[Report 1894] / Medical Officer of Health, Abersychan Local Board / U.D.C.

  • Abersychan (Wales). Urban District Council.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1894] / Medical Officer of Health, Abersychan Local Board / U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ABERSYCHAN LOCAL Medical Officer's Annual Report for 1894. years:— 1894. 1893. 1802 85 ... 83 ... 88 46 ... 35 ... 71 7 ... 18 ... 18 14 ... 21 7 53 ... 82 ... 83 30 ... 49 ... 46 Abersychan, Feb. 11th, 1895. Gentlemen,—In accordance with the require- ments of the Central Sanitary Authority, I beg leave to lay before you the vital statistics of the year 1894, and give a retrospect of the health of your district for the same period :— Mortality from all Causes.—At all ages, 235 ; under 1 year, 85 ; 1 and under 5 years, 40: 5 and under 15 years, 7 ; 15 and under 25 years, 14 ; 25 and under 65 years, 53 ; 65 and upwards, 30. Mortality from subjoined Causes.—Under 5 years of age—measles, 8 ; whooping- cough, 19 ; phthisis, 2 ; bronchitis, pneumonia, and pleurisy, 36 ; in- juries, 1 ; all other diseases, 65; total, 131. From 5 years of aa-e and upwards—enteric or tyjjhoid fever, 1 ; rheumatic fever, 5 ; phthisis. 12; bron- chitis, pneumonia, and pleurisy, 31 ; heart disease 15 ; injuries, 5 ; all other diseases, 35 ; total, 104. Table of Population, Births, and of new cases of Infectious Sic/tness.—Population at all ages, census 1891, 15,296; estimated to middle of 1894, 15,683; registered births. 625. New cases of sickness in each locality coming to the knowledge of the medi- cal officer of health, under 5 years of age—scarlatina, 7; diphtheria, 1; measles, 139. Five years and up- wards— scarlatina, 9; diphtheria, 3; enteric or typhoid fever, 3 ; measles, 114. Population. — I estimate the population to be 15,683 at the middle of the year, as compared with 15,296 for 1891 (the census year), being a natural increase of 135. Bates.—The birth-rate was 39‘8, the death-rate 14'9. The zymotic rate T7. and the rate for phthisis 0'8. You will see from the following table the deaths at the diiferent-ages-c--spared --.voth-formei under 1 year. ,, 5 years. ;, is „ ., 25 „ „ 65 „ 65 years and upwards. The general death-rate is low. and upon it the Board is to be congratulated, but I have again to call attention to the high infantile mortality. Under five years there were 131 deaths, more than half of the whole, and emphasises the fact of there being a very serious error somewhere. I have came to the conclusion it arises, in a great measure, from im- proper feeding and ventilation, and the manage- ment generally of children. The erection of new dwellings and tlie improvement of the old has lessened considerably the latter fault, and in the course of time will be lessened still more, but the pjower is ever present with us. and I should be glad if some means could be devised for the dissemina- tion of the first principles of life and of dietetics generally. The Weather.—The total rainfall in inches for 1894 was 64'93, or an average of 5.41 per month, as compared with 44‘75 for 1893. The remarkable fea- ture of the weather of 1894 was its uniformity throughout the year. Comparing the average, 5‘4, with the highest monthly rainfall, 7'94, in Novem- ber, and the lowest, 3'39, in June, we find that there was not any great variation, the increase from 4'80, in September, to 7’86 in October, being the most striking. The total number of days on which rain fell appreciably was 242, being an average of 20 16 days per month. The smallest number of days with rainfall v as to be found in M arch, 14. and the greatest in January, 24. With th? exception of March, April, June, and September, every month of the year has 20 days’ rain or upwards. During ten months there was no single day on which 2 inches were registered, which makes it all the more remark- able that on one occasion, in August, we find 2T8, and that July 24th was answerable for 3T5 out of the 5'88 inches registered for the who e month. The heaviest continuous raini all took place in the be- ginning and end of the year, viz., in January and February, and again in October and November. The months most marked by storms were July and August. The finest part of the j ear was in April, May, and rnne. Typhoid Fever. — There were 3 eases of this disease during the year ; 2 occurred in one house from the same cause—defective water supply (well). The fatal case was an imported one—in a house with which no fault could be found, after careful examin- ation—and there was no spread. Scarlet Fever.—There were no deaths from this disease. Two cases were reported in January, four in February, two in June, five in July (three in one house), one in September, one in October, and one in December. Considering the frequency with which the disease visited us, it speaks volumes for the effi- ciency of the precautions taken ; and I must here speak of the care and attention given to all these cases and many others by your inspector and his assistant. Measles.—There were eight deaths from this dis- ease—a small proportion, considering the number attacked. I was cognizant of 243 cases during the year, but.this by no means is to be considered more than a tithe of those suffering—the disease is not notified. It was present during the entire year, it as.