Under the Public Health Acts 1873 and 1875 the Poor Law Unions were used as the basis for sanitary districts. All municipal boroughs and areas with bodies such as improvement commissioners became Urban Sanitary Districts. (Any area which acquired borough or urban status after the Act also became at that point an Urban Sanitary District). The remaining areas of the country - i.e., the Unions minus the urban areas - became Rural Sanitary Districts. Under the Local Government Act 1894 the Urban and Rural Sanitary Districts in Dorset were succeeded by Urban Districts and Rural Districts. Sanitary districts in Dorset between 1875 and 1894 RSD - Rural Sanitary District USD - Urban Sanitary District Axminster RSD In Devon but also covered the following parishes, then in Dorset: Chardstock Hawkchurch Beaminster RSD Dorset: Beaminster, Bettiscombe, Broadwindsor, Burstock Chedington, Corscombe East Chelborough, Evershot Halstock, Hooke Mapperton, Marshwood, Melbury Osmond, Melbury Sampford, Mosterton Netherbury, North Poorton Pilsdon, Powerstock Rampisham South Perrott, Stoke Abbott West Chelborough, Wraxall Somerset: Misterton Seaborough Blandford RSD Almer, Anderson Blandford Forum, Blandford St Mary, Bryanston (parts only) Charlton Marshall Durweston Hilton Iwerne Courtney, Iwerne Stepleton Langton Long Blandford Milborne St Andrew, Milborne Stileham, Milton Abbas Pimperne Spetisbury, Stourpaine Tarrant Crawford, Tarrant Gunville, Tarrant Hinton, Tarrant Keyneston, Tarrant Launceston, Tarrant Monkton, Tarrant Rawston, Tarrant Rushton, Turnworth Winterborne Clenston, Winterborne Houghton, Winterborne Kingston, Winterborne Stickland, Winterborne Tomson, Winterborne Whitchurch, Winterborne Zelston Blandford Forum USD parts of Blandford Forum, Blandford St Mary and Bryanston Bridport RSD Allington (part), Askerswell parts of Bothenhampton, Bradpole and Burton Bradstock Catherston Leweston, Chideock, Chilcombe Litton Cheney, Loders Puncknowle Shipton Gorge, Stanton St Gabriel, Swyre, Symondsbury (part) Walditch (part), Whitchurch Canonicorum, Wootton Fitzpaine Bridport USD Bridport parts of Allington, Bothenhampton, Bradpole, Burton Bradstock, Symondsbury and Walditch Cerne RSD Alton Pancras Batcombe, Buckland Newton Cattistock, Cerne Abbas, Cheselbourne, West Compton Frome St Quintin Glanvilles Wootton, Godmanstone, Gorewood Hermitage, Hilfield Mappowder, Melbury Bubb, Melcombe Horsey, Minterne Magna Nether Cerne Piddletrenthide, Pulham Sydling St Nicholas Up Cerne Chard RSD In Somerset but also covered the following parish, at that time in Dorset: Wambrook Dorchester RSD Athelhampton Bradford Peverell, Broadmayne, Burleston Charminster, Chilfrome, Compton Valence Dewlish, Dorchester (Holy Trinity) (part) Fordington (part), Frampton, Frome Vauchurch Kingston Russell Littlebredy, Long Bredy Maiden Newton Piddlehinton, Puddletown Stinsford, Stratton Tincleton, Toller Fratrum, Toller Porcorum, Tolpuddle Warmwell, Watercombe, West Knighton, West Stafford, Whitcombe, Winterborne Came, Winterborne Herringstone, Winterborne Monkton, Winterborne St Martin, Winterbourne Abbas, Winterbourne