[Report 1895] / Medical Officer of Health, South Shields R.D.C.

  • South Shields (Durham, England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1895
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1895] / Medical Officer of Health, South Shields R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    RURAL DISTRICT OF SOUTH SHIELDS. -- THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH FOR THE YEAR 1895. To the South Shields Rural District Council. Gentlemen, My Annual Eeport for the year 1895 will give in an abbreviated form the work done during that time, and the actions taken by myself and the two Sanitary Inspectors for the maintenance of good health in the District. As in the preceding year I have divided it into four headings. (1) Vital Statistics. (2) Prevalence of Infectious Diseases, and the measures taken to prevent their spread. (3) General Sanitation. (4) Sanitary Eequirements. At the end of the Eeport will be found the Tables A, and B., filled up according to the Directions of the Local Government Board. The Area of the District in acres is 12,409. The Estimated Population to the middle of 1895—14,770. The General Death-Eate of the District is 15-03 per 1,000 Population. This is excluding 10 cases of accidents. The Infant Mortality being -97. The Zymotic Eate is -6. The Death-Eate from Phthisis 0-94. The Birth-Eare is 31-07. I have omitted purposely in these statistics the population, births and deaths, which have occurred in the Harton Workhouse and Jarrow Fever Hospital, excepting those cases which have been sent in to these Institutions from the South Shields Eural District. 156 cases of Infectious Diseases were notified to me under the Infectious Diseases Notification Act, as against 171 cases in the year 1894. Of these 113 were Scarlet Fever, 22 Enteric Fever, as against 32 in the previous year, 16 Erysipelas, 1 Continued Fever, 2 Puerperal Fever, 1 Membranous Croup, and 1 Diphtheria. During this month 15 cases of Infectious Diseases were notified to me as having occurred in the District. Of these 9 were Scarlet Fever, 3 Erysipelas, and 3 Enteric Fever. Of the Enteric Fever cases, one occurred at the Marsden Houses, one at Boldon Colliery, and one at Whitburn. The case at Marsden Houses probably contracted it from another member of the family, who had just previously been suffering from the same complaint. The case at Whitburn was removed to the Jarrow Fever Hospital, where he died. The surroundings of this house at Whitburn were very insanitary, and reference will be made to it later on in this report. Sporadic cases of Scarlet Fever prevailed in the District during the month, 13 cases being reported, all being of a mild type. One case was removed to the Hospital,. Four cases of Enteric Fever were reported. Of these two occurred in Fenwick’s Eow, Boldon Colliery. In each house previous cases had occurred—one twelve months ago, and the other three months ago. In both of these houses I had reason to believe that water six to twelve inches deep was below the flooring. The Inspector, after examination, reported to me that this was the case. In my report of 1894, I advised that steps should be taken to ascertain what houses in Fenwick’s Eow suffered from this defect, and I again strongly advise that the flooring of all such houses should be taken up, and the ground cemented to prevent this damp, which cannot be healthy, and which is still present. One case occurred at Whitburn, and was probably due to a badly laid drain. This has now been opened up, and properly re-laid. No cause could be assigned for the fourth case, which also occurred at Boldon Colliery. Vital Statistics, etc. Notifications. Prevalence of Infectious Dis¬ eases. January. February.