-umed the proportions of an epidemic in March, May. and June, almost dying out in July, again be- coming epidemic in August and September, becom- ing- less in October, almost disappearing in Novem- ber ; but in December there was a recrudescence,-- continuing through the month, and leaving a legacy for 1895. German Measles.—Of this disease there were seve- ral pronounced cases—no deaths. Influenza.— There were no deaths registered from this disease, but several occui-red from the after- effects. It was present in varying intensity nearly the whole twelve months, high fever and severe headache characterising- the majority. It is gradu- ally wearing itself out, and we may hope in time for its disappearance. IIoopiny Covyh.—This was the most fatal single disease of the year. It accounted for nineteen deaths, all under 5 years Its most fatal period was the spring, attacking many children just recovering from measles. In many cases it is found those children worn down by a severe attack of measles with a chest complication, soon succumbing. This disease is a most difficult one to prevent from spread- ing. It is frequently carried from house to house by the clothes of visitors. The sick create an atmosphere around themselves into which the sus- ceptible cannot enter without danger of being seized. A portion of this atmosphere is easily re- moved and carried in the folds of dress to other houses and rooms. Some infectious particles cling to the clothing of convalescents for a long time. Active infection is given off by those affected slightly, or only beginning to be so while sickening for the disease. Even the insusceptible, who are not liable to suffer in the same way again, may have some slight cough or irritable throat after being with the sick, and so. ailing little or nothing them- selves, be the means of carrying the infection else- where. Diphtheria.—No fatal case. There were four re- ported. Bach case as it occurred was dealt with by your officers, and in no instance was there any ex- tension, Phthisis.—The rate is the same as last year. As the ventilation of the houses improves we may hope for a decrease. Diarrhoea and Dysentery.— We had no deaths from this class of disease. Bronchitis, Pneumonia, and Pleurisy.—These dis- eases accounted for 67 deaths, as ag-ainst SO for last year, 36, or more than one-half, occurring in child- ren under 5 years old, and, doubtless, the sequel of measles, hooping coug-h, or influerza. Heart Disease.—There were 15 deaths from this disease, as against 21 for 1893. Food Supply.—No action taken. Presumed to be good. The County Council have taken action in several cases after analysis, but I have not heard of any proceedings being taken in your district. Slaughter-houses. — These have been regularly visited, and have been fonnd clean and in good order. Scavenging.—1This has been well looked after,dur- ing the summer especially. I am indebted to your inspector for the following statement of sanitary work done during the year Foul water-closets and privies cleansed 110 Houses provided with a water supply 377 Choked drains opened and cleansed 15 Offensive accumulations removed 24 Drains provided to undrained premises 14 Closets built 10 Untrapped w.c.’s furnished with pans and traps 1* Pigs removed, which were kept so as to be a nuisance 10 Defective stone drains taken up and sanitary pipes substituted S Slop stones which were directly connected to the house drains, disconnected, and made to empt, over external traps 4 Inmates of overcrowded dwellings dispersed ... 3 Privies converted to water-closets by draining- to sewer 2 Internal w.c.’s provided with proper pans, syphons, and flushing tanks, the drains in each instance being- furnished with inter- cepting traps and fully ventilated 3 Improvements effected in defective troughing and down pipes, which caused damp walls... 7 Urinals provided to serve public-houses 2 Total number of sanitary improveir ents effected or nuisances abated 637 To enforce the above there were: 201 statutory notices served, 58 written intimations, and 73 verbal requisitions. Water Supply.—The Water Company have now completed the work they were to accomplish, and are now prepared to supply tfle whole of the district by gravitation. There are 2,035 houses supplied with water out of the 3,200 inhabited houses of ihe dis- trict. There were 629 new services laid on last year. Sewage Disposal.—Same as last year. Itecomviondations.—I would recommend the com- pletion of the drainag e scheme, the adoption of the Infectious Disease Notification Act (to include measles), the erection of an Infectious Disease Hospital, and the memorialisation of the Technical Committee of the County Council to have a peri- patetic lecturer to instruct the community upon the feeding and management, of children. In conclusion I would congratulate the Board on the low death rate (the lowest in m y remembrance), the improved house aceommo l&tion, and upon the excellent water supply. Your obedient servant, J. \V. Mulligan', M.D., Medical Officer of Health.