HH62/45/325

Transcription

[Note] 324

Eastern District.

The population of the Eastern District, estimated to the middle of 1896, was
9474. During the year 1896 there were 228 Births (107 males and 121 females)
and 130 Deaths registered in the District, giving a Birth-rate of 24.06, and a Death-
rate of 13.72, as compared with a Birth-rate of 24.02, and a Death-rate of 16.39 in
1896. The Natural Increase of the population during the year was 98, as compared
with 73 in 1895. There were 72 deaths, or 53.8 per cent. of the total, during the year,
in persons over 60 years of age, and in childen under 1 year there were 18 deaths, of
which 8 were due to Developmental Causes, giving an Infantile Mortality of 78.9, as
compared with 73.9 in 1895. The Zymotic Death-rate was .633, as compared with
.522 in 1895, and during the year 48 cases of Infectious Disease were reported, as
compared with 49 in 1895.
The general health of the District has been very satisfactory during the past year,
the number of deaths being less by 27 than in 1895. The excess in the Zymotic
death-rate was caused by two deaths from Whooping-Cough, a disease which sanit-
arians have not as yet sufficient powers to successfully control. Several water supplies
have been dealt with by the District Committee during the past year, the chief
was that for the supply of the combined villages of Woodside and Burrelton,
where the inhabitants, having given up hopes of permanently improving the present
wells, requisitioned the District Committee to form a Special Water Supply District.
This was done when it was satisfactorily shown that a sufficient supply of pure water
could be obtained at a reasonable cost, and a Sub-Committee has been appointed to
carry out the necessary works. The partially abandoned Rosemount Water District
was again brought to the front by the Local Government Board ordering an enquiry
and report as to the requirements of the District, and the possibility of securing a
supply of water for it, should that be found necessary. A very exhaustive enquiry
was made, which resulted in the discovery that there was a grievous want of water
in many parts of the District, also that there were three possible sources from which
water might be obtained; first, from the water supply to Blairgowrie, if that could
be guaranteed constant, and obtained at a reasonable cost; second, by pumping the
water from Loch Marlee to a sufficient elevation to allow it to gravitate to the
highest parts of the District; and third, by sinking a well in the District itself, and
pumping the water from that to a sufficient height. This latter alternative was,
however, laid aside for two very sufficient reasons, first, that it was very doubtful
whether the quality of the water likely to be obtained from such a well would be
pure, and second, that there was no place within the District on which a sufficiently
elevated reservoir could be erected to supply houses in the higher parts of the
District. The pollution of the River Ericht by the discharge of the sewage of
Rattray into it was several times under consideration, and it was finally decided by
the Rattray Commissioners to join their sewer to that of Blairgowrie, at the
outfall of which purification works have been erected. There is no doubt that this
scheme will be the best in the long run as it will remove the present pollution of the
river, and a conjoint purification scheme will be at the same time most economical
and efficient.

[Note] 325