[Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Swinton & Pendlebury Borough.

  • Swinton and Pendlebury (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Swinton & Pendlebury Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The general district death-rates for the previous five years were 1897, 16*8; 1896, 16*9; 1895, 17*5 ; 1894, 19*9; 1893, 18*5; the average for the past six years, therefore, falling slightly below 18 per 1,000, which is below the average of thirty-three large towns in England and Wales. The Zymotic rate (2*27) for the whole of the district, although high, is slightly lower than the mean average, and varies from 2*67 in West Ward to as low as 1*36 in the East Ward. The month of September was one of exceptionally high temperature, and during that month the infantile summer diarrhoea mortality was unusually high. In this respect our district suffered probably to no greater extent, comparatively, than other similar districts. The usual precautionary measures were resorted to, and advice on matters relating to infant feeding, etc., distri¬ buted from house to house. Experience seems to show, however, that but little permanent good is effected by this means, judging by the results which year by year have to be recorded. The mortality from diarrhoea alone was 1*28 per 1,000 (that is to say, amongst children under five years’ old), and a very large percentage may certainly be put down as being due to improper feeding. All the wards appear to have been about equally affected, with the notable exception of the East Ward, where not a single death from diarrhoea was registered. This fact, con¬ sidering the high infantile death-rate of this particular ward, is not a little remarkable. Measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough, and diphtheria accounted for 16 deaths, distributed pretty evenly over the district, giving a death-rate of 0*60, which, considering the fatility often attaching to- these childhood’s diseases, may be deemed satisfactory. The mortality from enteric fever was 0*37 per 1,000, there having been six deaths in the district, and four at the Ladywell Sanatorium (out of a, total of 25 cases, which were removed thither from the district). The infant death-rate for the whole district (192*6) shows no material improvement, varying from 158*7 in the South Ward to 218*9 in the East Ward, and 208*3 in the West Ward. Both