[Report 1895] / Medical Officer of Health, Rhymney U.D.C.

  • Rhymney (Wales). Urban District Council.
Date:
1895
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1895] / Medical Officer of Health, Rhymney U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    BHY1NEY URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL. ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1895. BY T. HALL REDWOOD, M.A., M.D., P.S.I., Medical Ollieer of Health, ^r1 ^r~^r -w m*'r r1 yr ~vr f r vr ■v*’ ^rv ^w w ^•vr ^ ^ ^><k. AA «AA», ^iW. ^iK AV <6A ^A^iW ^AiW. Gentlemen, Tlie population of your district, estimated ou that of last census >vas in the middle of 1895, 7,769, this being-, as I have already pointed out, and for reasons mentioned therein particular the fact of practi- cally all the houses being occupied, many of them ovei-crowded»in all probability a good deal below the mark. PART I. A tabular statement of sickness and mortality within your district, tabulated according to diseases, ages, and localities. The general sickness in the first quarter of the year, especially in the middle, and in the form of severe colds, was unusually heavy. Influenza was, also, verj- prevalent, in the early part of the quarter amongst children, and later on amongst adults, 264 cases having come under my notice, with 4 deaths, the latter in weakly old people, already the subjects of bronchitis. In the first two months of the second quarter, the sickness was light, but increased in the third, owing to the heat. In the first week of May, up to which time 110 more cases, with 2 indirect deaths—1 an old man from anaemia, consequent on it, and the other from bronchitis intensified by it—had occurred, influenza disappeared, but not for good, as will be seen f urther on. In the third quarter the sickness which was moderate in the beginning, increased very much in quantity and severity, but, in the the fourth, it again became light, and was remarkable only for an unusual number of cases of sciatica, and other forms of neuralgia, probably due to climatic influences. During this, the last quarter there were a few,-30 to 40-sporadic cases of influenza, which make the number for the year about 400. There have been none since the first week of December. The number of births registered during the year was 268, (142 males and 126 females) which gives a birth rate of 34'49 per 1000 per annum, this being about the average. The number of successful vaccinations under 1 year of age was 199, to which may be added 2 just over, leaving 69 of the former, or those born during the year, to be accounted for by death, &c., this proportion being almost the same as that for the preceding year, and showing that there are still many children in your district unprotected. The total number of deaths was 141 (78 males and 68 females), which makes a general death rate of 18 14, which,with the exception of 1876, when it was 17*23, is the lowest recorded for your district. I should mention however, that in the years 1875, 1887, 1889, and 1892, it was under 19 per 1000, and in 1878, under 20 (19‘66). I am glad to st?„te that, compared with the preceding year, there was a marked improve- ment in the rates under 1, and under 5 years of age, those for the year in question having been 5'27 against 7'85 (uearly 153 against over 235 per 1000 births), and 8-23 against 13'65 respectively. The zymotic rate was 2Y8, a great improvement on that of the preceding year, when it was as high as 6-95, and the rate for Iphthisis l-02, which is lower than those of the two previous years, and cannot be considered high for a district such as this, with dwellings nearly all damp, and on bad foundations, and many badly ventilated and overcrowded. Of the above total, 17 were due to zymotic diseases-whooping cough 7, rotkeln 1, croup 1, and diai’rhcea 8, against 