Report to the superintendents and visitors of sections in the recent Sanitary Visitation Movement, with suggestions as to a permanent scheme : also, proceedings of public meeting, and appendix of relative documents / submitted by Dr. Gairdner.

  • Gairdner, W. T. (William Tennant), Sir, 1824-1907.
Date:
1867
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the superintendents and visitors of sections in the recent Sanitary Visitation Movement, with suggestions as to a permanent scheme : also, proceedings of public meeting, and appendix of relative documents / submitted by Dr. Gairdner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    on the visitation of the Section, to be presented for approval at a future meeting. The following report is the result of the remit referred to:— .... The boundaries of Section II. are:—On the south—Sauchiehall Street, Sandyford Street, and Dumbarton Road, and so westwards to the Kelvin, and eastwards to Buchanan Street, Garscadden Street, Kyle Street (so as to include the whole district of Port- Dundas); on the east—the city boundaries; as also on the north and west. The number of inhabitants, occupying a great variety of dwellings, though the majority are of a superior class, is about 55»000- In order to undertake the duties of visitation, the Committee secured the aid of eighteen churches and missions: in one instance the congregation gave up their allotment, which was divided ulti- mately between two congregations not before engaged. The total number of visitors brought into operation in this way was about three hundred. As a rule, the minister, in each case, was convener of his District Committee of Visitors; and where this arrangement could not be carried out, some active member of the congregation was found ready for the work. In only one district has no report been given in to the Sectional Committee. Annexed is a Table, giving the contents of the reports by the conveners.* As a source of encouragement, when occasion again requires that such a Visitation should be renewed, it must be remarked how invariably the visitors were well received by the residents in the various districts. It is also gratifying to observe with how few exceptions the houses and districts are reported in a generally good condition. Of course, from the situation in the city which this section occupies, a great number of the best residences are included in it; but there are also parts comprising houses and inhabitants of a widely different elass; and it is to their uniformly cleanly and comfortable condition that we particularly allude. No doubt, in some cases, particular defects or nuisances are mentioned as requiring removal; but our opinion is that in most of these cases the faults complained of should have been reported to the Sanitary Department by the visitors until they were rectified—our own experience having been that, where delay occurred, it was owing to some temporary obstacle, not the inaction of the autho- rities, and that in every case sufficiently reported the end was accomplished. We have no doubt that the work performed throughout the city (of which that in Section II. is a sample) has proved of invalu- * This tabular statement is one of the greatest value and importance, and forms almost a model for such documents in the event of a permanent Sanitary Visitation. Tt will receive careful consideration W. T. G.