Dr. R.J. Reece's report to the Local Government Board on fever prevalence at Aldbrough, in the Skirlaugh rural district.

  • Reece, Richard J.
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. R.J. Reece's report to the Local Government Board on fever prevalence at Aldbrough, in the Skirlaugh rural district. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    is on all sides near to the 50 feet contour line. The number of inhabited houses in the parish is 170, the population is 666, the rateable value is L 5,3ob, and the area is 4,904 acres. The village only occupies a small portion of the parish, but includes within its area almost all the inhabited houses, and, con¬ sequently, nearly all the population, brick and drainage-pipe making is carried on upon a small scale, otherwise the village may be considered to be occupied by people employed in agriculture. Sanitary Circumstances. The houses are mainly built of local brick, and are tiled or slated. On the whole they are in good repair and kept clean. Having been built before the age of damp courses, the walls are often damp, and in some instances this dampness is increased either by an absence of eavespouting, or by the rain-pipes not being carried down to the ground level and thence conveyed away from the site of the house. At the majority of houses, however, the rain-water is conducted from at least one slope of the roof to an underground, or partly underground, tank, whence it is raised for use for washing and household purposes by means of a pump or a bucket and rope. In no instance did I find that the rain-water was drunk or used for culinary purposes. Each cottage has some garden land of its own, though from the shape of the village, an irregular oval, with two streets in the long axis and three cross streets, the open space is not so large in some instances as one might at first be led to expect. I am informed by Mr. Hardy, a District Councillor who has lived in the village many years, that at one time all the drainage ran down open gutters or ditches to find its way out of the village in two opposite directions : (1) northward to the Lambwath stream, the water from which, after uniting with certain “ level land drains,” finds its way to the Humber through Hull ; and (2) southward, principally towards the Keyingham level drain, which also discharges into the Humber, in the neighbourhood of Hedon. Some 30 years or so ago the village was drained. Drain pipes made at the local clay pit were put down in all the village streets and along the backs of the rows of cottages, &c. These pipes vary from 6y to V in diameter, they are unglazed and unsocketed, and are puddled at the joints with clay. They cannot therefore be considered watertight. These drains or sewers take the surface and slop water to the natural outfalls of the old ditches on the north to the Lambwath stream, and on the south to the Keyingham drain by more than one outlet. The Lambwath stream has its origin practically at the cliff edge, the water running inland to the Humber. This stream, which is liable to be flooded, receives the bulk of the surface water and slop drainage of Aldbrough. At the back of most of the cottages there is a gully trap, the drain from which may or may not communicate with the drain in one of the main streets ; apparently in some instances the house-drain is lost in the garden. The solid excrement finds its way sooner or later to the soil. In many instances there are merely “ boghole ” privies, often close to the dwelling house ; in other instances there are pail closets. The contents of the pails and privies are, almost without exception, emptied on and dug into the gardens. Each house has its own privy or pail closet. I am informed that there is no such thing as a water-closet in the village. Connected with the privies are ashpits : these as observed are never covered over, being in most instances mere holes in the ground ; or the refuse is placed on the ground near the privy. Sometimes the site of the refuse tip is marked out with rough brickwork : the floor of this rude ashpit is in most instances below the level of the ground, and no attempt is made to keep it watertight. It was evident that solid excreta from the domestic chamber utensils are thrown upon such refuse heaps. The scavenging of privies and refuse heaps is left to the inhabitants. The water supply of the village, other than the rain-water before mentioned as being used for household purposes, is derived from shallow wells. In certain 22502705631