[Report 1899] / Medical Officer of Health, Axbridge R.D.C.

  • Axbridge (Somerset, England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1899] / Medical Officer of Health, Axbridge R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    KEDICAl, officer’s REPORT. Dr. Leche, medical officer, read his annual report as follows :— I beg to submit to you my annual report of this dis- I trict. Area 102,282 acres; population 24,965 (1891), 25,894 j (1899). Geology; Limestone, sandstone and conglonie- I rate rocks, peat, marsh and sea shingles in tlio marshes. 1899 1898 1897 1896 1895 1894 1893 Birth rate per 1,000 living 21-3 22-1 23 4 26 01 23 6 24 4 25'1 Death rate ditto... 16-7 15-3 15-8 14-6 17-3 16-5 16-3 Zymotic -95 0 8 1-03 0 4 0-28 0 52 0 6 Infant mortality, births 121-5 115-4 83-7 101-5 103 8 lll S 8 9 tVater .Supply.—The South Marsh water supi'ly has been most satisfactory, good in quality, and plentiful even in drought of last summer. A supply for Winscomhe is in working progress, and in the other marsh lands watcr from the rhyucs and that collected in pits is the chief supply. Otherwise wells are in common use. Unveraye and Drainage.—A.t Axbridge the main drains have been repaired and re-laid with pipes in several places. At Cheddar the pollution of the river is still under obser- vation. At Worlc the eventual outflow of the drainage ! is into Madam Rhyne, which is much polluted thereby. } The filtering beds of the Steam Laundry are improved. I The drainage both of Milton and Worle, with their abundant water supply and large w.-ishing industry, is a. matter for consideration. At Shipham the school drainage has been re-laid. At Cheddar six cases of typhoid were reported in two houses, the well to which was polluted by a syphon having been broken by a plug driven through tlie wall. The well was closed, the cess- pit to the row of houses arched in, and the overflow diverted in another direction for future safety. Privie.s and cesspits usually prevail, often draining into t*ie j ditches. Scavenging executed individually. Prevalence of diseases (notification in force), 68 cases received: Scarlet fever 15, diplitheria 13, typhoid 8, peurperal 1, erysipelas 31. Deaths from xymotic diseases 24: 2 from diphtheria, 9 from whooping cough, Ifrora fever, and 12 from diarrhoea. Erysipelas caused 1 death, phthisis 48 (29 occurred in St. Michael’s Home), bronchitis, pleurisy and pueuraonia 67, heart disease 58, cancer 25, The cases of scarlet fever were scattered and of a mild type. At Cougresbury the school was closed owing to epidemic of waoopiug cough. The diphtheria occurred in isolated cases, unsanitary surroundings being usually the cause. At Banwell, where four cases occurred in one house, it was imported, the water and drainage being good. Typhoid: Six oases occurred at Cheddar, the well being polluted. Infectious Diseases Hospital: None. Dis- infection means : Disinfectants supplied free, and fumi- gation. Dairies, cow sheds, and milk shops inspected; slaughter-houses and bakehouses inspected.