The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-09-15 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

CORRESPONDENCE,

ON THE SANITARY STATE Or SOME PARTS

OF LIVERPOOL

To the EDITOR of the LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

LETTER XIV

MODERN IMPROVEMENTS SOMETIMES MORE ORNA- 1

MENTAL THAN USEFUL

Mr. Burrows, surgeon, informs me, that in a court in
Parr-street, the usual decoration of two privies at the end
of the court are armed with a wooden spout, or chimney,
leading from their cess-pool. purporting to carry off the
noxious gases. This is one of the modernized plans for
effecting this purpose. The tube is carried upwards so
far only as to face nearly opposite, but not quite, the top
windows of the end houses. Instead of diffusing the gas
over the house tops, it pauses halfway ; and can it be
wondered, then, that the occupant of a room belonging to
one of these toy windows has lowfever. The invalid de-
clares, that to open the window is to get a worse air than
that of his sick-chamber. Ventilation here must be at a
discount, just because a proper thing of its kind is only
half done. Had a sanatory commissioner but seen this
error, and suggested the necessity of merely lengthening
this tube, this case of sickness might have been co doubt
prevented.
It seems vain to multiply instances of the bad effects
of these wretched arrangements; but the present is too
striking an instance to pass over. It is not a demonstra-
tion of cause and effect, I grant; but it is, nevertheless,
as strong a probability as can be found, short of absolute
proof. Conviction of the noxiousness of such half reme-
dies is increasing : the party in the opposite corner has
signified intentions of leaving.

I
ACCIDENTS IN VIE MF,RCANTILE ECONOMY OF THE
PORT, ATTENDED WITH NUISANCE CAPABLE OF

MITIGATION, INSTANCED

A month or two back, the lower parts of the town,
about George's Dock, were infested, for days together,
with a most horrid stench, from heaps of burning and
burnt corn, among which quantities of hides, also partly
burnt, were lying, the result of an accidental fire of a large
warehouse. I do not mean to say the nuisance, in the
first instance, could have been remedied, or could be any
other than subject of regret for the loss of property. But
what did the authorities do ? They allowed a large vacant
space between the pier baths end the dock to be strewn
over with the charred corn, along with pieces of burnt
hides—this spreading and sorting-out of the unfortunate
results of the fire producing the most disgusting stench
possible, which was allowed thus to spread in clouds over
the district, and as the wind was blowing from the west-
ward when I had occassion to pass by to the pier for one
of the ferries, I observed that the odious vapours took, of
course, the direction of the wind at the time, and conse-
quently were blown over the town, to the great annoy-
ance of all parties within reach of the impure vapour. It
was distinctly perceivable in Lord-street and about there,
and continued for some days, as I was informed by those
who, being located there, were excessively annoyed by the
nuisance. It was a general conviction, as far as passing
remarks could indicate it, that the thing might have been
far otherwise and better managed. The disgusting re-
mains might have been taken away, at once, out of the
town district altogether, so as to ffee the neighbourhood
from the polluting annoyance. It had to be carted away
finally, and should have been done at first ; or suppose
that this was, from the heated condition of the charred
rubbish, impossible in the first instance, yet some chemi-
cal agency might have been employed to decompose, if
only partially, the noxious effluvia in the act of being
formed ; and this, even if expensive, ought to have been
attempted, to say the least of it. Lime, in some shape or
other, might have been had recourse to. The stuff was
only fit for manure as it was, and the addition of a little
chemistry would have only improved the heap for agricul-
tural purposes.
Several letters appeared in our newspapers at the time,
complaining of the nuisance ; but though proclaiming the
annoyance to the sense of smelling, yet possibly these
complainants were hardly aware that the disgust was the
least obnoxious feature of the case, for that there was
danger to the health of the parties of the neighbourhood
the nearest and most exposed to it. Referring to the fact
at the time, Captain H— informed me that a vessel,
whilst Icing in the river near Calcutta, and having a
cargo of hides, had the crew all more or less affected
with fever, which was fatal in more than one case.
Ile commanded her. The captain attributed the fever
to the intolerable effluvia from the hides affected by
the burning rays of the sun. There can be no doubt of
the correctness of the alleged cause of the fever. Now,
in our own case, even though fever did not result, yet it
does not follow that there was no prejudice to health.
Lesser disorders might, and in all probability did, to a
limited extent, occur. _ _ _

If fever had occurred in the above instance, it would
have been of a typhoid character—in fact, the worst kind
of typhus: there can be no medical doubt on this head.
I do not know that any case of fever did present itself,
but most assuredly that cause which, when acting in a
concentrated form, would be adequate to the production
of one of the most fatal diseases, would not prove entirely
innocent even when diluted as a poison. We know that
prejudicial health is oftpu traceable to causes of so miti-
gated a character, as to prove inadequate to that entire
poisoning of the whole system which is the case when
typhus results. And 'I may remark, under the heading

tient. It was fatal. Three other cases followed
immediately. Opposite one of the worst gutterages of
the street, a fatal case of the English cholera has occurred
in a newborn infant, over a cellar which, I am told, is
overcrowded with night occupants in the winter time,
and next door to a scarlatina case formerly alluded to.

