HH62/45/303

Transcription

[Page] 12

Diseases of the Nervous System caused 82 deaths, or 9.0 per cent. of the
total during 1896, as compared with 97 in 1895. Of these 82 deaths, 60 occurred in
persons over 60 years of age, and 2 in children under 1 year. The distribution of
Nervous Diseases throughout the County was as follows:-

Percentage of Deaths.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- 8.4
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 7.6
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, -- 9.3
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 11.5
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- 9.2

Percentage of Sickness.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- No Returns.
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 10.3
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, --No Returns.
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 13.0
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- No Returns.

Diseases of the Digestive System caused 61 deaths, or 6.7 per cent. of the
total during 1896, as compared with 63 in 1895. The distribution of Digestive
Diseases throughout the County was as follows:-

Percentage of Deaths.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- 8.4
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 5.2
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, -- 5.8
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 4.3
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- 8.4

Percentage of Sickness.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- No Returns.
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 36.7
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, --No Returns.
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 34.8
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- No Returns.

Cancer and Malignant Diseases caused 51 deaths, or 5.6 per cent. of the
total during 1896, as compared with 52 in 1895. These deaths were distributed
throughout the County as follows:- Perth District, 17; Central District, 11;
Highland District, 11; Western District, 8; Eastern District, 4.
Old Age was given as the cause of death in 146 instances, or 16.1 per cent. of
the total, as compared with 139 in 1895.
Developmental Diseases caused 50 deaths, of which 30 were attributed to
premature birth, during 1896, as compared with 42 in 1895.
Violence was the cause of death in 26 instances during 1896, as compared with
36 in 1895. These deaths were thus distributed:- Perth District, 11; Central
District, 5; Highland District, 1; Western District, 5; Eastern District, 4.
Zymotic Diseases caused 43 deaths during 1896, as compared with 77 in 1895.
The total number of cases of illness due to these diseases was 449 during 1896, as
compared with 565 in 1895. This condition of matters is very satisfactory, as it is
against these diseases that the most strenuous efforts of the Sanitary Department are
directed. The number of patients suffering from infectious diseases removed to
Hospital during 1896 was 100, or 22.2 per cent., as compared with 85 in 1895.
Scarlet Fever caused 5 deaths during 1896, as compared with 8 in 1895. The
total number of cases reported during the year was 263, as compared with 277 in
1895. Much anxiety was caused in connection with several of the outbreaks
of this disease from the fact that slight cases, which had not been reported,
had been allowed to wander about amongst the inhabitants, without any
precautions, for weeks. Consequently, the extent of the epidemic was an unknown
quantity for some time; but, happily, in none of the outbreaks was the spread
alarming. In former years the happy ignorance of parents was enjoyed under the
assumption that the patient was suffering from Influenza, or the result of eating
unripe fruit; but during the past year the disease has been put down as German
Measles, and no precautions taken in consequence. Now, though Rötheln is a well-
recognised malady, this so-called German Measles is simply a cloak under which to hide

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slight cases of Scarlet Fever. This was proved by the fact that over and over again
the return of patients, who were said to have suffered from German Measles, to
school was followed by a well-marked epidemic of genuine Scarlet Fever. Until the
Infectious Disease (Notification) Act has been altered so as to make it an offence to
remain in ignorance as to the nature of an illness from which a child is suffering, and
this is further supplemented by the Local Authorities providing medical advice to
supply the information at the expense of the rates, little more can be done in the
direction of stamping out Scarlet Fever in rural districts. Removal to Hospital
was carried out in 23.5 per cent. of the cases of this disease. The type of Scarlet
Fever was, in most cases, exceedingly mild, and it was only when it attacked
constitutions weakened by insanitary conditions that untoward results were ex-
perienced.
Diphtheria caused 4 deaths during 1896, as compared with 21 in 1895. The
total number of cases of this disease reported during the year was 67, as compared
with 130 in 1895, and, without doubt, this number would have been still further
reduced had it not been that in two of the outbreaks - one on Loch Tayside and the
other in Glenshee - the disease was unrecognised by the relatives until several mem-
bers of the families had become infected. It is satisfactory, however, to be able to
report such a marked reduction in this the most deadly of diseases with which
we have to combat. Not only were there fewer cases of Diphtheria during the past
year, but the case mortality was much lower than in 1895. In 1896 it was only 5.9
per cent., whereas in 1895 it was 16.1 per cent. The benefits of Hospital treatment
were afforded to 17 per cent. of the cases of Diphtheria. As in former years this
disease was usually found to be connected with insanitary conditions, which are now
rapidly disappearing.
Enteric Fever caused 9 deaths during 1896, as compared with 10 in 1895. At
Dunning and Blackford the disease was introduced from without by members of
infected families being removed to these places. In both of these series of cases the
epidemic was clearly traceable to milk infection. Bankfoot and Stanley still continue
to be fertile sources of Enteric Fever, the cases from the former place being always
of a most maligant type.

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