[Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Horsforth U.D.C.

Horsforth (England). Urban District Council.

Date:: 1898

Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1898] / Medical Officer of Health, Horsforth U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

6/18 (page 4)

Of the deaths from general diseases one need not comment especially, only on those from Phthisis. From this 16 persons died—thus claiming more victims than any other disease. The death-rate produced, viz., 2'1 per 1000 per annum, is the highest yet recorded, as shown below. 1892. 1893. 1894. 1895. 1896. 1897. 1898. 1-1 -5 1-2 1-6 1-4 1-3 21 It is also much higher than the similar rate for all England and Wales. The only way in which I can account for this fact, is that many of the older houses in the district are small, damp, and ill-ventilated, and that comparatively few people yet understand the benefits of fresh air and sunlight upon this dread disease. Overcrowding (not coming within the limit to be dealt with by law) is frequently noticed, and it is unfortunate that parents of large families do not yet grasp the fact that the securing of a small rent is often not economy. The dusty occupations, viz., stone working, iron and steel working, etc., at which many find employment, are doubtless predisposing causes of this disease. The Respiratory death-rate for the year is 2-8 per 1000. For the last five years it was : 1893. 1894. 1895. 1896. 1897. 1898. 3-75 3-4 1-7 -8 3-1 2-8 Infant Mortality—26 deaths occurred under one year, producing an infant mortality of 123 per 1000 children born alive. This compares favourably with the previous years : 1892. 1893. 1894. 1895. 1896. 1897. 113 122 146 122 88 178 Notification of Infectious Diseases—Below I give you a table representing the various epidemics together with the months in which they occurred.