290 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



SEWAGE OF THE METROPOLIS. 



Sir, — The unaccountable delay of the New Commiaaioners 

 of Works, appointed by Parliament, for determining upon the 

 plans recommended for adoption, makes one think it a doubt- 

 ful matter whether anythiiig will be done. la the mean while 

 proposals have beeu suggested for the formation of a company 

 for that object, and estimates have been made of the value of 

 the sewage in a commercial point of view, and of the probable 

 results in regard to profit, that may be expected to arise. To 

 these estimates, which have been shown to me by a friend, I 

 wish to direct tlie attention of the public generally, and the 

 agricultural interest in particular. 



Before, however, going into the question of these calcula- 

 tions, it may not be amiss to give a short statement of the 

 actual condition of one portion of the metropolis, which affords 

 a striking illustration of the growing and urgent necessity for 

 the undertaking, and, I must adJ, of the reckless indiffe- 

 rence of our men in power to the health and comfort of the 

 inhabitants. 



The district to which I refer is that on the south side of the 

 Thanf.es, and camprises the parishes of Lambeth, Kenniugton, 

 Southwark, Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, with Camberwell, Wal- 

 worth, asd a part of Peckham. The population of these places 

 probably amounts to half or three-quarters of a million; and 

 formerly the more southerly part, as Walworth, Camberwell, 

 Peckham, &c., were considered the most salubrious part of the 

 Euburbs of London, especially for those who had tender lungs, 

 or whose constitutions were otherwise delicate. This salu'irity 

 of the district is easily to be accounted for, from several local 

 physical causes. The whole tract lies on a deep subsoil of gravel, 

 which is well known to be promotive of health, from the facility 

 it affords for the escape of surplus water by the natural drain- 

 age. It was also less annoyed with the smoke of the metro- 

 polis, and less exposed to the north and east winds than any 

 other part ; besides enjoying a higher temperature in winter, 

 and a lower in summer. In explanation of these seeming in. 

 consistencies, I would observe that on the north side of the 

 city the ground rises, so that the smoke of the whole city 

 when the wind is south, is blown against the rising ground 

 and fills the houses with smoke and soot : and whilst the 

 north and east winds are severely felt in that district, the 

 south wind in summer is rendered still more oppressive by 

 passing over the city. On the other hand, the south side of 

 the river lying low, the north wind blows the smoke over the 

 district, which is consequently not annoyed with it. At the 

 same time, in winter, the artificial warmth of the London at- 

 mosphere tempers the north and east winds in passing over ; 

 whilst in summer the inhabitants enjoy the south and west 

 winds in all their purity. Such were the chief causes of the 

 healthiness of the district in question ; and, ia making this 

 statement I am speaking from experience; for haviug lived 

 east, north, and south of London, I have paid particular atten- 

 tion to the subject, and entertain uo doubt whatever of the 

 effects produced, by the facts stated, upon the sanitary condi- 

 tion of the neighbourhood, did not other causes exist to coun- 

 teract them. 



Such, then, was the former condition of the district in 

 question ; aud I believe that if some of our older medical 

 practitioners were asked, they would confirm my statement, 

 and tell you that they were wont to send their consumptive 



patients to Walworth, Camberwell, and the adjoining districts, 

 for restoration of health, or the alleviation of disease. The 

 only existing evils were the open sewers ; but these were then 

 common in every part of London, and were by no means peru- 

 liar to the distriijt ; and besides, there were large open fields 

 iu every direction, and the hills towards the south were thinly 

 built on; so that, what with the excellent subsoil and abund- 

 ance of breathing space around, and at intervals, the influence 

 of the open sewers was kept in cbeck, whilst frequent cleans- 

 ings still more counteracted their effects. There is not a 

 doubt that when the Albaay-road, Camberwell, was laid out 

 aud built, forming the main union of the Camberwell and Old 

 Kent Roads, it was one of the most healthy and agreeable 

 localities of the class in the suburbs of London. The houses 

 always let well aud at high rents. Of late years, however, a 

 material change has taken place, not only there, but in the 

 whole district from Vauxhall to Deptford, through the culpa- 

 ble neglect of former Commisaiouers of Sewers, in not providing 

 a sufficient outlet for the sewage, by which that part has be- 

 come a perfect nursery of fever, diarrhoea, dysentery, and cho- 

 lera, which diseases annually destroy hundreds of lives. The 

 leading causes of this change in the condition of the distritt I 

 shall now endeavour to explain. 



In the first place, the whole of the once-open ground, with 

 but little exception, in and to the south of the district, has » 

 been built over, by which the free circulation of air is ob- 

 structed, aud the temperature in summer artificially heightened. 

 In the second place, the enormous increase in the number of 

 houses has proportionately increased the quantity of sewage, 

 which the water-closet system — now almost universal — renders 

 more offensive and periii'^ious, whilst no adequate additional 

 means have been provided for carrying it off. In the third 

 place, the main sewers which are supposed to disgorge their 

 contents into the Thames, somewhere at Bermondsey or 

 Rotherhithe, lie considerably below Jiigli-wuter mark ; conse- 

 quently, there ia only a certain portion of every tide in which 

 the offensive matters in the sewers can be discharged, being 

 driven back by the advancing tide water. This alone, creating 

 as it does a stagnation, which sends up contifually through 

 the gratings the most fetid odours amongst a dense popula- 

 tion, is of itself enough to ensure the constant presence of 

 disease, in one or other of the forms I have named. And such 

 is assuredly the case, as I have had the following opportunities 

 of ascertainirg : 



About three years ago, in a conversation with a gentleman 

 who has considerable property in the neighbourhood of the 

 Albany-road, I was requested by him to make a survey of the 

 district, for the purpose of preparing a case, to be brought 

 before a public meeting of the inhabitants. I undertook the 

 task, and the following was the result of my observations and 

 inquiries : 



I found on each side of the Albany-road, in its whole ex- 

 tent, an open sewer, through which the entire contents of the 

 sewage of the surrounding districts, even as far as Brixton, 

 poured ia a black fetid stream, discharging itself into the 

 sewer in the Kent-road. As if to render the effect of this 

 abomination still more pernicious and offensive, the commis- 

 eioners, iu directing some alterations in the Kent-road sewer, 

 had, in their wisdom (!), and in spite of the remonstrancea of 



