[Report 1899] / Medical Officer of Health, Bootle County Borough.

  • Bootle (Lancashire, England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1899] / Medical Officer of Health, Bootle County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The percentnge of deaths to notifications was a little over 5, and a pei’centage of cases removed to hospital was 62-6, or about one per cent more than in 1898, which is I think very satisfactory. Table No. 2 shows the number of notifications of scarlatina in each month of the year, and Table No. 4 gives the number of deaths (including those from the out-townships) in the months in which fatal cases occurred. It will be noticed that no fatal case occurred in February, March, April, June, August and September (G months). The number of cases of scarlatina admitted into hospital from Bootle was 124 in 1899, and that from the out-townsbips 52, making a total of 176. The number of cases admitted from Bootle in 1898 was 162, and that from the out-townships 76, making a total of 238. It will be noticed that both of the totals in 1899 were less than those in 1898. The number of deaths i>f Bootle cases was 10'9 (or nearly 11) less than the average of the preceding 10 years, and the death-rate was 0-18, which was only 0-05 in excess of that of the large towns, which was 0‘13. It will be noticed that scarlatina was more or less prevalent throughout the year, but that the largest number of cases notified was in the fourth quarter, when 36, 21 and 22 cases respectively were notified. In two instances scarlatina was notified in milk houses, but as the cases were removed as soon as possible to hospital, no spread of the disease occurred in consequence. The i.solation afforded in the hospital therefore is not only of great advantage to the patients but also invaluable to the general public. It is of great importance to poor people in cottage property as it is almost impossible to prevent the spread of scarlatina in this class of property, and when a case occurs in a cottage where a parturient woman resides it is of great importance that such a case should be removed as soon as possible, for the cottage can then be stoved and the bedding, &c. disinfected at once, and by so doing in all probability the life of the mother will be saved. The saving of expense to poor people is also very considerable. It is also of great importance to the general public, particularly in those cases where it spreads to a milkhouse, or to an inmate of any lai’ge business establishment. DIPHTHERIA. The number of notifications of this disease was 36, and the number of deaths 10, after deducting 2 fatal cases fi’om Litherland, and 1 from Waterloo in hospital. The notifications were more than double those in 1898, and the number of deaths tvo more than in 1898. The death-rate was 0'18 and was