HH62/1/AYR/21

Transcription

[Page] 20

THE WEATHER DURING THE YEAR 1891.

Although we possess little exact knowledge as to the effect of
weather on the origin the propagation of disease, there is clear proof
that climatic conditions have much influence upon the general health
and wellbeing of a community. From the mortality returns of the
Registrar-General we find that besides a higher total death-rate there
is a great preponderance of deaths from the respiratory organs in the
cold months, while in the summer and autumn months there is usually
an increase of deaths from diseases of the digestive organs, as well as
from some of the familiar zymotic diseases, such as enteric fever.
The latter are, however, more marked in the autumn months. The
following table shows the fluctuations of the quarterly death-rates and
mean temperature in Scotland during the year 1891, as well as the
annual mean of these for the previous ten years:-

Annual Mean
Death Rate for
Annual Mean preceding 10 Mean Temper.
1891. Death Rate Temper. years. for 10 years.
First Quarter, ... ... 22.6 38.2° 21.3 38.1°
Second Quarter, ... 20.7 47.9° 19.1 48.7°
Third Quarter, ... 16.5 55.7° 16.6 54.9°
Fourth Quarter. ... 23.0 41.9° 18.7 41.6°
____ ____ _____ ______

Year, 20.7 45.9° 18.9 45.8°


It will be seen from the above table that the cold months have a high
mortality, and that the third quarter has the lowest. The latter
would be still lower were it not for the prevalence of diarrhoea and
other diseases during this quarter. It will be noticed that the death-
rate during the last quarter of 1891 is 4.5 per 1000 above that of the
annual mean of this quarter for the preceding 10 years. There is
little doubt that influenza played the chief part in augmenting the
mortality of this quarter, as we find nothing in the climatic conditions
which would account for such an abnormally high death-rate. Taking
the past year generally, the most striking feature is the irregular
distribution of the rain, 12.04 inches having fallen in Ayrshire in the
first six months, while the rainfall for the last half of the year shows
an average over the three stations of 34.03 inches. (See Table III.)

THE SANITARY CONDITION OF BURGHS.

It will be noticed that I have scarcely referred to the sanitary
condition of the burghs in the county. In the absence of any
specific definition of my duties - if any - within Police Burghs, I
have confined my attention entirely to the landward division of the
county. At the same time I may point out that it would be ad
vantageous not only to the burghs, but to the non-burghal parts if
the sanitary supervision of the whole county were somewhat
centralised. In this way much light could be thrown on the distri-
bution of disease and the relations which one part of the county
must bear to the other in this respect, while a clearer knowledge of
these important points would no doubt advance sanitation more than
is possible with our present partial sanitary administration and
supervision.

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In conclusion, I may state that in this Report I do not follow
exactly the order of the subjects as prescribed in the Regulations of
the Board of Supervision for such reports. In future Reports the
latter may be adhered to. I consider, also, that the 31st of January,
following the year with which the reports deal, leaves too short a
time for their arrangement, tabulation, printing. &c., - especially for
such a large county as Ayrshire. In the Regulations of the Board
of Supervision it is stated that copies of the District Reports must be
sent to the Board of Supervision and County Council not later than
the 31st of January of the year following that to which the reports
refer, while the County Reports must be sent to the same authorities
not later than the 31st of March. If two months were allowed for
the preparation of both County and District Reports - which is not
too long a time, considering the labour involved - there would be the
advantage of getting them printed and bound together, as I have
done at this time.

I have the honour to be,

MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,

Your obedient Servant,

C. R. MACDONALD, M.D.,
County Medical Officer.

County Health Department,
7 Wellington Square,
Ayr, February, 1892.