King-street, if it is improved at all, has undergone no
thorough cure, or else the waste grass-covered plot would
not be, at the moment of my writing, the common reci-
pient of the surface drainage of Little Derby-street.
There, on this waste, the stinking and black water re-
maints, to be removed by evaporation alone !
The pools of Crown-street continue just as they always
were, except as buildings gradually encroach upon the
pools, which are the resort of hosts of idle boys skilled in
drowning cats and dogs. The policemen seldom do duty
there, the inhabitants opposite affirm ! On Sunday
afternoons aquatic diversions of all kinds are seldom
interrupted by the devious footsteps of a policeman.
In Back Bedford-street, a blind alley runs out of the
street, on a gradient declining from the level of the street,
and a sewerage untrapped is inefficient to afford vent to
the stagnant mud and dirt which usually blockades the
opening, to the risk of the health of the neighbourhood.
The smell is loudly complained of. At times windows
cannot be opened in oonsequence which could let in the
effluvia. I have had to attend illness close to these dis-
graceful precincts, which I accuse of being the ostensible
cause.

Back Peach-street is quite as bad ; in fact worse, be-
cause presenting a longer range of filthy gutterage. I
have had several cases of the epidemic to look after close
to these gutters, which are cleverly arranged so as to pre-
vent them cleaning themselves. Water will not find a
proper course from the defective gutter ; and though I
have warned as much as I could, yet the parties are un-
able to maintain an unremitting and fruitless struggle
against natural laws. Whenever water will run up hill,
they will not suffer what they ea at present. A vacant
plot of land flanks a part of this street, and until society
can devise some compulsive remedial plans for waste
land pollutions, &c., any individual's health lies not
only at a risk from their own imprudence or ignor-
ance, but at the mercy of any other person whose dirty
habits and recklessness of natural laws may be com•
pared to so many plots against the life, health, or happi-
ness of their fellow•creatutes living within reach of their
baneful focus. In one house alone here, every inmate, to
the number of seven or eight, has been attacked with
cholera or dysentery ; and in two or three cases, the ex-
tremes of life, the disease threatened to prove fatal.

I accuse filthy gutters, and so on, especially in the
matter of relapses. _

I remain, Sir, yours, faithfully,
GEO. C. WATSON, M.D
Bedford-street, Sept. 9.

LIVERPOOL CLIURCEI-BUILDING SOCIETIES

TO THE REV. THE RECTORS AND CLERGY.

REV. SIRS,—The accomplishment of this great under-
taking, to supply spiritual instruction for the poorer dis-
tricts of the town, would, I presume, be more readily at-
tained if an undivided and strenuous eff:rt were made by
the amalgam4tion of these bodies into one. I allude to
that which originated, at the meeting held last winter,
under the auspices of our worthy Bishop, to provide four
additional churches for Toxieth- park, and another more
recently, for the lame number at the northern part of
Liverpool, where the Senior Rector presided.
In furtherance of this object, I would propose that ser-
mons be preached at least half-yearly in all the churches
of the Establishment. Thus, by bringing the subject
continually before their several congregations, each end
every well-disposed member thereof might have an oppor-
tunity of contributing according to his means, and this
great work would not be allowed to be dormant. Surety,
when such large sums nrP annually raised towards the
support of foreign missions, a portion should be appro-
priated to the enlightenment of our poor at home, many
of whom, it is to be feared, are in as destitute a condition
as the heathen abroad, and are actually perishing for lack
of spiritual knowledge, communicated only by the Word of
Life.
In addition to the building of churches, it will be requi-
site to attach to each a day and Sunday school, that the
rising generation may have the seeds of religion and virtue
instilled at an early age, which, it is hoped, may have a
tendency to check and counteract the growth of vice and
irreligion. which grows with our growth, if not timely
prevented. as 1 have pointed out
September 8, 1846

RAILWAY TRAVELLING

LECTOR

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STANDARD,

Sva,—Liverpool is yet behind her neighbours in railway
accommodation ; in some matters she may excel, but
not in this particular.
Coming from Preston a few days ago by the six o'clock
evening train, I arrived a quarter of an hour before
the time, and saw the train start a quarter before
for Bolton, Manchester, &c., (East Lancashire line)
and observed how much superior the 2nd class carriages
were to those on the Liverpool line—in that the compart-
ments were divided, so that the passengers in one diviziou
were not annoyed by the misbehaviour or squalling of
children in another division, and moreover the seats had
the benefit of a stuffed leather cushion. In addition to
this. I learned that the spirited directors of this new line
had arranged to grant day tickets for a single fare, from
Manchester or. Bolton, &c., to Fleetwood, Blackpool, &c ,
with this additional boon, that a day ticket on a Satur-
day will last until Monday evening. This is as it shou'.d
be, and is an encouragement to persons to locate their fa-
milies at those delightful watering places—Lytham,
Blackpool, and Fleetwood. I hope this hint will not be
lost. . Yours, &c..
A TRAVELLER.
Liverpool, Sept. 9, 1846.