HH62/1/FORFAR/3

Transcription

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A better supply of water for domestic purposes is required in
many places, and when at all practicable should be provided.

II. - "A Statement of his Inquiries and Proceedings and
of the matters in regard to which he has given
advice or taken action during the year."

I visited all the Parishes in the County during the year, and
have paid particular attention to the sanitary arrangements of the
schools, and, when I found it necessary, gave instructions as to
better ventilation and greater cleanliness. I enquired into the
following outbreaks of disease in the County:-

Typhoid Fever in Edzell, which did not spread.
An epidemic of Scarlet Fever, also in Edzell, which was of a
mild type, and confined to a limited area.
Three cases of Typhoid Fever in the parish of Kinnettles.
Typhoid Fever in the parishes of Inverarity and Newtyle. I
sent a report regarding these to the County Council, to
which I beg to refer.

I certified Wood's Yard, Craigie, in the neighbourhood of Dun-
dee, a nuisance. I reported, along with Mr Anderson, County
Sanitary Inspector, on the Kingennie Manure Depot, and visited
and inspected, along with him, several of the most unhealthy houses
in the various districts. I have given advice as to the quality of
many samples of water in various districts in the County.

III. - "A Statement of the causes, origin, and distribution
of Diseases in the County, and the extent to which
the same have depended on, or been influenced by
conditions capable of removal or mitigation."

Speaking generally, much of the sickness in the County is due to
dampness, either as to situation or construction of houses, want of
ventilation, to bad drainage and impure water, to exposure to cold,
especially in the case of young children without proper clothing, the
want of proper precautions to prevent the spread of diseases which

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are known to be infectious. This is specially the case with Pulmonary
Consumption, which is the most fatal disease in the County, and
which is now universally allowed to be infectious. I would recom-
mend that instructions as to the best mode of managing such cases
should be printed, and distributed by the District Sanitary
Inspectors, where such disease was known to exist.

An epidemic of Influenza visited the County in the end of the
year. It seemed to attack the towns on the coast first, and to spread
inwards. In the rural parts of the County, although very extensive,
it was not serious when uncomplicated, and comparatively few of
the deaths in the rural part of the County were in any way
attributed to it.

I append a Tabular Statement of the mortality from this disease
in the County and its several Districts.

IV. - "A Summary of the action taken to prevent the
Outbreak and Spread of Infectious Disease, and an
account of the Hospitals or other means of isolation
existing within the County."

By the adoption of the Infectious Diseases (Notification) Act,
the Dundee and Brechin Districts have taken the best, and indeed
the only efficient way to prevent the spread of Infectious Diseases,
and it is necessary for the best interests of the whole County that
the other Districts should also adopt it. Whenever a case of
infectious disease was known to exist, the patient was isolated, and
when necessary the other members of the family remained from
school till such time as it was certified safe for them to return
Thorough disinfection was carried out to the satisfaction of the
Sanitary Inspector. In some instances the cases were at once
removed to hospital.

The County is well supplied with hospitals, though they do not
belong to the County Council. In the Dundee District the Dundee
Local Authority receive cases from the County to their epidemic
hospital on certain conditions. The Arbroath District have acquired
a right to send patients to the epidemic hospital in that town. This