[Report 1937] / Medical Officer of Health, Chard U.D.C. / Borough.

  • Chard (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1937
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1937] / Medical Officer of Health, Chard U.D.C. / Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    1/2
    LIBRARY BOROUGH OF CHARD ANNUAL REPORT OK THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH KOK THE Year ended 31st December, 1937. To the J/ayor, Aldcimcn and Coimcillors of the Borough oj Chard. Genti.f.men, I have the honour of presenting my annual report concerning sanitary matters in the Borough. Perhaps a few comments thereon may be permissable. Firstly, although the births during 1937 were some- what more numerous (58) than for the former seven years, they are still well exceeded by the deaths (63). Tiiere is still much room for improvement. Happily, deaths among the children are practically nil, although 3 prematurely born infants survived only a day or two. The deaths were mainly in ripe old age. 4 reached well over 90 years, 13 more from 80 to 90, 21 from 70 to 80. Bar the three attempts at life mentioned, there were no deaths in the first 20 years, and only one in each of the next three ten-year periods. Largely perhaps because we are living to older ages, the proportion of cancer cases increases. The disease is not notifiable, so the number of actual cases is not known, and, more important, the number of cures made. These cases are more numerous than many think, and if only this is realised and action taken at an early stage the number of cures will be greatly increased. Tuberculosis as a cause of death is much less frequent and the age, even then, a later- one usually. My thanks are tendered to the Borough Surveyor for records re housing, sanitary inspections, &c. 1 have the honour to be. Your obedient servant, R. SUTHERLAND. May, 1938, SEC'ITON A. St.atistics and Social Conditions of THE Area. Area, 920 Acres. Registrar-General’s estimate of resident population mid 1937, 1,330. Number of inhabited houses (end of 1937) according to Rate Books, 1,253. Rateable Value, ;^24,55T Sum represented by a penny rate, ;^94 (estimated). Social Conditions.—Very little, if any, change. There was comparatively little unemploy- ment during the year. Extracts from Vital Statistics of the Year, after correction for inward and outward transfers, as furnished by the Registrar-General. Live Births— Total M. F. Legitimate ... 51 ... 29 ... 22 Illegitimate ... 3 ... 2 .. 1 Birth Rate per 1,000 of the estimated resident population : Still Births— Legitimate ... 3 ... 1 ... 2 Illegitimate ... Nil ... — ... — Rate per 1,000 total (live and still births). Deaths ... ... 63 ... 27 ... 36 Death rate per 1,000 of the estimated resident population, 14.55. Note. — For comparison with Death Rate of England and Wales the above death rate is multiplied by a comparability factor, and thus becomes 11.20. Deaths from puerperal causes . 0 Puerperal Sepsis . 0 Other puerperal causes 0 Total . . . 0 Rate per 1,000 (live and still) births, nil. Death rate of Infants under one year of age All infants per 1,000 live births ... 55.55 Legitimate infants per 1,000 legiti- mate live births 58.82 Illegitimate infants per 1,000 illegitimate live births . . nil Deaths fiom Cancer (all ages) 11 Measles ,, . . nil Whooping Cough ,, . . nil Diarrhoea (under 2 years of age) . . nil There was an outbreak of dysentery in the Borough associated with one in the neigh- bouring districts in May and June, an account of which has already been given by the C_ounty Medical Officer oLHeaUh_in conjunction with the local Medical Officers, and need not be further reported here. There were no deaths from it. The Registrar-General divides the causes of death in the country into 36 categories. 1 Typhoid and Paratyphoid ; 2 Measles; 3 Scarlet Fever; and so on. In Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 17, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 33, 34, and 36 there were no deaths. In the omitted numbers the deaths were as follows :— Male Female Nos. (6) (9) Influenza Tuberculosis of Resp. 1 2 System . . 1 2 (13) Cancer 7 4 (14) Diabetes .. 0 1 (15) Cerebral Hem., &c. 2 0 (16) Heart Diseases 1 11 (18) Other circulatory diseases . . I 1 (19) Bronchitis 2 2 (20) Pneumonia 1 0 (21) Other resp. diseases 1 0 (22) (2S) Peptic Ulcer Ascites and Chronic 2 0 Nephritis Congenital Debility, 0 1 (31) Prem. Birth, &:c. 1 2 (32) Senility 6 8 (35) Other defined diseases 1 2 Totals . . 1 !7 36 SECTION B. General Provision of Hf.alth Services FOR THE Area. 1 Public Health Officers of the Authority ; Medical Officer of Health, Robert Sutherland, M B., Ch.B. Viet. Part time only. 2 Sanitary Inspector, P. H. Webb, M.Inst. M. & Cv. E. Part time only. Assistant Sanitary Inspector, A. L. La ROOM BE. Part time only. There are no changes to be recorded re laboratory facilities, ambulance, nursing in the homes, clinics and treatment centres or hospitals. SECTION C. Sanitary Circum.stances of the Area. 1 (i) Water. The public supply has con- tinued to be abundant in quantity and excellent in rjuality. Works inspected on 72 occasions. The latest report, 10/2/38, from the Somerset County Laboratory, of the two wells supplying the Borough, says :— “ Tlie above sample shows no evidence of contamination and the results are satisfac- tory.” Usually examined by County about twice yearly but now to be quarterly. (ii) Drainage and Sewerage. — No alteration. 2 Rivers and Strka.ms.—No special action taken. 3 (i) Closet Accommodaiion.— No special alteration. lii) Public Cleansing.—No, alter- ation. (iii) Sanitary Inspectiox.s OF 1 Area. Re Sewerage and Drainage ... 139 Inspection for nuisances ... 27 Informal notices served ... 29 Drainage tests and inspections 71 Houses disinfected 14 Dail ies and Cowsheds 26 Water Works Inspections... 72 Slaughter House Inspections 407 (iv) Siior.s.—No special action rcquii (v) Smoke Abatement. — No action taken. (vi) There is a swimming bath belonging to Chard School which is open to the public during the summer holidays at special fees for the ses.sion. It is treated chemically by the school authorities as required. No tests of the water have been made by the Sanitary Authority. (vii) Eradication of Bed Bugs. 1. No Council houses are infected. A few others have been found to be infested and have been effectually disinfected by spraying with Killgercide. 2. Precautions taken to prevent infestation of Council Houses by belongings of ingoing tenants. 3. Several supervisions. 4. By whom disinfection has been done, by Local Authority. 5. Preventive measures taken. General supervi.sion. 4. Schools.—Their sanitary conditions are very good. The pulilic elemental y school teachers have special instructions from the County M.O.H. as to reporting, &:c., in case of infectious disease.