[Report 1899] / Medical Officer of Health, Barnard Castle Local Board U.D.C.

  • Barnard Castle (England). Local Board of Health.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

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

Credit: [Report 1899] / Medical Officer of Health, Barnard Castle Local Board U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    1/4
    TO THE BARflARD CASTLE URBAJl DISTRIGT GOUjiCIh. Annual Report, 1899 I. GENTLEMEN, The Mortality Returns for the year 1899 show a slight increase on those of the preceding year, 86 deaths having been registered during the twelve months. Out of this number 9 were of persons belonging to other districts, thus reducing the number to 77. On the other hand, one death of an inhabitant of the town occurred at Sedgefield Asylum, bringing the actual total to 78, producing an annual death-rate of 17-96 per 1,000 inhabitants as per census of 1891. • The infantile mortality remained the same as last year, 14 deaths having been registered under one year of age, that is 3-22 per 1,000 inhabitants (census 1891), but it compared a little more favourably as regards the per centage of total deaths, being 16-27, or more than 2 per cent. less. The 14 deaths were ascribed principally to lung disease, premature birth, and croup. Thirty-two deaths occurred amongst persons over 65 years of age, the oldest persons being a male and female, each 93 years old. Eight persons exceeded 80 years of life, their average age being 84-5 years. Zymotic or infectious diseases accounted for 7 deaths, making 8-3 per cent, of total deaths, and r6i per 1,000 of population. The zymotic diseases causing death were :— Scarlet Fever - - - 1 case Croup - - - 3 cases Erysipelas - - - 1 case Whooping Cough - - - 7 case Diarrhoea - - - 1 case Total - _ - 7 cases Diseases of the respiratory organs accounted for 21 deaths, of which 6 were ascribed to pulmonary consumption, giving a rate of 1-37 per 1,000 of population. The rate for all other lung diseases was identical with that of the preceding year, namely, 3-45. During the year 17 deaths were registered, as caused by heart disease. In two cases death resulted from accidental injuries. One hundred and five births were registered during the year. II. The rate of sickness, particularly infectious, was much in excess of that ot the previous j'-ear, During the first quarter influenza was prevalent, and also whooping cough amongst young children; the second and third quarters were characterized by the prevalence of lung disease and an epidemic of scarlet fever. After that the rate of sickness abated considerabl}- till the latter half of December, when inflammatory affections of the respiratory organs again became very frequent.