Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the borough of Bedford / by William Lee, Superintending Inspector.

  • Lee, William, 1774 or 1775-1853.
Date:
1855
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the borough of Bedford / by William Lee, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Bedforp, inefficient supply of water of any kind, particularly of good water. The remainder of Mr. Bailey's evidence is as to the lines and direction of the sewers which he would recommend, and the source and mode of supplying water from public works to the inhabitants. These are engineer- ing questions, into which it would be premature for me to enter at present. Under this head I would include the statement put in by Mr. Wm. Markwell Dawson, whose neighbours and himself have suffered so severely from slaughter-yards and defective drainage. Mr. Dawson has resided in Bedford 34 years, and has considerable property in High Street. The back part overlooks Mr. Colson's butchering premises, and is also near the public slaughter-yard belonging to the Corporation. His own property is of a superior description, with spacious rooms, water-closet and drain from each house, and no cess- pools. Great complaints have been made by his tenants of stench from the slaughter-yards, the drainage and water supply of which are very deficient. He says, The houses in High Street, in the immediate neighbourhood of these slaughter-yards, have never been free from typhus fever long together for many years past. He then goes on to describe some of the cases as follows : — During tlie autumn of 1849 a tradesman's wife and daughter were attacked with typhus fever, and the wife died. In 1850 another family, in the adjoining house, were all, excepting the husband, attacked with typhus fever of so virulent a kiud that they could with difficulty procure a nurse to attend them. About the same time another family was attacked with the disease; and after its continuance in the house for many weeks, two of the children died. In 1853 another large family was taken ill of typhus fever, and it continued in the house many months; one child died. In 1853 and 1854 another large family was attacked with fever. Two of the children had it severely ; one of them, a girl twelve years of age, was confined to her bed for four months; and although they both eventually recovered, the results to the family were of a very painful and fatal nature. The mother, from over-exertion and fatigue, was taken ill of bronchitis, and died, leaving a family of eight children. Mr. Dawson's earnest desire for sanitary improvements will be appreciated, when it is stated that the last case is his own. The great slaughter-yard, erected under the powers of the Local Improvement Act, is in the centre of the town, and is the property of the Corporation. It is described in the minutes of my inspection, and referred to in very strong terms of condemnation by several witnesses. Mr. Dawson says the exhalations are so powerful as to be not only detri-