[Report 1899] / Medical Officer of Health, Bilston U.D.C.

  • Bilston (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1899] / Medical Officer of Health, Bilston U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/24 page 15
    The County Council, as previously stated, has decided to continue the arrangement with the Authorities of Mason University College for the bacteriological examination, free of charge, in doubtful cases of Diphtheria, and, further, to extend it to cases of Phthisis and Enteric Fever. Medical practitioners can therefore now avail themselves of this aid in determining the exact nature of any suspected case of either of these three diseases. It has on previous occasions been pointed out that Phthisis is an infectious disease, and that, consequently, persons suffering from it should live in airy, well-ventilated rooms, breathe abundance of fresh air, and the expectoration should be destroyed or disinfected. The prevention of this disease has been much discussed in recent years, and our knowdedge of its causation and the conditions under -which it develops, has greatly increased. It is really a preventable ailment— not inherited—though some constitutions are more prone to it than others, and caught like many other diseases. Over-crowding, foul air, want of sunlight, and dampness are most important factors in its causation—hence the benefit of the “open air treatment ” now being so largely adopted in this and other countries. Consumption is caused by a germ -wdhch may also cause disease of other parts of the body, especially the bowels of young children, if milk from infected cows is used. To avoid this risk all milk should be boiled to kill the germs, and all meat thoroughly cooked. Inquests.—32 inquests were held during the year, as compared with 23 in the previous year, 28 in the year 1837, 17 in 1830, 27 in 1895, and 25 in 1894. Uncertified Deaths.—As in 1898 there were only 4 cases of death in which no certificate w'as given by a medical man. The num- ber was 15 in 1897, 4 in 1899, and 5 in 1835. Infantile Mortality.—181 infants died before reaching the age of one vear, as compared with 214 in the two preceding years, being equal to an infantile mortality of 183-7 per thousand registered births. The following table gives the figurts for the ten years 1883-38 for Bilston, for the Urban Districts of btaft'ordshire, and for the large towns in England. Deaths in children under 1 year per 1000 registered births. 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 Mean Kate. Bilston UrVian Districts in Staf- 204 182 2)0 219 202 175 224 181 226 228 205 fordshire 161 176 175 174 179 163 181 171 187 181 174 Larjue Towns in Enj;land 16] 171 167 16.3 181 152 182 167 177 178 170
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