HH62/45/45

Transcription

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During the year 1892, the Regulations in connection with Dairies, Cowsheds,
&c., will be enforced. These much needed sanitary bye-laws will tend to decided
improvement in the matter of water supplies and separate milk-houses. Besides the
carrying out of these Regulations, the Committee should call for a full report of the
sanitary condition of all the villages in the District, especially as regards the disposal
of house refuse. This would put them in possession of the main facts regarding each
village and the views of the officials in respect to the remedies proposed.
The Public Health Act would, in my opinion, be much more efficiently
administered were the District Officials invited to attend Public Health Sub-
Committee Meetings.
The question of allowing local Medical assistance for the proper administration
of the above Act in the Highland District was discussed by the Committee,
and the District Clerk requested a Report on the subject from the Chief
District Medical Officer. In this Report it was stated that the services of the
Medical men ought to be retained. The reasons for this were the following:- (1)
By dismissing these Medical Officers an amount of valuable local knowledge is lost,
which it will be impossible to replace; (2) For Returns of sickness, it is essential to
have the co-operation of Medical men; (3) The Highland District is peculiarly liable
to receive an infectious case within its bounds, because of the large number of visitors
who go thither from all parts of the country, and a panic, which would result in
serious pecuniary loss to the District, may very easily be created by a visit from head-
quarters to such a case, whereas a local Medical man can superintend isolation more
quietly and efficiently, from the fact that he is on the spot day by day in the ordinary
pursuit of his profession. Much valuable help has been given by the Sub-District
Medical Officers during the past year, and the loss of their services would be much
felt in the administration of Sanitation in the District should the Committee adhere
to their resolution of dismissal.
During the year a general inspection has been made of the condition of the more
populous parts of the District. On these visits, the nature of the soil, geological
formation, and general topographical features of the localities were noted, together
with the water supplies, and general sanitary condition of the houses.
Special investigations have been necessitated by the occurrence of infectious
disease, and alleged contamination of water supplies. It was observed that many
sanitary improvements had been made, or were in process of being carried out, under
the direction of the Chief Sanitary Inspector and his assistant.
No certificates have been required during the year. On several occasions advice
was given regarding the purity of water supplies, or the condition of premises, with
a view to a certificate being required for prosecution if the matter were not remedied.
This was, however, always done without having recourse to the unpleasant necessity
of prosecution. Advice was also given with regard to the isolation, &c., of infectious
cases.
Some very insanitary and dilapidated Slaughter-houses in one part of the
District are to be replaced by new erections, which will in every way be in keeping
with the requirements of modern sanitary ideas.
No action has been called for in regard to the sanitary condition of Factories
and Workshops.
Retail Bakehouses. - These are 10 in number, and have, in some cases, required
a great deal of attention to get them put into a sanitary condition. In one instance

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the building, although fitted up as a bakehouse, was not used as such, and in another
the premises were only used during the busy season. Of the remainder, which were
in constant use, some were found to be in a very dilapidated state within, and
rendered insanitary by nuisances without. In all cases the premises have been put
into proper repair, and the necessary lime-washing, &c., has been carried out. The
Bakehouses may now be said to be in a good sanitary state. In one instance only
was a young person found employed. This was notified to H.M. Inspector of
Factories.
As yet no arrangement has been made for providing accommodation for persons
suffering from infectious diseases. The Committee were advised to make a
temporary arrangement with the Directors of the Perth Royal Infirmary, in order
that cases from the District might be received in that Institution. At the present
time, however, no indication has been given of the adoption of this suggestion or of
any alternative proposal.
In the Perth Royal Infirmary there are 60 beds which the Directors are willing
to place at the disposal of the various District Committees in the County, for a
period of five years, on condition that the District Committees and the Local Authority
of Perth conjointly pay one half of the expenses of erecting a Steam Laundry and
Disinfector. This generous offer should certainly be accepted for the present, as, by
the end of five years, the Committee would be in a better position to judge of the
number of patients likely to require accommodation, and whether or not a Cottage
Hospital would be necessary. Doubtless the distance from Hospital is an objection
to the Perth scheme, but with a good ambulance waggon, such as it is proposed to
provide, and early notification of the disease, there would be no difficulty in removal.
In a District like the Highland, where so much of the prosperity of the inhabitants
depends upon summer visitors, it is imperative that provision should be made to
remove, at an early stage, if necessary for purposes of isolation, cases of infectious
disease. Otherwise a scare may be caused which would prove highly prejudicial to
the reputation of the most popular health resorts, at a time when everything depends
upon a clean bill of health being produced. The erection of a properly equipped
Infectious Diseases Hospital would be the true solution of this difficulty, but that
would mean the expenditure of a large sum of money in the erection, and a constant
epue se [expense] to maintain in an efficient state. It would be wise to pause until certain
that such an expenditure is necessary, especially as the offer of the Perth Infirmary
Directors gives an opportunity of doing so without danger to the public. The
Steam Disinfector to be erected at the Perth Infirmary is to be of the largest size,
and it will be available to disinfect bedding, &c.
During the past year the Fever Wards of the Perth Royal Infirmary have been
open to receive infectious cases from the Highland District, on the recommendation
of the Chief District Medical Officer, and on one occasion this was taken advantage
of. In his position as Senior Visiting Surgeon to the Perth Royal Infirmary, the
District Medical Officer has, under the Directors, full supervision of the accommodation
and treatment of cases admitted into the institution. It is intended to maintain at the
Perth Royal Infirmary a permanent staff of fever nurses, so that such cases may be
completely isolated from the general part of the building. The proper cleansing of
infected clothing, &c., has been a serious difficulty hitherto in the way of treating
fever in the Perth Infirmary, and the expense of chemicals and washing has been
very great. It is only fair that, if the Directors are to treat the cases for the next
five years, they should be put in possession of the most modern appliances for the
effectual, and, at the same time, least expensive carrying-out of their work.

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