HH62/45/135

Transcription

[Page] 8

Violence caused 43 deaths, against 33 in 1892, these were distributed throughout
the County as follows:- Perth District 14, Central District 5, Highland District 6,
Western District 14, and Eastern District 4.
Developmental Diseases caused 56 Deaths, of which 33 were due to Premature
Birth, against 59 in 1892.
Old Age caused 197 death or 17.3 per cent. of the total, against 169 in 1892.
Zymotic Diseases caused 65 deaths, against 53 in 1892. In all, 593 cases of
Infectious Disease were reported during the year, against 303 in 1892. Of these 95 or
16.0 per cent. were removed to hospital, the mortality amongst those removed being
5 or 5.4 per cent., and 498 were treated at home, amongst whom the mortality was
60, or 12 per cent. of the total cases treated at home.
Smallpox occurred on four separate occasions in the Western District, three
centres of infection occurring in Glenfalloch, and one at Frenich; in all of these the
disease was successfully stamped out before it had got any very great hold, and was
entirely confined to the localities in which it first showed itself. This was chiefly
owing to the free hand allowed to the Medical Officer by the District Committee,
and the ready assistance rendered by the Contractors, Messrs. Lucas & Aird, and
Messrs. John Waddell & Sons. By the prompt action which was thus made possible,
not only the inhabitants in the vicinity of the outbreak, but, indeed, the whole country
was protected. Such action was imperative amongst the class of men attacked
by the disease, or the country would have been overrun by those who had
been exposed to infection, and who might have wandered far before the
disease developed itself. The expense fell very heavily on the particular District
involved, but it nobly met the call, and it has now the satisfaction of knowing
that its prompt action not only saved Perthshire, but probably a large part of
Scotland from the most dreaded disease (popularly) of modern times. A full account
of the Smallpox outbreak will be found under the Western District Report.
Typhus Fever occurred in the Central and Highland Districts during the past
year - there were in all 9 cases. The disease commenced amongst the tinkers, and,
unfortunately, two nurses were infected, and one lost her life. The 7 tinkers,
however, as usual, all pulled through. Full particulars of these outbreaks will be
found in the Reports for the Central and Highland Districts.
Scarlet Fever has been exceedingly prevalent during the year in all of the five
Districts, but especially in the Central. In all, there were 230 cases reported, against
137 in 1892. There were 7 deaths due to Scarlet Fever, against 5 in 1892. The type
of the disease was, as a general rule, exceedingly mild - in fact, so mild that in
many of the outbreaks it was not recognised till it had been spreading amongst the
children for some time, and even when the disease was known to be in a particular
locality, it was impossible to certainly diagnose some of the cases as no rash appeared,
and there was no desquamation - in fact, nothing to be observed but a slight sore
throat; still there was the occasional cropping up of cases of undoubted Scarlet
Fever, which could have no other source than the doubtful ones, and were thereby
proved to be of a scarlatinal nature, and not ordinary sore throats. Full
details of some of the more serious outbreaks of the disease will be found under the
District Reports.
Diphtheria caused 18 deaths, against 15 in 1892. There were 54 cases of the
disease reported during the year. The places in which the most serious outbreaks
occurred were Scone and Bridgeton in the Perth District, and Killin in the Western.
Fuller details of these outbreaks (which are an infallible sign that the sanitary
condition of the localities in which they occur is defective) will be found in the
Reports for the Districts in which they occurred.

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