[Report 1897] / Medical Officer of Health, Whitchurch (Shropshire) R.D.C.

  • Whitchurch (Shropshire, England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1897] / Medical Officer of Health, Whitchurch (Shropshire) R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    OF THE Jltetaal ©film' ol Health For the year ending December 31st, 1397, FOR THE WHITCHURCH RURAL DISTRICT. The Whitchurch Rural Sanitary District is comprised of the six parishes of Whitchurch, Welsh Newton, Llanrothal, Welsh Bicknor. Garway and Ganarew, and has an acreage of 11,307 and a population, corrected up to the middle of 1897 from the last census, of 2096. The number of births registered during the past year was 49, viz., 30 males and 19 females, being an increase of 6 males over the number of the previous year. The total number of deaths registered during the same period was 31, being an increase of 9 over the previous year. Thus giving a general death rate of 14.7 per thousand. While the death rate of children under one year was 183.6 per thousand births registered. There were no fewer than 9 deaths registered of children under one year. Three were prematurely born children and existed two hours, three days, three days respectively, while another uncertified death was also probably due to premature birth, as it existed only nine hours. These cases in such a small total considerably augment the apparent death rate. Five deaths were registered as uncertified. Five deaths occurred in persons of 70 years and upwards. Zymotic disease, viz.,— Diphtheria proved fatal in two cases, both of them children, and both in Whitchurch, but at different times of the year, and in houses remotely apart. During the year six cases of infectious disease were notified, of these 5 were Diphtheria, occurring in various parts of Whitchurch, three occurred in one family in January, the other two occurred in August and November respec ively, they were isolated cases both as regards time of incidence and position of residence, the means taken for isolation and disinfection proved completely successful. The single case of Scailatina occurred at Garway, in June, and was successfully isolated. Measles wa3 very pievaleut during the Autumn, and at Welsh Newton it was found necessary to close the Schools. In distiicts like this where the population is scattered and the children live at some distance from the School this is the only means of checking the outbreak and lessening the serious after results liable to occur in this disease.