The Sanitary Inspector for Rushden (Mr. J. B. Martin) reported at the meeting of the Urban Council on Wednesday night that on finding a drain blocked on Mr. Thos. Cuff’s property in Crabb-street he wrote to Mr. Cuff. Mr. Cuff had had a part of the blocked drain taken up, and he (Mr. Martin) found it to be in a bad state. The pipes were socket pipes, some of which were broken at the joints and full of filth, with little or no fall to the drain. It would be of little use to try to patch this drain up. He would suggest that these premises be properly drained and connected with the street sewers in the usual way. Mr. Cuff had 13 houses in Crabb-street, with two passages. Back yard drains ran along these passages into the street, but he did not know whether they were connected with the new sewer or not. The tenants were using pump water. Typhoid fever existed in one of these houses.

Medical Officer’s Report

Dr. Owen presented the following report:-

“I have two cases of typhoid fever to report – C. Dilley’s in Green’s-yard and Jacob’s in Crabb-street. In the first case I find that leaky pails have been in existence for six months or more in three closets situated near the well. The closet floors were in such a state that they had to be frequently flushed out. This probably contaminated the well water. In the second case the patient has been drinking well water, and it is known that at a house near, some of the bed clothes of another typhoid patient had been washed and that the drain, into which the water they were washed in was poured, was out of order and became blocked. It is probable that this is the source from whence the well became contaminated. These cases point to the fact of the danger of surface wells becoming polluted at any time. Five cases of scarlet fever have been reported.”

Mr. F. Knight: Which case is it where the linen had been washed?

Dr. Owen: The case in Crabb-street.

Mr. Knight: You have had a sample of water from Crabb-street?

Dr. Owen said he had. It was

Not Very Grand Water

He thought the case in Green’s-yard arose from the closet. One of the closets was only four yards away from the well, and the sewage matter had leaked into the well. As far as he knew, a typhoid patient might have polluted the well, and the same with regard to the well in Crabb-street. There was not only the washing of the linen in the Crabb-street case as the probable source but when he went there he found human excrement on the ground near the well. If this came from a typhoid patient it would give the fever to others.

Mr. Knight: Everything possible has been used?

Dr. Owen: Yes. Disinfectants have been used.

Mr. G. Denton: Has anything been done to close the wells?

Dr. Owen: I have

Condemned The Wells

in each case. I could not find any typhoid germs in the water, but the surroundings being dangerous, I have condemned the wells.

Mr. Fountain: Where does this matter go to in the cases where the drains are not connected?

“Into the brook,” was the reply.

Mr. Knight: Where are the scarlet fever cases?

Mr. Martin: Three are in Queen-street, one in Grove-street, and one in Moor-road. I have visited all the cases and they have had disinfectants.

Mr. Denton: Have you been able to trace the origin of the scarlet fever cases?

Mr. Martin said it was very hard to say. Some of the cases were not reported. In the present cases it was very likely the sufferers took the fever from children who got about before they ought to have done.

It was decided that the inspector should see Mr. Cuff and get him to repair the drains.