Folios 598-600. To: The General Board of Health. From: C P Symonds, Union Medical...

Folios 598-600.

To: The General Board of Health.

From: C P Symonds, Union Medical Officer of Ormskirk, Ormskirk [Lancashire].

Subject Matter: Letter referring to the report by Robert Rawlinson, respecting the sanitary condition of Ormskirk. Symonds encloses his remarks and observations on this report, taking into consideration the great necessity for immediately putting this town under proper sanitary regulations, with respect to the horrible account of the filthy conditions of the streets, alleys and lodging houses, given that this report is not in the slightest exaggerated. He adds that it is now much worse since Mr Rawlinson's inspection. Symonds explains that as medical officer of this town he daily enters some of those doors of disease and filth. This town has never been free from fever for the last 3 years, and he is almost daily sending patients with the fever, sheds, where they are kept at the expense of the town. The lodging houses are too crowded, and until the Local Board there was no limit to the number of persons in each house. He has not hesitation in saying that the Public Health Act 1848, if applied to Ormskirk, will be a great benefit to the town, and its operation will greatly reduce the amount of disease, the diminish the mortality, and burden on the rates.