54 in 1894j; 22 to constitutional diseases, different forms of sci-ofula, cancer, and syphilis, exactly the same as the year before ; 12 to diseases of the heart and blood vessels, 2 of these pernicious anamiia, against 13 ; 33 to inflammatory diseases of the lungs and air passages, 22 under 5 years of age, against 35 and 21 respectively; 7 to diseases of the digestive organs, 1 only under one year of age, against 8 and 4 ; 2 to diseases of the urinary organs, against 3 ; 6 to injuries, 1 under 5, (scald) ; 1 to natural causes, (inquest), and the rest to old age and debility. Between the ages of 5 and 15, there were only 4 deaths, and between 15 and 25, 8 against 12 and 3 in 1894. As far as the above particulars are an indication of the health of your district, they show a decided improve- ment on previous years. Table of prevailing Weather, Sickness, &c., in each month of the year. Month Jan. Feb. Mar. April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Weather. Prevailing Sickness. Zymotic Diseases. Cases. Heaths. Cold, snow, rough Catarrh, Quinsy, Influenza (child.) 11.X thaw, wet, dull, Scarlat., Rotheln, Pertussis. 1.1.6. 0.0.1. frost, fine, rough. Rh. Br. Quinsy, Iufluenza. 5. 45. thaw rainy rough Rotheln, Pertussis. 3. 4. 0. 2. Frost, wet, frost, Hepat. Rh., Influenza. 250. 2. warm. Rotheln, Septiccennia, Pertussis. 1.1. X. 0.0 1. fine, wet, cold. Cold and wet. Hepat. Catarrh, Influenza. 94. Dull, wet, rough. Rotheln, Phleg. Doleus, Pertussis. 1.1. 2. Fine, warm, rain. Hepat. Br. Quinsy, Influenza. Rotheln, Carbuncle, Phleg. Doleus. 1. 16. Cold, fine, cloudy Diar., Pertussis. 3.1.x.xx Cloudy, fine, cold Hepat. Rh. Quinsy. Rotheln, Carbuncle, Phleg, Doleus, 1. Fine, warm, rain. Dial-., Pertussis. 2.1.1.xx 2. 0. Wet, dull, fine. Rh. Asthma, Diar., Erysipelas. x.l. Showers, close. Rotheln, Measles, Pertussis. 4.1.x. Showers, wet. Rh., Asth., Diar., Varicella, Erysi. x.2.1. Rough. Pertussis, Rotheln, Measles, Scarla. Few Fine, wet, fine. Typhoid. 1.7.1.1. Fine, warm, Hepat. Rh., Catarrh, Diar. X. Showers. 10.3.1. Fine, warm. Rotheln, Measles, Scarlat. Wet, rough, cold, Rh., Br. Neuralgia, Diar. Influenza, x.12. Frost, snow, fine. Rotheln, Measles, Scarlat., Typh. 2.1.1.1. Wet, gales. Rh. Catarrh, Pn., Ac. Rh., Vari- cella, Influenza. 1.1.30. Fogs, wet, close. Rotheln, Measles, Scarlat., Typh. 5.2.1.1. Wet, gales, fogs, Rh. Hepat., Sciat., Quinsy, Vari- cella, Influenza. 1.7.4. ' 1 1.0.0. Snow rough thaw Rotheln, Measles, Scarlat. 11.1.3. (x) Prevalent; (xx) very prevalent.- PART II. A Summary of Action for Preventing the Spread of Disease. . Typhoid Fever.—3 cases, 1 in August at 6, Yard row, cause not clear, but foundation of house refuse sodden, and decomposing fish, Ac. within 30 or 40 yards of front, the further deposit of which was stopped; 1 at Bryn Cottage, Price Street, no sufficient local cause discoverable; and 1 at 17, Tire Evans, caused by untrapped drain com- municating with culvert, close to front door, whieh was attended to y your Surveyor. There was no case of Diphtheria in your district, during the year. Scarlet Fever.—Of this disease there were 5 cases, 1 in January m lower district., due to previous one in same house ; 1 in August m upper district (Beaufort Arms, Rhymney Bridge),.caught at Weston; 1 doubtful, in lower district, in November, and 2 m same district m December. The case at the Beaufort Arms was isolated in a large room in the house, and the skin anointed with Eucalyptus Oil unti desquamation was complete with the effect that, although business was carried on as usual, no one else was infected m or out of the house. Notwithstanding the fact that tlie other cases were not allowed to be removed to your Isolation HospitaUaud being sporadic, they were just the ones that ought to have been—any serious spread of the disease from them, was prevented.