Page 18 - The Health OF Redditch

The Health Of Reditch

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being horses and carts should be hired to remove the night soil as quickly as possible, and that
each householder should be charged sixpence for the service. Handbills were circulated telling
people to cleanse their houses. If they did not do so, the Board would do it and charge people
for the expense. 42

Frederick•Birt’s•1856•smallpox•vaccination•certificate

In August 1874 smallpox was still evident in Redditch and it was believed that it had come
from Aston near Birmingham. It was thought that the two female patients, eleven and twenty
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two years old, in the Round House in Mount Pleasant had not been vaccinated properly. They
had been isolated and did recover. Mr. Page, the Medical Officer of Health for Redditch,
reported that part of the building was unfit for human habitation and overcrowded as it was
occupied by seventeen adults and twelve adults. The owners of the Round House were to
have•the•property•disinfected•and•a•copy•of•Mr.•Page’s•report•sent•to•them.• The details of
the Round House gave a good example of the public health process at that time, as
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the•Board’s•surveyor•then•inspected•the•premises. In September 1874 there were numerous
cases•of•smallpox•and•scarlet•fever•in•Birmingham•that•were•‘fatally•prevalent’,•so•that•Local

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See glossary.
42
Worcester Journal, 28 December 1872.
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Williiam•Avery’s•father•had•persuaded•Mr.•Sheward,•a•needle•master,•to•build•a turbine windmill with sails
inside, but it was never completed (Avery, W. (Ed. A. Bradford) (1999) OLD REDDITCH being an early history
of the town (1800-1850). Redditch, Hunt End Books).
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Worcester Journal 15 August 1874.

Page: 18 of 26 Angela Webster