HH62/45/163

Transcription

[Page] 35

7. The population of the Western District was 10,745, according to the Census
of 1891, of these 5,721 were Males and 5,024 Females. Estimated to the middle of
1893 the population of the Western District was 11,120. During 1893 there were
243 births and 165 deaths, giving a Birth-rate of 21.8, and a Death-rate of 14.8 per
1000 of the population, against a Birth-rate of 22.1, and a Death-rate of 14.2 in
1892. The Natural Increase of the population was 78 in 1893, against 87 in 1892.
Of the 165 Deaths, 86 were Males and 79 Females. The Infant Mortality was 22, or
at the rate of 90.5 per 1000 Births against 57.6 in 1892. The Zymotic Death-rate
was .719 in 1893 against 1.55 in 1892, 8 Deaths were caused by these diseases in 1893.
Respiratory Diseases caused 31 deaths, or 18 per cent. of the total in 1893,
against 17 in 1892. The sickness returns supplied by the Assistant Medical Officers,
show that 22.2 per cent. of the total was due to this class of diseases, against 26.4
per cent. in 1892.
Circulatory Diseases caused 15 deaths, or 9 per cent. of the total in 1893,
against the same number in 1892. Sickness returns show that 6.6 per cent. of the
total was due to this class of diseases, against 8.2 per cent. in 1892.
Tubercular Diseases caused 26 deaths, or 15.7 per cent. of the total in 1893,
against 27 in 1892. Of these 26 deaths 11 were due to Phthisis. Sickness returns
show that 2.8 per cent. of the total was due to diseases of this class, against 3.6 per
cent. in 1892.
Nervous Diseases caused 8 deaths, or 4.8 per cent. of the total in 1893, against
7 in 1892. Sickness returns show that 9.3 per cent. of the total was due to this class
of diseases in 1893, against 10.5 in 1892.
Digestive Diseases caused 9 deaths, or 5.4 per cent. of the total in 1893, against
11 in 1892. Sickness returns show that 30.5 per cent. of the total was due to this
class of diseases, against 31.7 in 1892. In many instances these diseases are
attributed to "errors in diet," showing that with care in respect to food there might
be a large diminution of sickness of this class.
Rheumatic Diseases. - No deaths were certified as having been caused by this
class of diseases in 1893. Sickness returns, however, show that 10.5 per cent. of the
total was due to diseases of this class. The majority of the cases reported occurred
in connection with the West Highland Railway Contract, and were mostly due to
exposure.
Cancer and Malignant Diseases caused 4 deaths, or 2.4 per cent. of the total in
1893, against 2 in 1892. Sickness returns show that 6 per cent. of the total was due
to this class of diseases in 1893, against 8.8 in 1892.
Developmental Diseases caused 8 deaths (of which 4 were due to premature
birth), against 14 in 1892.
Old Age caused 33 deaths, or 20 per cent. of the total in 1893, against 22
in 1892.
Zymotic Diseases caused 8 Deaths, or 4.8 per cent. of the total in 1893,
against 17 in 1892.
Smallpox caused 3 deaths; two of the victims never had been vaccinated, and
in the third there was only one very slight mark of primary vaccination, the patient
was 48 years of age. Ten cases of the disease occurred in the Western District -
9 in Glenfalloch - amongst the employees of the contractors for the New West
Highland Railway, - and 1 at Frenich, about 9 miles from Aberfoyle, in connection
with the Glasgow Water-Works Extension.
The year began with rumours of Smallpox. On the 2nd of January a com-
munication was received from Dr. McVail, intimating that two men had left a

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Smallpox infected hut at Tarbert, and it was thought that they might find their
way to one of the Perthshire contracts. The assistant Medical Officers, as well as
the medical men in charge of the contract works, were immediately apprised of the
danger, and a vigilant watch was kept lest the men might get into any of the huts
occupied by navvies. In this work the County Police gave valuable assistance.
Nothing was heard of these men till January 12th, when Dr. Lindsay, Buchlyvie,
reported that he had seen one of the men, who had turned up at the Aberfoyle Slate
Quarries, that he had found the man in good health, and that he had suffered from
an attack of Smallpox some years previously; the other man was not discovered in
Perthshire. On the 11th January, in response to a telegram from Dr. Kay,
Crianlarich, a visit was made to a large hut in the neighbourhood of that place, and
it was found that one of the navvies was suffering from virulent Smallpox. The
man had never been vaccinated, he had come to the hut from Helensburgh, where he
had caught infection, as was afterwards discovered, from a mate with whom he had
been wandering about the country between Helensburgh and Crianlarich, about a
fortnight before the New Year. This mate had been feeling ill about the beginning of
his wanderings, but was never laid up, so that in his case the disease had not been
recognised, but the occurrence of a number of cases amongst people widely separated,
and with nothing in common save contact with this man, who suffered from an
illness a fortnight subsequent to a visit to Glasgow, where the disease was prevalent
amongst the Common Lodging-Houses, at which such a person would stay during
his visit, seems to point conclusively to the disease from which he had suffered being
Smallpox. The man disappeared immediately after the occurrence of the first cases
of the disease at Helensburgh and Crianlarich, and it was impossible to ascertain the
facts of the case, but the mere fact of his disappearance shows that he himself was
conscious of his being the origin. The patient at Crianlarich had been watched by
Dr. Kay for two days before my visit, and as he was suspicious of the nature of the
illness, he had been removed to an unoccupied part of the hut on the previous day.
It was decided that it would be the wisest course to leave the patient where he was,
and with the ready help of Messrs. Lucas and Aird's officials, all the remaining navvies
in the hut, except one, were transferred next day to the only other hut available,
which was near the side of the public road. During the night the whole of the navvies
in the hut were re-vaccinated, with the exception of four, who refused, as they had
either been re-vaccinated or had Smallpox. The operation was delayed some hours in
consequence of having to wait till the arrival of the late train from Edinburgh, with
sufficient lymph to vaccinate all the inmates - 35 in number - at once. About 3
a.m., however, after a good deal of argument, all, with the above exceptions, were
re-vaccinated. The hutkeeper's wife had a child only the day previous to the
discovery of the case, and, as she was not in a very good state, and objected
to removal, she was not removed to the other hut for a week after the other
inmates. The communication between the room occupied by her and the
rest of the hut was securely closed, and there were besides two empty rooms
between her room and the one in which the patient was. A Nurse was
kindly sent by the Lady Superintendent of the Edinburgh City Hospital
to take charge of the patient, and during the intervening eight hours one of the
navvies, who was off work in consequence of a slight accident, volunteered to see that
the patient was attended to. As soon as the Nurse arrived this navvy was placed in
an unoccupied room of a neighbouring hut, and helped the Nurse by carrying water,
coals, &c. It was found that, in a very considerable number of instances, the
re-vaccinations of the inmates of this hut were very unsatisfactory. It was afterwards

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