HH62/1/ABERD/39

Transcription

[Page] 38

proving the sanitary condition of all, but but more especially the
fishing, villages.
With regard to drainage, the villages of New Pitsligo,
New Leeds, Boddam, Mintlaw, Longside, St. Combs, New
Stirling, Cairnbulg, and Inverallochy, are all more or less
defective. The inhabitants of New Pitsligo have undertaken,
at their own expense, to improve what is most defective in
the drainage of that village. The other places will be
gradually dealt with.
Improved water supply is required at Stuartfield, New
Stirling, New Deer, and Cairnbulg. Old Deer has now been
formed into a Special Water District, and the works are in
process. Attention is being directed to the improvement
of the water supply at Strichen and Cairnbulg.

HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES. - With regard to
this subject, the same sanitary defects exhibit themselves in
these as prevail in other parts of the County. Damp walls,
damp earthen floors, sometimes dilapidated roofs, the pump
or well often in suspicious proximity to midden drain or ash-
pit, middens too near the house, badly constructed ashpits,
privy accommodation defective or absent, these are the
common defects met with, and give ample scope for im-
provement.

SLEEPING APARTMENTS OF UNMARRIED SERVANTS. - The
sleeping apartments on farm steadings are here, as elsewhere,
in great need of improvement, though in some parts of the
district, in more recently erected steadings, this has been
effected.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES NOTIFICATION ACT. - Passing to
the consideration of infectious disease, I have first to remark
that the Notification Act has been in force for fourteen
months, and has proved of great service. In many cases it
has enabled prompt measures to be taken in regard to out-
breaks that might have led to dangerous consequences. I
need not say more in regard to an Act, the utility of
which is so self-evident.

HOSPITAL PROVISION. - During 1891 the Local Authority
possessed only one small hospital, which in fact was not open
except during the latter two months of the year. Previously
to that it was closed, and, I understand, the summer before
was let for summer lodgings. Though very small, consisting
only of two rooms avaiable, besides the matron's room,
it has been of some service since it was reopened. It
may, however, be found expedient to close it altogether

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if we have a new hospital built at Maud, as the most
convenient centre. A Sub-Committee of the Public Health
Committee, drawn from representatives of the various parts
of the district, has been appointed to examine into the
whole question of hospital provision.
The District Committee have now taken over, as a
district hospital, the small cottage hospital at Crimond,
which, built by Lady Carnegie, was supported by the
voluntary contributions of the inhabitants of St. Fergus,
Lonmay, and Crimond. With a few improvements it will,
I think, answer well for the requirements of that part of
the district which lies too far from Maud, where a central
hospital will probably have to be erected.
During the earlier part of 1891 the Local Authority
contributed a certain proportionate sum to the upkeep of
the Fraserburgh Hospital for the parishes which had a right
to send patients there, but that contribution ceased in
October, as it was considered out of all proportion to the
benefits accruing. It may, however, be worth considering
how far the hospital should be utilized by the Committee
for patients from the surrounding parts of the district. The
district of Deer is a very large one, and one hospital is in-
sufficient for its requirements. Some such scheme as the fol-
lowing might be found most workable:-

1. A well-equipped hospital at Maud, which being a railroad
junction, might enable the railway service to be brought
into requisition for conveyance of patients, as has been
done in Ayrshire. Maud also would be convenient for
friends visiting patients at the hospital.
2. The small hospital just taken over by the Local Authority
at Crimond.
3. The use of the Fraserburgh hospital for patients from the
north part of the district at a fixed rate per patient.

A good ambulance service will be necessary.

GENERAL INQUIRIES AS TO SANITARY MATTERS. - I have
made investigations into the conditions of the villages in
the district during the latter portion of the year, and also
as far as possible into the state of the surrounding districts.
The result of my inquiries I have summarised in the pre-
vious part of my report.

SPECIAL INQUIRIES. - An investigation was made in con-
nection with an outbreak of typhoid fever that occurred at
the farm of Buckie, in the neighbourhood of Boddam. Two
cases of typhoid were removed at the same time from this