HH62/45/257

Transcription

[Note] 256

Central District.

The population of the Central District, estimated to the middle of 1895, was
13,858, but from this must be subtracted the population of the Burgh of Auchter-
arder (2554), thus leaving only a population of 11,304 under the jurisdiction of the
Central District Committee. During the year 1895 there were 265 Births and 206
Deaths registered, as compared with 326 Births and 237 Deaths in 1894. The
Birth-rate for 1895 was 23.44 and the Death-rate 18.22. The Natural Increase of
the population during the past year was 59, as compared with 89 in 1894. Deaths
in persons over 60 years of age were 103, or 50.0 per cent. of the total; and 27
Deaths occurred in children under 1 year, of which 6 were due to developmental
causes, giving an Infant Mortality of 101.8, as compared with 55.2 in 1894.
During the past year the ordinary routine work of the Public Health Depart-
ment has been kept well up to the standard of former years, and much extra labour
has been necessitated to effectually combat outbreaks of Infectious Disease.
None of the larger works recommended as needful in former Reports have as yet
been carried out. In so far as the drainage of Dunning is concerned, the District
Committee has taken charge of keeping the existing drainage in working order, so
that for the present the grave danger in that quarter has been averted, and it is hoped
that before long the inhabitants may see their way to sending a requisition to have
a Special Drainage District formed. The drainage of Comrie stands practically where
it did, the idea of forming the place into a Special Drainage District having ended, as
it began, in talk. The Madderty Special Water District has not yet been formed,
although the requisition has for some time been under the consideration of the District
Committee; there is, however, every prospect of a resolution being passed at the next
meeting of the District Committee, which will be the means of providing for a large
extent of the District a plentiful supply of pure water from the hills. The pollution
of the water supplies to the east of the town of Crieff, complained of bitterly during
former years, has now entirely ceased, but, as these supplies are in some instances not
above suspicion altogether apart from the Crieff pollution, it is anticipated that they
will be replaced by water drawn from the main supply to the Madderty District when
that is completed.
2. General enquiries have been made during the past year to ascertain the
sanitary condition of the District, and many special enquiries have been necessary to
ascertain the cause and secure the isolation of cases of Infectious Disease.
3. Advice was required in connection with the Madderty Water Supply, and in
connection with the drainage of Dunning, also in connection with some houses found
to be in an insanitary condition, as well as in many other matters incidental to the
administration of the Public Health Acts within the Central District; but no certi-
ficates were required, nor was any action necessary under the Factroy and Workshops
Acts.
4. Retail Bakehouses. - These were visited during the year, and found to be
kept in good order. One was destroyed by fire, and has now been rebuilt. There
have been no new Bakehouses erected during the past year, and the number in opera-
tion still remains at fourteen.

[Note] 257