[Report 1908] / Medical Officer of Health, Mossley Borough.

  • Mossley (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1908] / Medical Officer of Health, Mossley Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    In all cases where infectious diseases were notified the houses were visited by myself and the Inspector, disinfectant supplied, printed instructions to prevent the spread of the disease left, and at the termination of the case the houses were again visited, the sick rooms disinfected, beds and bedding removed, and disinfected in the Delepine Thresh Disinfector. SCARLE T FEVER.—Though there were 40 cases notified it was only of a mild type, and scattered over the whole district, and nearly the whole year, and there was only one death from it. There was a large increase in the number of cases of diphtheria, namely, 20 as compared with 5 in the previous year, and there were 4 deaths from this cause, 5 of these cases occurred in one house, and at the same time, and the premises were in a very dirty condition ; the others were sporadic cases occurring in different parts of the town, no cause traceable. All cases are treated with diphtheritic antitoxic serum, supplied at the expense of the Corporation. There were *2 cases of erysipelas of the face, both very mild. There were 8 cases of enteric fever, and 1 death. 2 cases occurred in the same house in January and the end of April, the second probably infected from the first. The first was probably due to defective drains which have since been remedied, the water and the milk supply were without suspicion, and in the third case an untrapped drain and a dirty house was found. There were no cases of puerperal fever during the year. The administration of the Midwives’ Act is under the jurisdiction of the County Council, and the Notification of Births’ Act is not adopted. With regard to infant mortality there were 87 deaths of infants under one year, as compared with 34 and 31 in the two previous years, 16 of these died in the first month of life, from premature birth, debility, and convulsions. In the case of the older infants the chief causes of death were whooping cough, debility, and pneumonia. All the Midwives are supplied with cards of printed instructions for the care and feeding of infants, and every mother they attend is supplied with one of these and her attention called to the main facts. Arrangements have not yet been made for the Medical Inspection of Children in Elementary Schools. I am constantly visiting factories, &c., and whenever any defect or nuisance is found, attention is called to it. In addition to this, inspections are made by the Nuisance Inspector. A systematic inspection of the whole of the Borough is now being carried out. Up to now 750 houses have been inspected, and notices to remedy existing nuisances have been served on the owners of the properties. The notable Sanitary Improvements during 1908 are, the laying of the main sewer in Rouglitown, the con¬ necting up of 80 houses to the main sewer, widening of the road opposite St. John’s School. Fourteen new houses have also been built. I now give Tables of Mortality, Birth and Death Rates, &c., as required by the Local Government Board. I am, Gentlemen, Yours faithfully, JOHN HEALEY, M.B., Ch.B., Medical Officer of Health.