HH62/1/BANFF/27

Transcription

[Page] 8

the Bakehouse. In two cases the sink was within the Bakehouse
- trapped, but not disconnected; but this has now been done in
both cases.

5. - Hospitals.
The Local Authority possess no Hospital of their own, if we
except the two cottages - one at Buckie, and the other at Gar-
denstown - which were provided by the previous Local Authori-
ties in view of cholera being brought into the District some
years ago. The cottage at Buckie is presently occupied as a
dwelling-house.
In Chalmers' Hospital, Banff, the benefits of which are free
to inhabitants of the County, provision has been made for the
reception of infectious disease. This institution possesses a de-
tached Fever House, with two wards, four beds in each. Also,
a detached Smallpox Hospital, with accommodation for four
patients. Two wards in the upper storey of the wings of the
main building have been used for the treatment of cases of
typhoid fever. Each ward will accommodate four cases, and can
be shut off from the rest of the building. The Hospital is pro-
vided with a hand ambulance.
The southern portion of the District will shortly be well
provided with Hospital accommodation. The parish of inver-
keithny is presently accommodated by the Forgue Hospital; and
the Cottage Hospital now in course of erection at Aberchirder is
to contain six beds for cases of infectious disease, from the
parishes of Marnoch and Forglen.
The western part of the Distict, including the populous
parish of Rathven and the burghs of Buckie and Cullen, is
entirely without Hospital accommodation for the reception of
infectious diseases.

6. - Prevention of Infectious Disease.
The Local Authority adopted the Infectious Disease (Notifi-
cation) Act last June, and it came into operation on the 10th of
July.
Prior to that, though a few cases of infectious disease were
discovered and attended to, we were without definite information
as to its existence.
The origin of all the cases that have been notified to me
since the 10th of July have been inquired into by the Sanitary
Inspector or myself. Instructions for preventing the spread of
those diseases, and for disinfection, were drawn up, and a copy
given to the householder at the time of our visit, with additional
verbal instructions when required. Any sanitary defects were
looked into by the Inspector, and steps taken to have them
rectified.

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When the patient was a scholar, or if any child of school age
was an inmate of the infected house, notice was sent to the
school, so that no child from the dwelling was allowed to attend
school till declared free from infection.
In all 91 cases have been notified, as shown in the annexed
table. Four of those cases proved fatal.

BANFF DISTRICT.

NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
10th July to 31st December 1891.

[Table inserted]

7. - Causes, Origin, and Distribution of Disease.
Naturally my attention has been almost entirely directed to
inquiring into the origin and causes of the diseases included
under the Notification Act.
Cases of Diphtheria have been the most numerous. In all
33 cases have been notified. Eighteen of these occurred in the
parish of Marnoch. As I reported at the time, the disease first
appeared in a family at Upper Culvie. A daughter suffered from
sore throat, probably a mild attack of diphtheria, and infected
a younger sister. The disease was unrecognised, no medical man
being called in. The child returned to Culvie School, having been
absent only two or three days, and infected another sister, a
pupil teacher in the school, and her schoolfellows. In all ten
families were affected; but, thanks to the hearty co-operation of
the medical attendants, isolation and disinfection were strictly