HH62/1/DUNBAR/59

Transcription

[Page] 58

enteric fever, 11 in the parish of Cumbernauld, 4 in Kirkintilloch,
and 7 each in East and West Kilpatrick.
They have not formed part of any one general outbreak, but
have rather been "sporadic" or individual cases. In many of
them local sanitary defects were found, and intimation made to
the owner. Some of these have been remedied, and others will
require further attention.
Cumbernauld. - The first case occurred in the village, and was
in progress when the Notification Act came into force. The ashpit
was very defective, being merely a hole in the yard, close to the
public street. The next was at Eastfield, in the end of May, in a
damp house, without proper ashpit or privy. The property belonged
to the occupant. In July a case was certified in Condorrat. There
was an untrapped jawbox for slop water at the footpath in front of
the house. This was connected with a drain communicating with
the ditch mentioned in my notes on the drainage of the village. On
August 27th a miner in Auchinstarry Rows became affected. The
house was of two rooms, with eight inmates. He was sent to
Govan hospital. The next case was that of a girl, eleven years
old, at Smithston Row, notified 5th September. There were seven
inmates in two apartments, but the guardians of the child would
not permit her removal. Another case at Eastfield was reported
on 15th September, and proved fatal on the following day. At
Condorrat a master baker became affected, and notification was
received on 16th September. The house was a roomy one, per-
mitting of sufficient isolation, and the children, of whom there
were six, were sent from home. A third case in Condorrat was
notified on 5th October. The drains were improperly trapped
and the ashpit defective. On October 11th a child at Smithston
Row became ill, and developed the disease. When reported the
the case was unfit for removal, and ultimately proved fatal. On
27th November a ploughman at Croy was notified as having
enteric fever. He was removed to Govan Hospital on the follow-
ing day. Another case at Auchinstarry Row was intimated on
1st December. The patient was a girl seven years old, and was
treated at home.
Kirkintilloch. - On May 13th notice was received of a lodger in
a house in Twechar having enteric fever. The house had two rooms,
with no less than thirteen inmates, of whom seven were children.

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The man was taken to Govan hospital. On October 15th two
cases, which should also have been removed, were reported. They
were in one house, but removal was not agreed to, and the circum-
stances had to be made the best of. There were eight dwellers in
two apartments. On 2nd November a case was certified from a
very dirty house in Twechar. The patient was the mother of the
family. She was unfit for removal.
East Kilpatrick. - A boy of twelve years old was removed to
hospital on August 15th from a one-roomed house at Netherton
Quarry. On August 24th information was received of a case in
Drumchapel Rows. It was treated at home, and a month later a
second member of the same family developed the disease. In
Knightswood Rows a mild case was reported on September 22nd.
Three were intimated from Netherton Rows between the end of
October and the end of November. All of these were sent to
Govan hospital. The houses were each of only one apartment,
and one of them was overcrowded. One is partly underground at
the back. The surface channel in front for conveying slop water
to the adjoining drain is defective.
West Kilpatrick. - Seven cases have been reported, the first three
being in the village of Duntocher, the fourth in Hardgate, the fifth
in Duntocher, and the last two in a neighbouring farm. In some
of these the nature of the disease was doubtful to begin with, the
early symptoms being rather those of the prevalent influenza.
Two of them were connected with a dairy farm; but, as dairy
regulations have not yet been adopted in the District, our powers
of interference were limited. Every precaution was taken con-
sistent with treatment at home. The cases were not the first to
occur in the locality, and no spread of the disease could be traced
to the milk supply. I analysed the drinking water and found it
satisfactory.
Erysipelas. - Thirteen cases have been notified in the district -
six in West Kilpatrick, four in Kirkintilloch, two in Cumbernauld,
and one in East Kilpatrick. One sufferer was a baby a fortnight
old, and died on the day on which the notification was received.
Most of the others were of little consequence. Some were
secondary to injury. Except as calling attention to the insanitary
condition of some of the houses, the notification of erysipelas has
been found of little benefit to the public health administration.

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valrsl- Moderator, CorrieBuidhe- Moderator