HH62/1/INVERN/10

Transcription

[page] 10

earth, where it is intimately associated with the life process of
some micro-organism not yet captured or isolated;" evidently this
micro-organism does not thrive in the Highlands. Perhaps also
the nature of the food of the people, and the fact that little or no
fruit is grown in the greater part of the County, may account for
the absence of summer diarrhoea.
Cancer is generally distributed throughout the County.
The highest death rate from this disease, .57, is found in Skye.
The average death rate in England from cancer is .54.
Phthisis - 61 deaths were registered from phthisis or con-
sumption. Of these, 27 occured in the Mainland and 34 in the
Islands. The highest death rates from this disease were in the
South Uist and Barra and Skye Districts. 1.708 in the former
and 1.175 in the latter. The lowest death rate was in the 2nd
or Aird District, .433 per 1000. As one of the causes of phthisis
is foul air, caused by overcrowding and other insanitary condi-
tions, the greater prevalence of this disease in the West Coast is
easily accounted for. I consider that the climatic conditions of
the Western Islands are infavourable to the production of this
disease, and that the deaths are due to insanitary conditions.

COMPULSORY NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES ACT.
The Infectious Disease (Notification) Act has been adopted
in all the Districts of the County, with the single exception of
the Lochaber District. I have repeatedly urged the District
Committee of Lochaber to adopt this Act, so that the whole
County might be under its operations, and the danger of the
spread of infectious diseases lessened. They have not, however,
done so, nor have they appointed a District Medical Officer,
differing in this respect also from the rest of the County. I
append maps showing approximately the situation of various
outbreaks of fever.
Typhus Fever was notified from Skye and Benbecula. Dr
Dewar states that the disease, which was present in the Parishes
of Duirinish, Strath, and Kilmuir, originated from overcrowding
and insanitary condition of the houses. In Benbecula it broke
out in an insanitary house in a swamp. I visited the house
during the presence of the fever. It was confined to the one
house, and did not cause any deaths.
Diphtheria - Cases were notified from 1st, 2nd, and Skye
Districts. In Strath, Skye, it was supposed to have originated
from the insanitary surroundings and polluted water. A serious
outbreak, resulting in two deaths, took place in a dairy farm in
the neighbourhood of Inverness. The dairy was closed, the
premises were disinfected, and the disease stamped out.
Scarlet fever - The great majority of cases of scarlet fever
occurred in the immediate neighbourhood of Inverness, where is
has been epidemic for some time.


TYOHOID X
DIPTHERIA #
ERYSIPELAS Ø