HH62/45/159

Transcription

[Note] 158

Western District.

The Western District has well maintained its reputation as the most healthy
in the County, during the past year. For the last three years its Death-Rate has
been under 15 per 1000, which is generally held to be a normal rate for rural districts.
Several matters of great importance, from a Public Health point of view, have
engaged the attention of the Committee during the year. One of the most beneficial of
these was the appointment of scavengers in all the larger villages in which a man
was not already privately employed for this purpose. The scavengers have already
begun work, and the improvements made by them are giving satisfaction generally.
Water supplies have demanded a good deal of attention during the year, and
in two instances gravitation supplies have replaced those formerly in use.
The pollution of the Forth by the sewage of Aberfoyle, has been under the
consideration of the District Committee, and steps have been taken which, it is
hoped, will eventually lead to the stoppage of the offence. This question
received a fresh impetus from the fact that Enteric Fever occurred in a number
of farms and houses which depend entirely on the Forth for their water supply.
Many of these houses are widely separated, and have nothing in common except
their water supply, so that it has undoubtedly been by this means that the specific
poison of the fever has been carried. The disease in this instance cannot
be traced to Aberfoyle, but as there were previously cases in the neighbour-
hood of Kippen, and the drainage of this village and others ultimately flows
into the Forth above the infected houses, it shows that the River Forth
requires for its proper purification, not only the energetic action of the Western
District of Perthshire, but also the like action on the part of the Central District
Committee of Stirlingshire. It is very questionable, however, how far the Forth
water can be relied on as a safe source for the supply of domestic water even although
all possible means are taken to protect the river from pollution from the villages,
and the question of providing a safe and sufficient supply may soon have
to be faced by the proprietors in the Carse. The floor of the Carse is composed of
Old Red Sandstone, but this has been worn away by the forces of nature until a
deep hollow has been made, which in process of time has been filled up with alluvial
deposits, probably laid down whilst the Carse was an arm of the sea; shells found
embedded in the deposit have pointed to this. As is usually the case, when wells have
been sunk into such soil, the water obtained is unfit for use, but were a proper Artesian
bore made through the alluvial deposits down to, and into, the rock, and were the
upper portion of the well protected by tubing against the entrance of surface
water, a plentiful and wholesome supply of water could be obtained. However,
it will be for the proprietors to choose between this form of supply and a gravitation
one from some of the neighbouring hill streams, should the efforts at present
being made to purify the Forth not prove a success.
The Cemetery referred to in the Report for 1892 has been closed to all except near
relatives of those already interred there, and a piece of new ground has been set
apart for the purposes of future interment.

[Note] 159