The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-06-25 00:00:00

ROWLEY REGIS LOCAL BOARD.

The usual monthly meeting of the above Board
was held in the Board Room, Old Hill, on Monday
last. Mr. W. Bassa,no (chairman) presided, and
there were also pre,ent Messrs. Green; Strawson,
Bennett, &c., &c.

_
The clerk (Mr. Wright) read the minutes of the
last meeting and they were confirmed.
FINANCE CGS/MITT E.—The report of this com-
mittee was read, which showed that the amount
expended on the Highway Account during the
past month was £136 Is 4id, and that there was a
balance in hand of £l3 2s 91. It also showed that
£lOO would be required for the current month's
expenses,
elzeicee OFFICERS' REPORT.—Mr. J. Beasley
(medical officer of health) reported that he was
happy to inform the Board that the death returns
were comparatively low for the laet five weeks, viz:
48 as against 41 for the previous month and 41
for the corresponding period of last year. That
gave an annual average of 16 5 per 1,00). Four
deaths had occurred from zymotic disease, viz : 1
from typhoid fev,r and 3 from whooping cough.
The typhoid fever case was at 61, Wright's Lane,
and the whooping cough cases No. 4, Providence
Street; at No. 37, High Street, Blackheath, and at
High Street, Cradley Heath. The other chief
causes of death in the or der of their frequency of
occurrence were as follows :—Debility from birth
13; diseases of the respiratory organs 10, including
6 from bronchitis; 2 from paralysis. 1 from pleurisy
and 1 from pneumonia; diseases of the heart 4,
paralysis 3 and accidental 3. Infant mortality is
lower this month than usual, and although 16
deaths were returned as having occurred under one
year, 8 of them were under one month, and several
under one day. lie had inspected the water
supply of that part of Tividale at the lower
end of Pipton Road, and had subjected eight
samples of water, taken from the various wells,
to a comparative analysis. The result of the
analysis was not as satisfactory as he wished and
in every case the water contained traces of am-
monia, generelly indicated tho presence of decay.
ing organic mutter, and when present in any ap-
preciable quantity renders the water unfit for drink.
ing. Fortunately the water containe i but very
slight traces of it and that may be further decreased
by substituting pumps for the draw wells now in
use, and thereby excluding foreign matter from
being introduced into the well by means of dirty
buckets, and substances thrown down by children
and othez s. The water mains are not laid nearer
than Britannia Street, otherwise he should have
advised the Board to order tap water to be supplied,
Under the present circumstances it would be much
to the advantage of the consumers to filter this
water, which would tree it from any injurious sub-
stances. He had advised Mr. Harper to apply for
orders for limewashing houses and removing
nuisances.—Mr. Goulder (assistant medical officer)
reported that the number of deaths which had
taken place in his district in the last five weeks
was 21. That kept the death rate much as it has
been for the Mt three months, for during that time
it had averaged about 4 per week. In the past
month it had been 4e2 per week, and the mean
annual rate per 1,000 had been 18.3. Of the eight
children that died under one year, 3 were pre-
naatin ely, 3 died from want of vitality at birth ' • of
the other two, 1 died from whooping cough and the
other from bronchitis. Of the two which died
between 1 and 5 • years, 1 was from whooping
cough and the other was due to accident. The
child was playing in a nailshop in Garrett's Lane
while its mother was at work. The nailshop fell
and killed the child. This shop, and the block of
houses to which it was attached, had been con_
denmed four months ago, by himself, as being
dangerous and ruinous. Proper notices had been
served, he believed, on the owners and tenants of
the property. In all, six deaths were certified as
being due to diseases of the respiratory organs , viz ;
whooping cough, pneumonia, pleurisy, and bron-
chitis, most of them being in children. In one
case a woman after child birth died from inflame-
tion. In accordance with what he reported in his
last report, the inspector (Mr. harper) and himself
had looked into the condition of Pear Tree Lane
and Pear Tree Street, Old Hill, and he advised him
to ask for orders in the following cases :—Joseph
Stevens, 5& 6, Pear Tree Lane, to clean the
houses and make a proper closet. Attached to No.
5, is a nailshop which he considered dangerous, and
would condemn it accordingly Philis HineleY,
12, 15, & 16, Pear Tree S‘reet, to clean houses. At-
tached to No. 12 is another dangerous nailshop
which he would condemn. Rebecca Tromans, 32,
Pear Tree Street, to clean houses. Samuel Priest
and others, Nos. 24, 25, and 26; and John Baker
68 & 69, Pear Tree Street, to clean dirty houses.
John Rhoden, Waterfall Lane. In this case was a
small house where all the family (7 in number)
sleep in oue roona. He brought this before the
Board as a case of overcrowding.
SURVILYOR'S REPORT.—Mr. Beak (the surveyor)
reported that he had now compl ?tee generally the
nspection of the whole et the , 1 .I__•e parish