Mexborough & Swinton Times, November 1919
Dr H Scurfield
The Sheffield Medical Officer
Dr Harold Scurfield, medical officer for the city of Sheffield, gave evidence, and was taken by Mr Neal through a series of annual reports by the medical officer to the Doncaster Rural District Council.
The figures of infantile mortality were quoted, and the subject of privy middens and daylight scavenging adverted to.
Dr Scurfield said that even in a crowded and congestion place like Sheffield they never got death rates approaching those in this district.
He said that the diarrhoea rate was more than the whole of Sheffield.
Regarding privvy middens he would like to say that it was impossible to disinfect them.
He considered that privvy middens had a great deal to do with the increase of diarrhoea and enteric fever. He had much experience of that in Sunderland.
Evidence in support of the application you by Mr William Wilson, timber merchant and the reverent W Strawbridge, vicar of Conisborough.