HH62/45/297

Transcription

[Note] 296

County of Perth.

SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT BY COUNTY MEDICAL OFFICER,
1896.

The population of the Landward County of Perth, estimated to the middle of
1896, was 63,752. During the year there were 1545 Births, of which 772 were
males and 773 females, and 906 Deaths registered in the Landward County, giving a
Birth-Rate of 24.23 and a Death-Rate of 14.21, as compared with a Birth-Rate of 23.06
and a Death-Rate of 16.41 in 1895. Of the births, 9.5 per cent. of the total were
illegitimate, and were thus distributed through§ the various Districts - Perth District,
8.7 per cent.; Central District, 8.3 per cent.; Highland District, 11.2 per cent.;
Western District, 6.4 per cent.; Eastern District, 13.5 per cent. The Natural
Increase of the population during the year was 639, as compared with 427 in 1895.
There were 483 Deaths in persons over sixty years of age in 1896, as compared with
524 in 1895, and there were 118 Deaths in children under one year (the same number
as in 1895), of which 50 were attributed to Developmental Causes, giving an Infantile
Mortality of 76.3, as compared with 79.6 in 1895.
To Old Age were ascribed 146 Deaths during 1896; the number in 1895 was
139. The Zymotic Death-Rate was .674 in 1896 compared with 1.1 in 1895, and
the total number of cases of infectious disease reported during the year was 449, as
compared with 565 in 1895.
From the above figures it will be observed that the year 1896 has been one in
which the health of the County has been in a very satisfactory condition. The
number of Births was 64 in excess of that of the previous year, and what is of more
importance, the number of deaths was 148 less; also, when the cause of death is
looked to, it will be seen that a considerable part of the reduction is due
to fewer deaths from Zymotic, or what are commonly called Preventable Diseases,
i.e, those diseases which the Sanitary Department is specially called upon to stamp
out, or mitigate, under he Public Health Acts. Whilst it must be admitted that during
the past year climatic conditions have been favourable for living, as evidenced by a
general low death-rate, still, on looking back and comparing the death and sickness
records of the five Rural Districts of Perthshire, undoubted evidence is to be found
of a steady reduction of the gross death-rate, and especially so in that due to
Zymotic Disease. This is well exemplified in the case of the Perth District
where the population is most dense, but where, by the wise foresight of the Local
Authority, village scavenging is carried out in every village. Here, even with such
black spots as Stanley and Bankfoot to retard the general progress, the journey
healthwards has been, and continues to be, very satisfactory.

[Note] 297