HH62/1/BANFF/39

Transcription

[Page] 8

The Infectious Wards of the Turner Memorial Hospital at
Keith are open to Patients from the Parish and Burgh of Keith,
the Parishes of Grange, Boharm, and Botriphnie. The Wards are
two in number, with four beds in each. Adjoining the Hospital,
a temporary one of Wood, containing similar accommodation, was
erected some years ago by the Local Authority of Keith for the
reception of Small-pox cases, and is still available.
The rest of the district is unprovided with Hospital accommo-
dation for the reception, isolation, and treatment of cases of
Infectious Disease.

6. - Infectious Diseases.
The Local Authority adopted the Infectious Disease (Notifi-
cation) Act last May, and it came into force over the district on
the 1st of July. Forty-six cases were notified between that date
and the 31st of December. Their nature and distribution may be
seen from the subjoined table:-

KEITH DISTRICT.

NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE,
1st July to 31st December 1891.

[Table inserted]

On the notification of each case, its origin was immediately
inquired into by the Sanitary Inspector or myself, and measures

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taken to prevent its spread. Printed instructions as to the pre-
cautions to be observed and the means of disinfection were handed
to the householder, and, if the patient, or any occupant of the
dwelling was attending school, intimation was sent to the school,
and the children kept from school till the termination of the
illness and final disinfection of the premises. Of the cases
notified, none proved fatal.
In only two or three instances did any new cases occur in
the same household.

7. - Causes, Origin, and Distribution of Disease.
The time has been too short to enable me to report as to the
Causes and Origin of Diseases within the District, except in the
case of such as came to my knowledge through the operation of
the Notification Act.
Twenty cases of Scarlatina were notified. Of these, thirteen
occurred in Aberlour Parish. In the majority of the cases, the
source of infection could not be traced. Two of the cases were
brought from Elgin. In one case, the infection was probably
brought from Edinburgh; and in another, from Aberdeen.
Next to Scarlatina, cases of Typhoid Fever were most
numerous. Of the six cases in Keith Parish, two occurred in
one family. The others were isolated cases - one probably im-
ported. Three cases were reported from Aberlour Parish; but
of these, two were imported - the one from Mortlach, the other
from Archiestown, in Knockando; and from the latter, another
inmate of the house was infected. From Mortlach Parish, three
cases were notified. Three cases occurred in the same house;
but one was removed to Aberlour. The origin of this outbreak
was not traced. The other case, in Mortlach, occurred in a
cottage with an unhealthy reputation, but the defects have been
remedied. The case notified from Cabrach Parish came from
Aberdeen; and the Boharm case was supposed to have got
infection from Buckie.
Nine cases of Erysipelas were notified; and in two of these,
contagion was traceable to a previous case.
Two isolated cases of Diphtheria were notified from Rothie-
may Parish, and in both we failed to trace any connection with a
previous case.
Through the kindness of the Registrars, whom I take this
opportunity of thanking, I have received information as to the
number of Births and Deaths (with particulars of the latter) that
have occurred in the different Registration Districts during 1891.
This information I have tabulated (see Table I.) according to the
form issued by the Board of Supervision, showing the distribu-
tion of the various diseases that have proved fatal according to
Districts.