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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    r manufactures ; that the climate is good; that there are lunificent provisions for the benefit of the poor and the ged; and that Bedford ought to be, as it is naturally, a ery healthy town. II. That the river course is obstructed ; the town drainage xceedingly defective ; that house drainage can scarcely be aad to exist; that there are more than 3,000 cesspools in be town; that the water-wells are extensively polluted by iich cesspools ; and that the constructive character of many the cottages is incompatible with the health of the amates. III. That there is a great amount of sickness and mortality Bedford, as proved by the testimony of the medical dtnesses; that much of such sickness and mortality is in scess, as proved by vital and comparative statistics; that ach excess is apparent in the proportion of deaths to the ving, in the proportions of deaths of infants, in the deaths om zymotic diseases, and in the average loss of life to all me inhabitants. IV. That absolutely, and irrespective of all other consider- tions, the deaths in the public institutions increase the rates f mortality in the borough ; but that many of such deaths re those of inhabitants of the town ; that the mortality is scessive in the parishes that do not contain public institu- ons ; and that the excessive mortality in Bedford is most xikingly developed where public institutions are inopera- ve, viz., in the proportion of deaths of infants under a ear old to births, one of the most infallible tests of the initary condition of any community. V. That the burial-grounds in the borough ought to be osed, especially as a new and sufficient cemetery has been rovided. VI. That Bedford is within the natural drainage area of le river Ouse, and that the borough consists of the whole the five parishes of St. Mary, St. John, St. Paul, St. Peter, ad St. Cuthbert. VII. That sanitary improvements are greatly needed in Bedford ; that such improvements would save many human ves annually, would raise the general health of the town 0 a comparatively high standard, avert the susceptibility to ymotic disease, and be productive of great economy. VIII. That the local Acts of Parliament are so defective lat the commissioners are unable to improve the sanitary [341 D