HH62/45/95

Transcription

[Page] 4

The following table shews the per centage of deaths and sickness due to
Respiratory Diseases throughout the County during the year:-

Percentage of Death.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- 17.9
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 16.4
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, -- 13.3
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 10.8
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- 16.3

Percentage of Sickness.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- No Returns.
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 26.6
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, --No Returns.
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 27.7
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- No Returns.

These diseases were most prevalent during the first six months of the year, 116
of the deaths occurring during that period. Along with the cold weather which
prevailed, doubtless the remains of the Influenza Epidemic was an important
predisposing cause.
Tubercular Diseases caused 137 deaths, or 12.5 per cent. of the total (of which 85
were due to Phthisis), against 125 in 1891. These diseases belong to a class which is
distinctly preventable, and it is to be expected that a large diminution of the deaths
ascribed to them will be effected when the supervision of the sanitary conditions of
dwelling-houses, milk supplies, and of meat intended for human use is carried out.
With regard to Phthisis, it cannot be too prominently brought under the notice
of the public that this is a disease transmitted from one person to another, and that
precautions should be taken to prevent, as far as possible, such transmission, which is
almost entirely due to the careless disposal of the expectoration from consumptive
patients.
The following table shews the per centage of deaths due to Tubercular Diseases
during the year:-

Percentage of Deaths.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- 10.7
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 16.4
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, -- 8.0
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 17.3
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- 11.3

Percentage of Sickness.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- No Returns.
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 5.3
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, --No Returns.
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 3.6
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- No Returns.

Diseases of the Circulatory System, with which may be grouped Rheumatic
Diseases, caused 137 deaths, against 148 in 1891 - 94 of those occurred in persons over
sixty years of age. They were distriibuted over the country as shewn by the following
table:-

Percentage of Deaths.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- 13.2
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 13.2
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, -- 10.0
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 9.6
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- 12.5

Percentage of Sickness.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- No Returns.
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 16.4
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, --No Returns.
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 17.1
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- No Returns.

Diseases of the Nervous System caused 82 deaths, of which 62 were in persons
over sixty years of age, against 127 in 1891. The distribution over the county was as
follows:-

Percentage of Deaths.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- 7.5
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 10.0
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, -- 5.0
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 4.4
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- 9.4

Percentage of Sickness.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- No Returns.
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 11.0
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, --No Returns.
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 10.5
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- No Returns.

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Diseases of the Digestive System caused 50 deaths, or 4.5 per cent. of the total - the
same as 1891. From the Sickness Returns of the Central and Western Districts, it will
be oberved that this class of disease accounts for about a quarter of the total sickness,
and is mostly attributable to errors of diet and climatic influences. These latter are beyond
the power of man to control; he can only protect himself against them by suitable
clothing and strict attention to diet, remembering that a digestive system loaded with
indigestible matter is more likely to be affected by a chill than one which is in a
perfectly normal condition.
The mortality and sickness from Digestive Diseases were distributed over the
County, as shewn in the following Table:-

Percentage of Deaths.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- 5.6
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 2.8
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, -- 4.2
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 7.0
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- 3.1

Percentage of Sickness.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- No Returns.
CENTRAL DISTRICT, -- 29.3
HIGHLAND DISTRICT, --No Returns.
WESTERN DISTRICT, -- 31.7
EASTERN DISTRICT, -- No Returns.

Developmental Diseases caused 59 deaths, against 30 in 1891.
Cancer and Malignant Diseases caused 42 deaths, or 3.8 per ent. of the total.
The distribution was as follows - Perth District, 13; Central District, 12; Highland
District, 6; Western District, 2; Eastern District, 9. Of these 17 were males and
25 females.
Influenza caused 24 deaths in 1892, against 52 in 1891. It was prevalent in the
early months of the year, as is shewn by the Sickness Returns for the Central and
Western Districts, in which 210 cases of the disease were reported.
Zymotic Diseases. - Fifty-three deaths were caused by these during 1892,
against 76 in 1891.
Small-pox caused 1 death. The disease was carried by a tramp from the North
of England to Balquhidder, where he took ill and died about the twelfth day of his
illness. The man was 55 years of age, and had never been vaccinated. He had been
nearly a week ill before a medical man was called, and during that period seven
people had been constantly exposed to infection. Even at that stage, however, re-
vaccination was successful in preventing the disease in five out of the seven, and in the
two cases attacked the illness was of the mildest type. All the above seven had
also good marks of previous vaccination. Small-pox is evidently on the increase, and
may perhaps serve to teach a lesson much needed by the anti-vaccinators. These
individuals, while sheltered so far by their dwelling amongst a community who, as a
rule, have submitted to vaccination, recklessly do their utmost to withdraw themselves
and others from the protection afforded by one of the greatest discoveries of medical
science. They industriously circulate reports regarding the horrors of vaccination
from impure vaccine. At the present day no one requires to submit to vaccination
from any other than from calf vaccine, so their calumnies are behind the age. In my
opinion, the laws regarding vaccination, instead of being relaxed, should be made more
stringent, and re-vaccination should be made compulsory.
Of Typhus Fever 2 cases were reported, and are referred to in the Western
District Report.
Scarlet Fever caused 5 deaths, against 4 in 1891. This disease has been exceed-
ingly prevalent during the year. Its type has, however, been very mild, and where
it was severe there was generally some complication in the shape of insanitary con-
dition of premises, or constitutional weakness, of the patient to account for this.
Again and again the disease was almost directly traced to convalescents who had

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