HH62/1/AYR/69

Transcription

[Page] 68

gated [investigated] the matter at the instance of the Board of Supervision, considered
that the outbreak was due to the polluted water supply, aided
probably by accumulations of decomposing offal. This village has
been very healthy since that epidemic. In one or two of these
villages a gravitation supply might be got conveniently and without
much expense, but in a number of the others the assessment for a
special water district would be too high. The village of Barrhill is
probably the most needful of a good public supply, and to meet the
difficulty in this case I consider it advisable for the district to adopt
the Public Health Amendment Act of 1891.
In regard to drainage, this is not perhaps so satisfactory as it
might be, but in such villages with a diminished and diminishing
population the formation of special drainage districts is out of the
question, so that any improvements required in this respect might
be carried out by the Local Authority, either alone or jointly with
owners of houses, where the latter might be agreeable to assist. I
understand the District Committee are doing this in some places.
As a rule, the whole of the villages are kept fairly clean, and the
condition of dwellings and other sanitary matters is generally
superior to what we find in the other districts of the county. Pro-
bably the least satisfactory village in the Carrick District is that of
Crosshill, in the parish of Kirkmichael. There are a good many of
the houses old and out of repair, and any rents they might bring in
such a decaying village as this would probably not warrant their
improvement. I have also been told that a good number of those
employed in the shoe factories in Maybole live in Crosshill, owing to
the cheapness of the houses in the latter. This influx to it from a
certain class of the Maybole workers probably does not tend to raise
the health-standard of the village, and this may probably account for
the somewhat high infant morality in the parish of Kirkmichael as
compared with the other parishes in the Carrick District. (See
Table II.)
Some dairy farms visited by me in this district were found
scrupulously clean and in good order, so that the old saying "Kyle
for a man; Carrick for a coo" seems still true of Carrick, while
we feel inclined, from a sanitary point of view, to give it the palm
for the man as well.

GENERAL AND SPECIAL INQUIRIES MADE AND
ADVICE GIVEN AS TO SANITARY MATTERS.

One of my first duties was to make a general survey of the
district and to report to the District Committee, in accordance with
instructions from them, as to the advisability of either retaining or
dismissing the parish sanitary officials. I advised that owing to the
exceptional nature of this district, in regard to the sparseness of
its population, its large area, and the absence of railway com-
munication in a considerable part of it, the services of both the
parish medical officers and sanitary inspectors should be retained.
Several special visits were made to places in the district. One of

[Page] 69

these was to the village of Straiton in connection with an outbreak
of scarlet fever there last summer, and one to Dailly in regard to the
unsatisfactory condition of the two slaughter-houses in the village -
a matter which was previously brought by me before the notice of
the District Committee. Both the occupiers were notified to cease
using the slaughter-houses in their present condition, and three
months were granted to them for abating the nuisance, and providing
slaughter-houses to the satisfaction of the Local Authority. I under
stand that they are both agreeable to carry out the recommendations
for new slaughter-houses. This was the only action taken as to
offensive trades in the district.

BAKEHOUSES.

The few bakehouses in this district were found in fair order,
though none of them could be said to be so clean and tidy as one
would wish to see in places where so important an article of diet as
bread is baked. No action was taken during the year in the district
in regard to bakehouses under the Factory and Workshops Act.

ISOLATION HOSPITAL.

The only hospital in this district is the Maybole Fever Hospital.
The Local Authority of the burgh of Maybole and the District
Committee own it conjointly. No patients have been sent into it
from the landward part of the district during the year, and it is not
at present in a satisfactory state for the purpose. There is proba-
bility that it will be improved Suitable accommodation in it for 6
beds might meet the requirements of the parishes in the north of the
Carrick District.

PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.

The Infectious Disease Notification Act was adopted in this
district, and came into operation on the 1st of December. The same
procedure is adopted as in the other districts, as regards the visitation
of the house where the disease is notified; making the usual sanitary
inspection and investigation; giving verbal and printed instruction
as to isolation and disinfection, the attendance of children at school,
&c. Isolation at home is more practicable in this district than in the
others.

DISTRIBUTION OF DISEASES. &c.

Prior to the Notification Act coming into force, several cases of
scarlet fever in the village of Straiton came to my knowledge. They
occurred in one house in the village. Two children had been
at the village of Maybole on a Saturday, and took ill on the follow-
ing Monday, while a third child, who was not from home, was laid
up with the fever two days later. On investigating the matter, I