[Report 1903] / Medical Officer of Health, Nailsworth U.D.C.

  • Nailsworth (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1903] / Medical Officer of Health, Nailsworth U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    stand that it was intended to adopt similar bye-laws in this district, which is contiguous with the Rural District. In May, the whole Council was appointed the “ Bye-law ” Com¬ mittee, four to form a quorum, and the matter is now being considered. In addi¬ tion to the above bye-laws, it is advisable that some should be made for the regulation of slaughter-houses, which are very important as being places where food is prepared for human consumption. In dealing with this matter, it should be remembered that this is an Urban, and not a Rural, District—more especially in connection with nuisances caused by the keeping of swine. Infectious Disease:—The total number of cases notified during 1903 was 16—2 cases of scarlet fever, and 14 of diphtheria.. Both cases of scarlet fever were in one house, and the) disease was introduced by a child who had had scarlet fever just before he came to stay at this house. All precautions pos¬ sible were taken, and there was no spread of the disease from these cases. Nine of the 14 cases of diphtheria occurred in the first two months of the year, and some of them were undoubtedly connected with an outbreak of this disease among the children at the school in the neighbouring parish of Horsley. In other cases sanitary defects were found in the houses, and in two cases the disease had been present in the same houses in 1901. There was one death from this disease dur¬ ing the year. From the time of the adoption of the Infectious Diseases (Notification) Act 1889, by the Rural District Council (then the Local Authority for the district) in 1890 up to 1898, only two cases of diphtheria had been notified in this district: since 1898 cases have occurred every year:—1899, 2 cases; 1900, 71 cases; 1901, 3 cases; 1902, 14 cases. In October last, the Council recognising the importance of early diagnosis in preventing the spread of this disease, and also the value of bacteriological examinations in attaining this, authorized me to make arrangements with W. Washbourn, Esq., M.R.C.S., of Gloucester, to undertake such examinations for diphtheria and typhoid fever for six months, for any medical practitioner in the district: since the date of this arrangement no advantage has had to be taken of this concession. The County Council have now made an agreement with Professor Stanley Kent, of University College, Bristol, whereby examinations for diphtheria and typhoid fever can be made for any practitioner in the ad¬ ministrative County, including Nailsworth, free of charge. Vital Statistics:—The population of the district estimated to the middle of 1903 was 3,035. It is on this figure that the various rates have been calculated. Births:—The number of births during the year was 82—45 males and 37 females—a rate per 1,000 of the population of 27.0. This is higher than in any year since the formation of the district, the average being 21.2. The rate for the whole of England and Wales was 28.4, and for the neighbouring Stroud Urban and Rural Districts, 20.1 and 21.4 respectively. Of the total 82 births, 5— 6.1 per cent.—were illegitimate (9.2 per cent, in 1902). In the Stroud1 Rural District they formed 2.9 per cent, of total births, and in the Stroud Urban, 4.4 per cent. Deaths:—The number of deaths registered in the district was 39—a rate of 12.9 per 1,000 of the population: adding to this the number of deaths of persons belonging to this district in the Union Workhouse, Stroud General Hospital and County Asylum (1 in each) the total number becomes 42—13 males and 29 females. The nett death rate is 13.8, which is the lowest recorded since the for¬ mation of the district, and 1.7 below the average of the previous seven years, viz., 15.5. Correcting for sex and age distribution, as explained in my report last year, the death rate becomes 12.3. The rates for the whole of England and Wales was 15.4, and for the neighbouring districts—Stroud Rural and Stroud Urban (similarly corrected)—11.6 and 14.4 respectively. Deaths under one year of age:—There were 8 deaths of infants under the age of one year, equal to an infantile mortality of 98, the average since the formation of the dis¬ trict in 1895 being 78. The corresponding rate in the whole of England and Wales was 132, and in the Stroud Rural and Urban Districts 73 and 88 respectively. Special Diseases:—During the year I have made investigations with respect to the dis¬ tribution of cancer, tuberculosis, and pneu¬ monia in this neighbourhood. The rates for this district are given below together with those for the whole Union:— Average Death Rates, 1881-1901. Cancer other Phthisis other Lobar Malignant Tubercular Pneumonia diseases diseases Broncho Nailsworth ... .90 .17 .83 .17 .30 .07 Stroud Union .80 .12 1.11 .29 .60 .34 Except for cancer and other malignant diseases, Nailsworth compares favourably with the average for the whole Union: an explana¬ tion of the higher rates for malignant diseases is probably to be found in the- fact that in Nailsworth there is an excess of females at all ages over 25 as compared with the whole Union. My general conclusions will be found in my annual report on the Stroud Rural District for 1903. Deaths not certified by a medical certificate: —These were five in number, 9.5 per cent, of total deaths. Inquests were held in four cases with the following verdicts:—1, Acci¬ dentally burnt; 2, Found dead in bed, having been accidentally overlain; 3, Found dead, having hanged himself while temporarily in¬ sane ; 4, Suddenly—thrombus in pulmonary artery and left ventricle. Natural causes. In one case no inquest was held, the described cause of death was “ cancer of the face.”