HH62/1/FIFE/33

Transcription

[page] 32

DUNFERMLINE DISTRICT REPORT.

Dunfermline District is composed of ten parishes, and is the most
western of the four Districts of Fife. On the south it is bounded by
the sea, on the north by the County of Kincross, on the west by Clack-
mannanshire, and marches with Kirkcaldy District on the east. In
this District are the Royal Burghs of Dunfermline, Culross, and Inver-
keithing, and the Police Burgh of Cowdenbeath. The total population
of the District at the last census was 49,271, but the population, which
comes under the supervision of the District Committee, was 24,652,
including the Police Burgh of Cowdenbeath. These figures show an
increase from the census of 1881, as follows:-

[table inserted]

Although there has been an increase over all the District, there has
been a diminution of population in five parishes, but this has been made
up by an increase in the remaining five. The greatest increase has
been in Beath Parish, which has increased from 5442 in 1881 to 8296
in 1891.
In the following table are shown the number of acres in each
parish (prior to any changes made by Boundaries Commission), the
total population of the District, the number of acres for each person,
and person to acre, for the whole District:-

DUNFERMLINE DISTRICT.

[table inserted]

These figures both for area and population, of course, include
burghal populations not under your jurisdiction; but the influence of
population does not stop with the boundary of a district, nor of a
county, hence must be taken into account.
In the Parish of Beath the large population diminishes the acreage
per person to .7, whereas in Saline the acreage is 9.3 per person. In
the rest of this Report the order followed is that prescribed by the

[page] 33

Regulations of the Board of Supervision for Medical Officers for
Districts of Counties.

GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE SANITARY STATE OF
DISTRICT, WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ITS
IMPROVEMENT.

At the commencement of a new system of sanitary administration,
it appears to me very desirable that it should be put on record what the
actual sanitary state of the District was prior to the Local Government Act,
and, therefore, what amount of sanitary reform falls to be carried out
under the new system. From what has already been reported in regard
to many of the hamlets and villages in Dunfermline District, I think it
must be admitted that much sanitary improvement has to be effected.
In giving a general account of the sanitary condition of the District,
space will only permit me dealing with elementary principles; and to
give a full account of all the conditions which act in producing preven-
table sickness or death, will require a much longer study than my short
tenure of office has permitted.
One of the most elementary sanitary conditions, and at the same
time one of the most important, necessary for all houses, is a pure and
abundant water supply, and I shall therefore devote a section of this
Report to this subject.

WATER SUPPLY.

In a report on this subject, which was presented to the District
Committee, I pointed out the necessities for a bountiful supply of pure
water, and the dangers from a defective system; and at this time, while
I would emphasise these remarks, I cannot enter into the subject more
particularly.
In the village of Aberdour there is a special water supply district.
The water is supplied from Dunfermline Corporation Water Supply,
and is of excellent quality. There have been some irregularities in the
distribution of water, especially in the higher parts of Aberdour; but
means are being taken to remove these.
Crossgates village is in a special water supply district, and gets the
water from Cullalo Hills by a gravitation system. The supply is both
defective in quality and quantity, and during the past summer the
storage reservoir was nearly exhausted. The difficulty in dealing with
this water supply district arises in great part from the assessment having
reached its maximum, and also from there being little possibility of
extending the water supply system so as to meet the wants of the
village. It is hoped that the adoption of the Public Health Amend-
ment Act of 1891 will meet the great difficulties of the case.
Cairneyhill. - The water supply here is by means of shallow wells
close to houses, and is therefore a suspicious system.
Carnock. - The water is supplied to the inhabitants by shallow
wells near to houses, and is suspicious in consequence.
Charlestown has a good gravitation system, and is in a special
water district.