HH62/45/191

Transcription

[Page] 10

Circulatory Diseases caused 128 deaths, or 12.4 per cent. of the total during
1894, as compared with 122 in 1893. Of these 128 deaths, the age at death was
over 60 in 93 instances. The distribution of these diseases throughout the County is
shown in the following table:-

Percentage of Deaths.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- 15.3
CENTRAL, -- 13.0
HIGHLAND, -- 8.1
WESTERN, -- 12.5
EASTERN, -- 10.8

Percentage of Sickness.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- No Returns.
CENTRAL, -- 8.0
HIGHLAND, -- No Returns.
WESTERN, -- 7.4
EASTERN, -- No Returns.

Tubercular Diseases caused 135 deaths, or 13.1 per cent. of the total during
1894, as compared with 127 in 1893. Of the 135 deaths, 104 were attributed to
Pulmonary Consumption. Doubtless many of these were indirectly caused by the
Influenza epidemics of previous years, but without the specific germ of tubercle,
Influenza would be powerless; and it seems strange that in these days of active
legislation for the benefit of the people such a widespread cause of death and misery
should be allowed an almost unrestrained course, and it may be safely affirmed that
were the same loss to occur amongst cattle, means would be speedily found to combat
the disease. The distribution of Tubercular Diseases throughout the County is
shown in the following table:-

Percentage of Death.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- 14.6
CENTRAL, -- 15.1
HIGHLAND, -- 10.8
WESTERN, -- 13.9
EASTERN, -- 8.7

Percentage of Sickness.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- No Returns.
CENTRAL, -- 4.2
HIGHLAND, -- No Returns.
WESTERN, -- 2.4
EASTERN, -- No Returns.

Diseases of the Nervous System caused 109 deaths, or 10.6 per cent. of the
total during 1894, as compared with 100 in 1893. Of the 109 deaths, 77 occurred in
persons over 60 years of age. The following table shows the distribution of these
diseases throughout the County:-

Percentage of Deaths.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- 6.8
CENTRAL, -- 14.3
HIGHLAND, -- 9.2
WESTERN, -- 11.9
EASTERN, -- 12.8

Percentage of Sick.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- No Returns.
CENTRAL, -- 11.4
HIGHLAND, -- No Returns.
WESTERN, -- 13.4
EASTERN, -- No Returns.

Diseases of the Digestive System caused 59 deaths, or 5.7 per cent. of the
total during 1894, as compared with 70 in 1893. Sickness returns, where obtainable,
show that a large proportion of the total is due to these diseases. The following
table shows the distribution of these diseases throughout the County:-

Percentage of Deaths.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- 7.8
CENTRAL, -- 5.4
HIGHLAND, -- 4.3
WESTERN, -- 3.9
EASTERN, -- 5.4

Percentage of Sick.
PERTH DISTRICT, -- No Returns.
CENTRAL, -- 30.3
HIGHLAND, -- No Returns.
WESTERN, -- 39.5
EASTERN, -- No Returns.

[Note] 190

[Page] 11

Cancer and Malignant Diseases caused 56 deaths, or 5.4 per cent. of the
total during 1894, as compared with 49 in 1893. The distribution of these diseases
throughout the County was as follows:- Perth District, 16; Central District, 14;
Highland District, 13; Western District, 6; Eastern District, 7.
Violence caused 40 deaths during 1894, as compared with 43 in 1893. The
distribution of these throughout the County was as follows:- Perth District, 8;
Central District, 7; Highland District, 5; Western District, 12; Eastern District, 8.
Developmental Diseases caused 43 deaths during 1894. Of these 32 were
attributed to premature birth. The number of deaths due to these diseases in 1893
was 56.
Old Age caused 137 deaths, or 13.3.per cent. of the total, as compared with
197 in 1893.
Zymotic Diseases. - 63 deaths were attributed to these during 1894, as
compared with the same number in 1893. In all 612 cases were reported during
1894, against 593 in 1893. The number of these cases removed to Hospital was
80, or 13.0 per cent., and of these only 2 died; the other 532 cases were treated at
home.
Smallpox. - No deaths occurred from Smallpox during 1894, and there were
only two cases of the disease reported. One of these cases occurred in Muthill, the
patient being a visitor from Glasgow; the other was at Inver, near Dunkeld. For
details of these cases reference may be made to the reports of the Central and
Highland Districts. Of the three suspected cases reported, two proved to be
false alarms, but in the third the Perth District had a narrow escape from having
to deal with a case of the disease, as a girl, who had been an inmate of a Smallpox
Hospital in Edinburgh for 10 days, came immediately after her discharge to reside
in the District. The surveillance under which she was kept in Perthshire did not
meet with her approval, and she soon returned to Edinburgh, where she was
re-admitted to the Smallpox Hospital within a few days.
Scarlet Fever was exceedingly prevalent throughout the County, and caused
12 deaths during 1894. In all there were 393 cases of the disease reported, as
compared with 230 in 1893. In many of the outbreaks of this disease the source
of infection was traced to contact with large Towns and Burghs, or to visitors
from these; but in several it was impossible to trace the disease further than to
some unrecognised case, which, being overlooked by the parents, was allowed to
become a centre of infection.
Diphtheria caused 25 deaths during 1894, as compared with 18 in 1893.
During 1894 there were 71 cases of the disease reported - this shows an increase of
17 cases, as compared with 1893. As this disease always owes it origin to insanitary
conditions, the presence of so many cases shows that much work yet requires to be
accomplished ere the sanitary condition of the County reaches the perfection to be
desired. When cases of the disease have occurred an endeavour has been made to
ascertain the source of the disease, and the remedial measures considered necessary
to remove the same have been taken.
Enteric Fever caused 5 deaths during 1894, as compared with 4 in
1893. There were 65 cases of the disease reported during the year. The
majority of these occurred in the Perth, Central and Western Districts. In the
Perth District no steps have as yet been taken to form the Village of Bankfoot into a
Special Water and Drainage District, which is, in my opinion, the only means of
securing that place from the almost continuous presence of Enteric Fever. In the
Central District the occurrence of an outbreak of Enteric Fever has always been

[Note] 191