HH62/1/AYR/61

Transcription

[Page] 60

life of infants: not necessarily density per se, but the unhygienic
conditions which are usually found in a crowded community. It
will be noticed that the infant mortality is very high in New Cum-
nock. To a considerable extent the high infant mortality in New
Cumnock is due to measles, whooping-cough, and diarrhoea.
Density of population in this parish, where there is only .09 person
to the acre, cannot be assigned as a cause.
Zymotic Death-rate. - This is a fair average for the district. It
will be noticed (Table II.) that the rate of mortality of scarlet fever
and enteric fever is very low, while that of diarrhoea, whooping-
cough, measles, and diphtheria is somewhat high. The parishes
which show an excessive zymotic mortality are Muirkirk and New
Cumnock. In the former, diphtheria and whooping-cough are high,
while in the latter, measles, whooping-cough, and diarrhoea show a
high death-rate. Measles and whooping-cough, at least in their
origin, have nothing to do with insanitary conditions, but diarrhoea
has; and when to this we add a high mortality from septic and
tubercular diseases, we have good grounds for concluding that the
sanitary condition of the parish is not of a high order - at least, it
suggests careful investigation.
Tubercular Death-rate. - The death-rate from phthisis and other
tubercular diseases is high, just as in the other districts, excepting
the Carrick District. Tarbolton, Ochiltree, Coylton, and Dalmel-
lington appear favourable in this respect as well as in other
statistical data, while the greater number of the other parishes have
generally a high tubercular mortality, The rate of mortality from
tubercular diseases in the district during the year was 2.798 per
thousand of the population. This shows a larger death-rate than all
the principal zymotics together with the septic diseases, which are
only 2.052 for the former and .289 for the latter - in all 2.341 per
1000. On referring to Table I., it will be noticed that nearly all the
cases of phthisis are of persons above five years of age, while a large
proportion of the deaths from other tubercular diseases are of those
under that age. In view of this, is it not possible, nay probable,
that a considerable amount of tubercular disease of the bowels and
other digestive organs in young children, who are fed largely on
milk, is derived directly from the milk of a tubercular cow, if not
from that of a tubercular mother? Beside these, various unhygienic
conditions, such as damp, ill-ventilated houses, filthy surroundings,
and improper feeding, predispose individuals to the attacks of the
bacillus of tuberculosis.
In regard to the other groups of diseases, as noted in Tables I.
and II., it may be stated that cancer is above the average rate of
mortality in several of the parishes. This is probably due to the age
distribution, and also, to a certain extent, to the sex distribution of
the population. Cancer is a rare disease at an early age, while its
incidence, especially upon the female portion of the population, after
middle life is very marked. The death-rate from the diseases of the
nervous system may be considered moderate, while that of the circu-
latory system is about the average. As to the rate of mortality from

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the respiratory diseases (other than phthisis and whooping cough), it
is certainly high for a country district such as this. We have, how-
ever, good grounds for believing that influenza has considerably
increased the death-rate from respiratory diseases during the year
under notice, although the deaths in which influenza has been certified
as the cause are comparatively few.
It may be stated that the statistics of the district are a reliable
guide for future sanitary inquiries, as vital statistics may be con-
sidered the essential basis for preventive action.