Sanitary Reform: Is it a Reality, or is it Not? (1875)

Unlike Over Darwen, ¹ Lewes ² is considered to be a remarkably clean town, while it has been ‘blessed,’ for some years, with a system of house drains and sewers, although a large proportion of the houses still have cesspools. Lewes has also been, from time immemorial, one of the healthiest towns in the kingdom – and it is curious how the most healthy towns have been so frequently selected for this operation – still it or the sanitary authorities were not satisfied: they wanted to be more healthy; had drains made, and have since experienced two outbreaks of typhoid fever – in 1872 and 1874. Like the man on whose tombstone these words were written: ‘I was well, would be better, took physic, and – died!’ ³