[Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, Hardingstone R.D.C.

  • Hardingstone (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1920
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, Hardingstone R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    To the Chairman and Members of the Hardingstone Rural District Council. APRIL, 1921. Gentlemen, I beg to present my ANNUAL REPORT for the year 1920. During the past year housing schemes have been passed and work begun in various villages in the district. This has been the most important work done which has come under my notice. Fortunately, infectious diseases have been few and what cases there have been, have been mild so that the death-rate has been low. The population for the district at 1911 Census was 7,568. The estimated population for 1920 is 7,504, so that a small decrease has been allowed. It will be interesting to see if in the Census returns for the coming year, sufficient allowance has been made for deaths from the War as well as deaths among the remaining local population. Considering the recent yearly returns of births the present year’s return is a very high one, very nearly equal to those of 20 years ago. The number of births was 173 : 94 males, 79 females, of this number 5 males and 9 females were illegitimate. This makes a ratio 22'9 per 1,000. The birth-rate for England and Wales is 25'4 per 1,000. In 1918 the ratio was 14-5 and in the years 1901 and 1903 the ratios were respectively 23 and 25’7. In 1903 there were 200 births with a population 7,646. In spite of the comparative optimism of this year the early part of 1921 appears to forecast another serious falling off in the birth-rate. With regard to deaths, the position is satisfactory, the district can congratulate itself on its exceedingly low death-rate. Deaths this year were 76, a very low total indeed : 40 males, 36 females. This makes a ratio of 10T1 per 1,000. This is the lowest death-rate that can be found in the Reports, going back to the year 1901. The death-rate for England and Wales is 12-4 per 1.000. Looking into the ages of these deaths, 1 was 97, 2 were 96, and 1 was 94 years of age ; 11 were over 80 years ; 18 were over 70 years. At the other end of the scale there were 2 deaths under 1 year, 1 from Atrophy and 1 from maldevelopment of the heart ; there were 4 over 1 year and under 2 years of age. All died from inflammatory chest troubles. There were no deaths from Diarrhoea and Sickness. The summer with its lack of heat was favourable to this good result. There were no deaths from Enteric Fever, Scarlet Fever or Whooping Cough. There was 1 death from Measles or rather its complications, and 2 from Diphtheria, one was a bad laryngeal case and died in Northampton Hospital. There were 5 deaths from Influenza, 5 from Pulmonary Tuberculosis, 6 from Cancer, 10 from heart affections, 7 from Bronchitis, 6 from Pneumonia, and 2 from Nephritis. Deaths by suicide were all in people over 65 ; there were 3 cases belonging to the district, besides these there were 2 of people living elsewhere but found in district. There were 3 cases of accidental death, 1 not belonging to the district. Notifications of Infectious Disease, with the exception of 1 or 2 Tubercular cases, were all in the early part of the year up to June ; there have been none since then. 8 cases of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and 2 of Tuberculosis of other parts were notified, of these cases 2 have died. One of these was reported on his death by the Registrar and found not to have been notified at all ; the other notification was received the day after the patient’s death. The other cases of Infectious Disease were as follows :— Scarlet Fever ... 6 Pneumonia ... ... 5 Diphtheria ... 4 Ophthalmic Neonatorum ... 1 Erysipelas ... 2 Malaria contracted abroad ... 2