1874 12 10 Redcar Local Board of Health Meeting

Accreditation Redcar & Saltburn News 10/12/1874

REDCAR LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING

     The ordinary monthly meeting of the Local Board of Health for the district of Redcar was held on Monday afternoon (07/12), at the Boardroom, West Terrace. Present – Messrs Thos. Watson (in the chair), J. Coulson, R. Johnson, J. Mallaby, J. G. Thompson (clerk), J. H. Bennett (medical officer), and D. D. Bookless (surveyor). Minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed.

THE LATE OUTBREAK OF FEVER

     The letter from Mr. T. W. S. Locke, surgeon, read at the last meeting, was first considered, the medical officer having been requested to report thereon.
The letter was as follows:-

“Mr T. W. S. Locke writes to inform members of the Redcar Board of Health of the fact of scarlet fever (resulting in several deaths) being prevalent in their district, and more recently within a radius of a few yards three cases of typhoid, showing the urgent necessity for more efficient sanitary supervision.

“The Green House,
“Coatham, Nov, 6, 1874
.

“These facts would have been brought before the notice of the Redcar Board, had not Mr Locke considered in doing so at an earlier date it would have been detrimental to the Redcar season.

The Medical Officer having read the above letter said that the last point had caused him very great difficulty, for if matter had been as bad as would be inferred from the former part of Mr Locke’s letter, it would have been his duty, as medical officer to the Board, to have reported the matter at once to them. In the event of the outbreak of any epidemic during the season, he trusted that he should never allow himself to be influenced by considerations as to whether it was judicious or otherwise to make such a matter known. There had certainly been many cases of scarlet fever in Redcar of late, but they had been of a remarkably mild character, and he only knew of one case in which death had occurred during the actual progress of the disease. In other instances, often from want of proper care, dropsy had supervened, and had terminated fatally. Scarlet fever, as was well known, had been not only prevalent in the United Kingdom, but also many places on the continent, during the past year, and it was a disease that could not be stamped out. If, for instance, instead of scarlet fever they had had smallpox, he would have been ready with some suggestion for effectually getting rid of it; but scarlet fever was different, and so long as there were children, there would be occasional outbreaks of it. In the other cases, the persons named had been attacked by fevers of a low, simple form, rather than typhoid, and had all recovered. He believed the surveyor had done all that could be done during the past season to keep the town clean, and had been liberal in the use of disinfectants where required. The water, too, was pure, and the supply had been abundant, while the drainage of the town was in a complete a state as it could possibly be: therefore it was not the fault of the Board or their officials that they had fever in their midst. He might add, that in streets where building operations were going on, he had noticed that pools of stagnant water were allowed to stand for weeks together, and any germs of disease that might be floating in the air would be attracted thereto and developed. This was the reason fever had been so rife on the south side of town. There had been a few cases of overcrowding during the summer, but they were remedied at once. In reply to the Chairman, the Surveyor said the scavenging was been properly attended to.

SURVEYOR’S REPORT

            The Surveyor reported that the footpath in front of the Zetland Hotel and Mrs Dove’s property, High Street, was in a very dilapidated state. He recommended that new flagging be laid down. He also recommended that a crossing be made at the top of Dundas Street, from Mr Fleck’s to the Messrs Earl’s; and that a great be put down at the bottom of the same street, to take away the surface drainage. The report was received, and the recommendations therein were ordered to be carried out.

NEW PERMANENT WORKS

            Plan of new main sewer for the South side of the town was submitted, also estimate for completing asphalt footpath on the Esplanade. The Clerk was directed to write to the Local Government Board for permission to borrow £700 to complete these works.

RATE COLLECTOR’S REPORT

            The Rate Collector’s report showed that the last General District Rate, estimated to produce £959.14s.11d, £825.6s 4 1/4 had been collected; and that of the Special District rate, estimated at £309.16s. 8 3/4, £272.16s.5 1/4d had been collected.

OFFER FROM THE EARL OF ZETLAND

            A letter was read from Mr. Johnston, the Earl of Zetland’s local agent, offering on behalf of his Lordship to defray the cost of a footpath 7 feet wide in front of the United Presbyterian Church and the Reading Room, provided the Board laid down a kerbstone. The offer was accepted.

PLANS

            Plans for to cottages intended to be built in Read Lying Street, by Messrs Ornsby or eight and Robson, were approved. Plans for new school-rooms at 103, High Street, for Capt Tomlinson, approved. Plans for workshop, cart-shared, and stable, in Herschell Street, for Mr Robert Plows, were also approved.

This was the whole of the business.

 

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