Fourth annual report : for the year 1898 / Sunderland Borough Asylum.

  • Sunderland Borough Asylum.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Fourth annual report : for the year 1898 / Sunderland Borough Asylum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/56 (page 12)
    on the whole fairly satisfactory. By the labour spent on making good the drains close to the subways, these passages, by which the warm and fresh air is distributed through the building, have been rendered much healthier, and, consequently, the former troubles in the shape of septic pneumonia, sore throats, and erysipelas, have practically disappeared. It is confidently hoped that, when the whole of the new drainage system is completed, the subways will, as of course they ought to, be absolutely secure from any possible contamination from sewage or surface water. But even if this end is attained it is still an open question whether the plenum system is from all points of view the best. It has undoubtedly many good points, but it requires constant and intelligent supervision. The air of the Wards, though absolutely pure, has not the same fresh feeling as in a room heated by an open fire, but, on the other hand, there are greater risks of accident when the latter are used. I would not be disposed to recommend any radical change, as this would of necessity be rather costly. The new drainage scheme is now in a forward state, and no long time will elapse before it is completed. So far as I have seen the work is being well done, and the supervision exercised by the Clerk of Works is such that I feel confident that, when it is finished, in may be regarded as a sound piece of work. It is unnecessary to enter into any account of the condition of the drains originally laid down, but it may be stated that this was found to be such that the wisdom of having the whole system relaid was amply proved. * Various small improvements were made in the engineer’s department. The chief of these was the erection of an efficient condenser on the return steam pipe. The result of this has been that the water is fed to the boilers at a temperature 30° or 40° higher than formerly. This has very much diminished the amount of coal required to generate the necessary steam. Another result has been that the circulation of steam in the pipes has been made much easier, and the pressure of steam has been able consequently to be somewhat reduced. This also has economised coal, as will be seen from a comparison of the figures for four months of last winter and the corresponding