1895, 19-5 ; 1896, 17-1. England and Wales.—1895, 18-7 ; 1896, 17*1. Infantile Mortality.—Rate per 1,000 births registered, 1896, 148-99; 1895, 162-62. England and Wales, 1895, 160. „ „ 1896, 148. In connection with the Infant Mortality, 1 feel strongly of opinion that the measures which have of late been taken to rectify insanitary dwellings, leaking and defective drains and sewers, and other sanitary defects are likely to have an appreciable effect on the rate of Infantile Mortality, as well as the number of infants attacked by summer Diarrhoea. - "t ' r* Birth-Rate.=1896, 43*30 per 1,000 of the estimated population ; 1895, 43*31. Birth-Rate.—England and Wales, 1896, 29-7; 1895, 30-3. Deaths from Zymotic Diseases : Diarrhœa 13 Measles Nil. Diphtheria 6 Fever 8 Whooping Cough 1 Scarlet Fever 2 Small Pox 0 30 Annual rate per 1,000 persons living, 1896, 1.8; Rate for 1895, 5.31; Annual rate for England and Wales, 1896, 2.18. It will be observed that this compares very favourably with the Rate for 1895. 13 Annual Death-Rates per 1,000 from All Causes, and from several Zymotic Diseases, during the year I89t>. All Causes. Principal Zymotic Diseases. (Cols. 3-9). Small-pox. Measles. Scarlet Fever. Diphtheria. Whooping Cough. Fever. Diarrhœa. Denths under 1 Year per 1000 Births. Cols. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 0. 7. 8 9. 10. England and Wales 171 2-18 0-02 0-56 0-18 0-29 0-41 017 0-55 148 33 Great Towns 18.9 2.86 o.oo 0.71 0.22 0.38 0.57 0.19 0.79 167 67 Other Large Towns. . 17.3 2.51 0.12 0.64 0.19 0-25 0.43 0.20 0.68 16l England and Wales, less the 100 Towns 15.8 1.60 o.oo 0.43 0.14 0.23 0.30 0.14 0.36 130 Barking.. 17.1 1.8 o.oo o.oo 0.12 0.36 0.06 0.48 0.78 148 To different forms of Violence, 5 deaths were referred, being in the proportion of 0'3 per 1,000 of the estimated population. The rate for England and Wales being 0'6 per 1,000. In conclusion I would draw attention to the Sanitary Inspector's report and especially to that item dealing with the testing of house drains. In 1895, 298 were tested as to their efficiency or otherwise. In 1896, 290, making a total in the two years of 588. I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, C. P\ FBNTON, Medical Officer of Health. February 23rd, 1897. 14 Table of DEATHS during the Year 1896, in the Urban Sanitary District of Barking Town, Classified according to Diseases, Ages, and Localities. At all ages 250 Under 1 year 104 1 and under 5 22 5 and under 15 16 15 and under 25 13 25 and under 65 60 65 and upwards 35 Mortality from subjoined causes, distinguishing Deaths of Children Under Five Years of Age. Small Pox. Scarlatina. Diphtheria. Membranous Croup. FEVERS. Cholera. Erysipelas. Measles. Whooping Cough. Diarrhoea and Dysentery. Rheumatic Fever. Phthisis. Bronchitis, Pneumonia and Pleurisy. Heart Disease. Influenza. Injuries. All other Diseases. Total Typhus Enteric or Typhoid. Continued Relapsing, Puerpural. Under 5 _ _ 3 1 - - - _ _ - - _ 1 13 - 2 10 2 - 1 93 126 5 Upwards 2 2 1 - 7 - - 1 - 1 - - 8 1 16 12 14 5 4 59 124 The Subjoined Numbers have also to be taken into Account in Judging of the above Records of Mortality. Deaths occurring outside the District among persons belonging thereto. At all ages, 33—1 year and under 5, 3 ; 5 and under 15, 3 ; 15 and under 25, 2 ; 25 and under 65, 16; 65 and upwards, 9. Total under 5 years, 3 ; 5 and upwards, 30. Table of POPULATION, BIRTHS, and of NEW CASES .of INFECTIOUS SICKNESS, coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health, during the year 1896, in the Urban District of Barking Town; classified according to Diseases, Ages, and Localities. Population at all ages. Census, 1891, 14,301. Estimated to middle of 1896, 16,500 Registered Births, 698. New Cases of Sickness in each Locality coming to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health. Scarlatina. Diphtheria. Membranous Croup. Enteric or Typhoid. Puerpural. Erysipelas. liemoved to Isolation Hospital. Scarlatina. Diph_ theria. Enteric or Typhoid. Under 5 16 8 - 2 - 2 11 1 2 5 Upwards 43 39 1 34 2 14 37 9 27 ''Notification of Infectious Disease" has been compulsory in the District since January, 1890. 15 THE INSPECTOR OF NUISANCES' REPORT. Complaints received 252 Nuisances detected 905 Nuisances abated 990 Notices served 1157 Summonses taken out Convictions Cottages inspected 215 Lodging-houses inspected 1 Slaughter-houses inspected 4 Bakehouses inspected 18 Dairies and Milk Shops inspected 33 Cowsheds inspected 4 Workshops inspected Filthy houses cleansed, sec. 46 Public Health Act, 1875 3 Houses disinfected 165 Overcrowding abated 3 Houses placed in habitable repair Houses closed Houses erected or re-built, for which "Certificates" were applied "Certificates" granted ,, deferred Wells sunk or improved supplies of water afforded Wells cleansed or repaired Wells closed 1 Houses connected with sewers 162 Houses connected with water mains 166 Earth, pail, or improved Privies constructed, or existing Privies altered Privies and VV.C.'s repaired ; W.C.'s supplied with water 12 Cisterns cleansed, repaired, or covered 57 Animals improperly kept removed 6 Samples of water taken for analysis Compensation paid for destruction of infected bedding 16s. Seizures of unsound meat, &c. Seizure of bad fish 1 Results. Notices served where necessary. N otices served for abatement. Found satisfactory. Notices given for limewhiting Notices served for limewhiting Limewhited when required. Limewhited when required. (Signed) F. MARTIN, Sanitary Inspector. Wilson and Whitworth Limited, Steam Frinters, " Esiex Times" Office, Broadway, Barking. telephone no 21, barking- Barking Urban District Council. c. F. Fenton, Medical Officer Barking esseaa With the Medical Officer of Health's Compliments.