HH62/1/FIFE/53

Transcription

[page] 52

reference to certain complaints made by the Sanitary Inspector. The
conditions of East and West Wemyss, Methilhill, and Kirkland, necessi-
tated frequent visits; and one of these was made along with a Sub-Com-
mittee, appointed to deal with the whole question of scavenging of the
District. A special report on the state of these villages was also made
to the Board of Supervison, at the request of the Secretary. The
condition of the village of Binnend was a subject of considerable
anxiety, owing, specially, to the very defective water supply there during
summer, and to other sanitary defects, and necessitated frequent visits.
A special enquiry was made regarding the sanitary condition of
East Wemyss, and a report dealing with the defects in the sewerage
system was submitted to the District Committee.
In connection with the occurrence of Enteric Fever in the Burgh
of Buckhaven and Methil, and a request by the Medical Officer of the
Burgh to visit the dairies of the District, which supplied milk to the
Burgh, I visited all the dairies, and made a careful enquiry into their
condition, in order to ascertain if any connection existed between the
outbreak and the milk supply. The result of this enquiry was not
satisfactory - not that any positive causal relationship could be traced
between the enteric fever and any of the dairies visited, but that it
showed the general condition of the byres and milkhouses to be very
unsatisfactory. The duty of inspecting dairies and milkshops is one of
the most important that sanitary officials have, and I hope to be able to to
devote considerable attention to this in the future, when time permits.
A special visit was paid to works at Thorton, where sulphuric acid is
made. The process here is conducted according to modern principles,
and no nuisance is caused by the escape of sulphur or nitrogen com-
pounds. It is of considerable interest to hear that, at this work, where
sulphurous acid loads the air where the men are employed, only one
man out of about thirty was affected by influenza; and the epidemic
was very prevalent in the district.

STATEMENT OF ADVICE OR CERTIFICATES.

One of my first duties was to advise regarding the appointment of
the Chief Sanitary Inspector for the District, and out of the number
who applied, I advised that two were specially suitable for the appoint-
ment. Mr James Low, one of the two, was afterwards appointed.
The generous offer of Mr Wemyss to hand over his Cottage
Hospital to the District for use as an Isolation Hospital was submitted
to a Committee, with the Medical Officer, for consideration; and after
inspecting the Hospital, the Committee and the Medical Officer were
unanimously of opinion that the Hospital should be taken over by the
District Committee; and this was afterwards carried out.
Draft Rules and Regulations for dairies, byres, and milkshops,
under the Contagious Diseases Animals Act and the Order of 1885,
were drawn up by me, and afterwards adopted; also Regulations for
slaughter-houses. The Regulations for houses let in lodgings were also
approved of, but they have not yet been advertised, and in consequence
cannot be enforced.

[page] 53

After a report on the desirability of adopting the Notification of
Infectious Diseases Act, the District Committee unanimously adopted it.
A short report on an alleged nuisance at Capeldrae Farm, from the
flow of sewage from Flockhouse Colliery Rows, was submitted to the
Committee, and pointed out that there was no nuisance caused, under
the Public Health Acts; but if there had been any, the complainer
would have been held responsible as the "author" of the nuisance.
Certificates under the Public Health Act were granted for nuisances at
Rosewell, Flockhouse, and Westfield Colliery Rows, and the Sheriff in
each case ordered the works necessary to remove and prevent the nuis-
ances complained of.
Certificates were also granted for nuisances at Balcurvie and
Coaltown of Balgonie, and the authors of the nuisances were ordered
by the Sheriff to take the necessary steps to remove them.

INSPECTION OF BAKEHOUSES.

The Bakehouses in the District have all been inspected, and their
general condition noted. While it cannot be said that any of them
show a high order of efficiency or cleanliness, none were found in a
very defective state. It is unfortunate that bakehouses cannot be made
subject to stringent regulations as other trades, as by this means alone
would it be possible to put bakehouses in that state of cleanliness,
which the manufacture of such an important article of diet demands.
It has not been found necessary to take any proceedings, under
the Factory and Workshops Act, in relation to bakehouses.

ISOLATION HOSPITAL.

There is one Hospital for Kirkcaldy District, and it came under
the control of the District Committee in June of this year. The
Hospital has been visited by me several times, and is in a fit state for
the reception of cases. Fortunately there has not been any necessity
of this since June; but, no doubt, it will be utilised to the fullest extent
in the future.
I propose to submit draft regulations for the management of the
hospital, and for insuring disinfection of infected clothing, bedding, &c.

PREVENTION OF EPIDEMIC DISEASES.

Prior to the introduction of the Notification Act, several cases of
scarlet fever were intimated from Binnend in an indirect manner. By
a house-to-house inspection several cases were discovered, some con-
valescing, and others in the acute stages. Rules for disinfection and
isolation were in all cases issued, and notices to schoolmasters not to
allow attendance at school till danger of infection had ceased. This
procedure is adopted in all cases. None of the cases were removed to
Hospital, as they were sufficiently accommodated at home. In connec-
tion with this slight epidemic, the insanitary condition of the village
was represented to the owners of the houses, and steps were taken to
insure better scavenging and cleansing of the ashpits Isolated cases of
scarlet fever, which occurred over the District, were treated in the same
way.