Dr. R. Bruce Low's report to the local government board on an outbreak of enteric fever at Helmsley, in the Helmsley rural district, North Riding of Yorkshire.

  • Low, Robert Bruce, 1846-1922.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. R. Bruce Low's report to the local government board on an outbreak of enteric fever at Helmsley, in the Helmsley rural district, North Riding of Yorkshire. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    OFFICIAL COPYp V LI LK I)r. R. Bruce Low’s Report to the Local Government Board on an Outbreak of Enteric Fever at Helmsley, in the Helmsley Rural District, North Riding of Yorkshire. R. Thorne Thorne, Medical Officer, February 5th, 189G. On August 24th, 1895, pursuant to the requirements of the Board’s General Order, the Medical Officer of Health for the Helmsley Division of the Helmsley Rural District notified to the Board that an outbreak of enteric fever had occurred in the town of Helmsley. Two days later a communica' tion was received from a local source, calling the Board’s attention to the fever outbreak, and alleging the existence of various insanitary conditions at Helmsley and lack of sufficient sanitary supervision of the district. At the Board’s request a special report on the fever prevalence was prepared by the Medical Officer of Health, and this was received by the Board on August 31st. This report was found to inculpate a particular milk service as having been concerned in the diffusion of the disease. It appeared further that there had been at first some conflict of medical opinion respecting the precise nature of the current malady, which had been notified to the Rural Council under several different names. Whilst the report was under con- sideration, the Board received from the vicar of Helmsley, on September 13th, a letter urging an official inquiry into the circumstances of the fever outbreak. On the same date, a letter was also received from the Medical Officer of Health, asking for an investigation of the epidemic by an Inspector of the Local Government Board “ in view of the difficulty (owing to local “ conditions) of arriving at the causes of the outbreak.” On September 13th, too, the Rural District Council sent a communication requesting the Board to make ‘‘a special inquiry as to the serious outbreak” in Helmsley. As a result, it was decided that the facts of this epidemic should be investigated by an Inspector of the Board’s Medical Department, and the duty of collecting the facts was entrusted to me. I accordingly visited Helmsley on September 18th, and made inquiry there on that and subsequent days. The Helmsley Rural District. This district had at the last census an area of 67,641 acres, and a popula- tion numbering 5,626, distributed over 27 townships. The district lies on the edge of the North-eastern Moorlands of Yorkshire, and consists in large part of moor and mountain, intersected by numerous valleys or “ dales,” some of the latter being well wooded. The highest elevation reached is about 1,300 feet above Ordnance Datum. The River Rye flows through the district, and along with its numerous tributary streams supplies the natural drainage of the locality. Geologically, the southern and western portions of the district are situated upon the Middle and Upper Oolites; but the moors LONDON: PRINTED FOR HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE, BY EYRE AND SPOTTISWOODE, PRINTERS TO THE QUEEN’S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from EYRE and SPOTTISWOODE, East Harding Street, Fleet Street, E.C.; or JOHN MENZIES & Co., 12, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, and 90, West Nile Street, Glasgow ; or HODGES, FIGGIS, & Co., Limited, 104, Grafton Street, Dublin. No. 98. 1896. Price Ninepence.