[Report 1894] / Medical Officer of Health, Penzance U.D.C. / Borough.

  • Penzance (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1894] / Medical Officer of Health, Penzance U.D.C. / Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    THE HEALTH OF PENZANCE MEDICAL OFFICER’S ANNUAL REPORT. The following are tir'd reporta preaei t d by Mr. G. B. MUlett at the Town Connoil on Wedcebday, Feb. 27th, 1895, in hia dual capscPy of Borough Medical Officer and Port Medical Officer The Bokough. During the past year 313 births have been registered in the Borough of Teczance acd 217 deaths, including 11 of persons not belonging to the district. The difference between the totals of births and deaths gives a natural increase of 96. The average birth rate per 1,000 per annum is,24*0 and the death rate 16‘6. Deaths are fewer by 52 than in 1893 and births by 17. Births last year were most numerous in October, when they were 37, and least so in December, when they were but 20. Deaths were registered in the largest proportion in January, when they amounted to27, whilst in August and November they were only 8 and 10 respectively. Fiom an examination of the accompanying tables (A and B) based upon the usual returns of deaths and cases of sickness, supplied to the medical officer of health— together with the notitcatiens which have been recorded in accordance with the Notification of Infectious Diseases Act —it will again appear that death has been most busy amongst the veiy young and old—ages rtnging from 3 hours to 93 years. (In lookirg throrgh tie death returns octogenarians will be found frequently, whilst there is a fair sprinkling of nonogeDarians\ As heretofore lulmonary diseases have caused the largest number of deaths of peri-ots of all ages—there being 56. Of these 14 are due to ihthisis, 2 to whooping cough, and 40 to bronchitis, pneumonia, &c. Deaths frem notifiable or infectious diseases are more or less conspicuous by^ their absence. Two deaths of infants are recorded from scarlatina, and one of these was a nnrse-child, not strictly belonging to the district. One death from typhoid fever is also recorded, but this was the case of a Lowestoft fisheiman who was landed here with the fever upon him. As already stated two infanta have died from whooping cough (not a notifiable disease in Penzance, at least), and so ends the list of deaths from zymotic diseases. The sum total of deaths from notifiable diseases properly appertaining to Penzance during 1894 may therefore be taken as ONE. To that frequently fatal com¬ plaint, especially amongst children, diarrhoea, not a single death is attributed. The number of cases of infectious sickness, including measles, notified and ceitifled according to the Act was 157. Of these scarlatina has the largest proportion, being entered 127 times, but inasmuch as the deaths therefrom, as already stated did not exceed 2, the mildness of the type must be evident, and further one-tenth of the toti lwere secondary attacks. There were nine cases of typhoid fever — all traceable to extraneous lources including one from the Port—which proved fatal as above recorded. Also 4 cases of diphtheria, 9 of erysipelas, and 8 of measles without a death amongst them Penzance is still at the mercy of neighbouring districts, where the Act is not in force, as to the introduction of ’nfictious diseases, and has suffered in several instances during the past year. Visi'ors top, sometimes from long dis-