HH62/1/FIFE/65

Transcription

[page] 64

STATEMENT OF GENERAL ENQUIRIES, AND SPECIAL
ENQUIRIES MADE SINCE APPOINTMENT.

The foregoing statements regarding the sanitary state of the
hamlets and villages necessitated personal inspections, and are founded
on these. Special enquiries were made into the conditions of water
supply and drainage of Barnyards and Kilconquhar, St. Monans,
Upper and Lower Largo, Lundin Mill, and Guardbridge, and reports
dealing with these were submitted to the District Committee. These
reports were all printed along with the minutes of the District
Committee's meetings, and, therefore, do not require to be inserted
here. The reports on Largo and Lundin Mills have been followed
with good results so far as requisitions were sent to the District Com-
mittee for the formation of Special Water Districts. Unfortunately,
however, there has been no attempt made to deal with the very
defective conditions of drains and sewers in these places. The report
on Guardbridge dealt with the necessity for a good water supply, and
pointed out that this subject was before the late Local Authority for the
parish for many years, without any attempt being made to deal
adequately with it, and unless a requisition is sent in by the villagers of
Guardbridge, they will continue for some time to use for domestic pur-
poses, waters from wells which have been condemned by analyses, as
unfit for domestic use; and the antiquated Public Health Act does not
provide for a state of matters such as this, by giving a Local Authority
the power to introduce the necessary supply of water, and to assess the
district supplied for the cost.

CERTIFICATES OR ACTION UNDER FACTORY
AND WORKSHOPS ACT.

There has only been one occasion for granting a certificate, and
this will be referred to further on. There have been no complaints
made about any workshop under the above Acts.

STATE OF BAKEHOUSES.

The bakehouses generally do not indicate a high state of structural
fitness for the manufacture of such an important article of food as
bread. A copy of the Regulations for Bakehouses, under the Factory
and Workshops Act, has been sent to all bakers, so that ignorance of the
terms of these could not be pleaded.
In one case insanitary conditions close to the bakehouse were so
serious, and the owner declining to remove them, it was decided to
institute proceedings against him. The matters complained of were a
pigsty, an untrapped drain, and a privy close to the bakehouse, but
from differences of opinion as to the reading of the Act, no action has
been taken. An attempt will be made to raise the standard of cleanli-
ness in the various bakehouses in the District by periodic inspection.

[page] 65

HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION.

There is no Hospital in the District, and my action in this respect
has been to report to the District Committee on the question of
Hospital accommodation. The matter is now under consideration, and
I trust that before another annual Report is written, this want will have
been supplied by the provision of a properly equipped Hospital.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES PREVENTION.

In this District, the Notification of Infectious Diseases has been in
operation since 15th October, and, so far as it has been tried, is work-
ing smoothly. In a subsequent section a statement will be made of the
diseases which have come to the knowledge of the Health Department
since that date. The procedure adopted when a case is notified
is the same in all the Districts of Fife, viz.:- Printed directions regard-
ing disinfection and isolation of the patient, the dangers of exposing
infected persons, &c. - are sent to the house where the case is, and a
notice to the schoolmaster of the District, advising him of the case, and
not to allow members of the family to attend school until a medical
certificate is given him, stating that risk of infection has passed.

ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION OF DISEASES WITHIN
THE DISTRICT.

By the notification of infectious diseases it is possible to give an
account of the origin and distribution of this type of disease, and by
mortality returns an idea can be formed what diseases have occurred;
but, owing to the local registrars having up to this time declined to
furnish me with the necessary monthly returns of deaths, it is impossible
to supply any statement derived from these. The difficulties I have
experienced in attempting to obtain this information have been again
and again reported on, so that they need not now be considered.

CASES OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES INTIMATED SINCE
ADOPTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES (NOTIFICATION)
ACT.

Scarlet Fever, 9; Typhoid Fever, 2; Erysipelas, 2; Diphtheria, 1.
The cases of scarlet fever occurred at Winthank Muir, Balmullo,
and Wormit.
Both cases of enteric fever occurred at St. Monans, and one case
of erysipelas also there. The other occurred at Wormit.
The case of diphtheria occurred at Leuchars. A case of scarlet
fever occurred at West Radernie, with no medical man in attendance.
I visited the farm, and saw that no milk was being sold from this place.