HH62/45/255

Transcription

[Page] 18

wil shortly expire, it will be necessary, during 1896, to make some fresh arrangement.
The term of the Chief Medical Officer's official connection with the Infirmary Staff
having expired in 1895, he has no longer any supervision over the patients sent by
the District Committee.
The Portable Hospital for treating Smallpox patients has not been called into
requisition during the past year; it is ready for use, however, on a few hours' notice,
should the necessity arise.
During the past year the energies of the Public Health Officials have been on
several occasions rather severely taxed in endeavouring to stamp out Infectious
Disease, and, on the whole, the results have been satisfactory. The usual routine of
urging removal to Hospital of such patients as were fit, has been followed, and, when
this could not be carried out, isolation at home was insisted on, and at the termination
of the illness thorough disinfection of the premises carried out. The source of the
disease has invariably been a subject for investigation, and, when due to insanitary
conditions, these were rectified as far as possible. During 1895, 209 cases of Infectious
Disease were reported to the Chief Medical Officer.
Respiratory Diseases caused 33 deaths during 1895, as compared with 30 in
1894. Of these 33, 8 occurred in children under 1 year, and 16 in persons over 60
years of age.
Tubercular Diseases caused 43 deaths during 1895, as compared with 45 in
1894. Of these 43 deaths, 25 or 58.1 per cent., were attributed to Pulmonary
Consumption. Deaths from this class of disease formed 14.1 per cent. of the total,
and show a large proportion still due to them.
Nervous Diseases caused 23 deaths during 1895, as compared wth 21 in 1894.
Of these 23 deaths, 11 were in persons over 60 years of age.
Circulatory Diseases caused 37 deaths during 1895, as compared with 47 in
1894. Of these 37 deaths, 24 were in persons over 60 years of age. Diseases of this
class caused 12.2 of the total mortality.
Diseases of the Digestive System caused 18 deaths during 1895, as compared
with 24 in 1894. This class of disease caused 5.7 per cent. of the total.
Cancer and Malignant Diseases caused 17 deaths, as compared with 16 in 1894.
Old Age. - To this cause were ascribed 40 deaths during 1895, or 13.2 per cent.
of the total mortality. In 1894 the deaths due to Old Age were 35.
Violence. - Four deaths were caused by Violence during 1895, as compared with
8 in 1894.
Zymotic Diseases caused 25 deaths during 1895, as compared with 29 in 1894.
The Zymotic Death-rate was 1.34 during 1895, as compared with 1.38 in 1894.
Diphtheria caused 10 deaths during 1895, as compared with 11 in 1894. The
number of cases of the disease reported was 64, as compared with 25 in 1894, thus
giving a case mortality during 1895 of 15.6, as compared with 44.0 in 1894. There
were two large groups of cases - one at Longforgan, and the other at Stanley. In
the former the disease was evidently caused by children attending school whilst
suffering from slight unrecognised Diphtheria, and that it spread in the school was
not to be wondered at, seeing that the only drinking water available at the time was
from what is known as the 'factory pan," to obtain a drink of water from which it is
necessary to apply the lips to the top of a tube, fixed in the top of the pan, and to suck
up the water. In Stanley the drainage of the village is in such a bad state that it is
remarkable that there were not more cases of Diphtheria than actually occurred.
The remainder of the cases occurred in scattered groups throughout the District, and
were mostly discovered to have been due to faulty drainage, which was immediately

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rectified. Eleven patients suffering from Diphtheria were removed to Hospital and
made good recoveries, with the exception of one who died.
Scarlet Fever caused 2 deaths during 1895, as compared with 6 in 1894.
During the past year 90 cases of the disease were reported to the Chief District
Medical Officer, as compared with 124 in 1894. Seventeen of these patients were
removed to Hospital and made good recoveries. The type of the disease was mild in
the large majority of the cases.
Enteric Fever caused 4 deaths during 1895, as compared with 1 in 1894.
During the past year 23 cases of the disease were reported, and, of these, four were
removed to Hospital; one proved fatal, the case being in an advanced stage of the
disease before his removal. Most of the cases were of a sporadic character; but one
group was traced to the use of water from a polluted well, perversely used in spite of
warnings, and although there was a good supply of water by gravitation available;
the reason alleged for the preference being that the water was much cooler and better
than that from the pipes.
Whooping-Cough caused 2 deaths during 1895, as compared with 9 in 1894.
Measles caused 2 deaths during 1895.
Diarrhoea caused 8 deaths during 1895, as compared with 2 in 1894.
Deaths in which the cause was uncertified, or insufficiently stated, were 20, as
compared with 16 in 1894.

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