[Report 1937] / Medical Officer of Health, Fife County Council.

  • Fife (Scotland). County Council.
Date:
1937
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1937] / Medical Officer of Health, Fife County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/220 (page 13)
    Deaths from puerperal causes were 5 (puerperal sepsis 0, other puerperal causes 5) equivalent to a maternal mortality of 3*1, a much more satisfactory rate than that obtaining in the Landward Area. The number of such deaths in 1936 was 14, the same number as in 1935. Diseases of the respiratory system caused 132 deaths in 1937, as compared with 156 in 1936 and 114 in 1935. The death rate in 1937 from these causes was 1 *33 per 1,000. The several rates of the two most populous Small Burghs of the County are :— Buckhaven-Methil :—Birth rate 18-9; marriage rate 6-3; death rate 11-9; infantile mortality rate 72 ; tuberculosis death rate 0-31 ; death rate from principal epidemic diseases 0-73. There was no maternal mortality. Cowdenbeath :—Birth rate 17-3 ; marriage rate 6-3 ; death rate 11-2; infantile mortality rate 60 ; tuberculosis death rate 0-89 (pulmonary 0*73) ; death rate from principal epidemic diseases 0-89. There was one maternal death (from other puerperal causes). NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. The number of persons in the Landward Area and Small Burghs i notified as suffering from infectious diseases in 1937 was 2,012 of whom 1,412 or 70-2 per cent, were removed to hospital for treatment. In 1936 the number of persons so notified was 1,806 ; in 1935, 2,551 ; l in 1934, 3,212 ; and in 1933, 3,649. In 1937, the persons notified suffered from the following diseases : j —Cerebro-spinal fever 18 ; undulant fever 1 ; diphtheria 314 ; dysentery 64 ; encephalitis lethargica 1 ; erysipelas 180; acute I infective jaundice 2 ; ophthalmia neonatorum 87 ; pneumonia— acute influenzal 183 ; pneumonia—primary 297 ; pneumonia— not otherwise notifiable 33; acute poliomyelitis 3; puerperal fever 7 ; puerperal pyrexia 25; scarlet fever 589; pulmonary tuberculosis 83 ; non-pulmonary tuberculosis 120 ; typhoid fever 2 ; para-typhoid 3. Of 589 persons suffering from scarlet fever, 570 or nearly 97 per i cent, were removed to hospital and all but 3 of 314 persons notified I as suffering from diphtheria. Of 513 persons suffering from i pneumonia (primary, influenzal or other), 350 or slightly over 68 i per cent, were admitted to hospital for treatment. Twenty-six of 32 women notified as suffering from puerperal sepsis and puerperal pyrexia were treated in hospital as were also 15 of 87 infants suffering ; from ophthalmia. The number of patients suffering from erysipelas treated in hospital was 44. In 1937, there were 94 more notifications of scarlet fever than in 1936 but those of diphtheria were 40 less. The notifications of the typhoid fevers, viz., 5, in 1937 were 7 less than in 1936,