[Report 1905] / Medical Officer of Health, Penrith R.D.C.

  • Penrith (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1905
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1905] / Medical Officer of Health, Penrith R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ■$: » «- a *“ GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS. The District of the Penrith Rural Council covers an area of 161,293 acres, but a large amount of this is fell land, uncultivated, and only grazed by sheep. The genei’al characteristics are hill and dale, numerous small valleys, and the larger valley of the Eden on the East side of the district. The liighest altitudes are GTossfell on the East Side, 2930 feet, and Blencathra on the West, 2847 feet; the lowest level is about 250 feet at the extreme North of the district near Wreay and Armatbwaite. The population is entirely rural, occupying numerous villages and isolated farm houses scattered between them. It is generally well housed and fed ; destitution oi the extreme kind does not occur, as may bo evidenced by the fact that there are only about 100 persons receiving relief in the district. GEOLOGY. On the West side the geological formation is chiefly Skiddaw Slate and Volcanic Rocks, and it is in this part of the district that the high ground piancipally occurs, viz. Blencathra, parts of Helvellyn and Skiddaw. fc urther Easd is a long belt of Carboniferous Limestone, running nearly North and South, wMch then ffives place to Permian Sandstone, comprising the whole ot 1 enrith I eli and extending across the River Eden to the slopes of the Pennine Range, where the Carboniferous series again commences on the East side of the Lreat 1 ennine lault. VITAL STATISTICS. Births. There have been 282 births registered in the whole district during the year, occurring in the three sub-districts, as follows: — Penrith Rural Sub-district G-reystoke Kirkoswald The Birth-rate is thus 22-08 per 1,000, reckoned on an estimated population of 12,765 ; this is rather below the average of the last 10 years, but not so muc i as to be of any moment. _ ....... (3t these births only 16 were illegitimate, giving an illegitimate Birth-iate ot 1-15 per 1000 population, and 53-12 per 1000 births; J^is is satistactory pared with last year, but it must be noted that the Rural Sub-distiict ot I enii is alone responsibie for the decrease, as there was only one illegitimate biith there during the year. Males. Females 40 37 51 — 49 45 — 57 139 143