HH62/2/LANARK/106

Transcription

[Page] 105

Cancer caused 10 deaths, all, as might be expected,
in persons over 30 years of age, equal to a rate per 1,000
of 0·341. The rates ranged from nil in Govan to 2·844 in
Carmunnock. As in other instances, however, no generalisa-
tion can be drawn from this limited number of facts.

Diseases of the Nervous System were credited with
56 deaths, 23 of which were in children under 5, mainly
from convulsions. The rate per 1,000 was 1·911 for the
district. Among the parishes Rutherglen had the lowest,
1·204, and Barony the highest, 2·208.

Diseases of the Circulatory System. - From diseases of
the heart and other organs of circulation 44 deaths, only
2 of which were in children under 5 years of age, were
registered during the year, equal to a rate per 1,000 of 1·502.

Diseases of the Respiratory Organs. - This is always
one of the most important classes of disease in a com-
munity, and generally responsible in a climate like ours
for a large proportion of the mortality. In this respect
the Lower Ward, during 1891, was no exception to the
rule, for out of the total of 539 deaths 123 were due to
respiratory diseases, yielding a mortality rate of 4·198 per
1,000. With the exception of Carmunnock, in which,
singularly enough, no death from respiratory disease was
egistered during the year, the rate in the various parishes
was wonderfully constant, ranging from 3·371 in Rutherglen
to 4·831 in Barony.

Violence. - Twenty-four (24) deaths were registered in
the Lower Ward as due to one or other form of violence
during the twelve months, 3 of which were in children
under 5 years of age. Ten (10) of these, a large proportion
according to population, were registered in Cadder Parish,
8 in Barony, 5 in Rutherglen, and 1 in Carmunnock. The
death-rate was 0·819 per 1,000.

[Page] 106

Inflenza. - This form of disease has, in some localities,
caused great mortality and sickness, and it may be worth
while noting its effects in the Lower Ward during 1891.
In 17 instances influenza was registered as the cause of
death, all of which, with one exception, were in persons
over 5 years of age. Seven (7) of these deaths were in
Barony Parish, 6 in Cadder, 1 in Govan, and 3 in Ruther-
glen. The rate per 1,000 of the population for the district
was 0·580.

Notification of Infectious Disease. - The Infectious
Disease (Notification) Act, 1889, was adopted by the
District Committee, and came into force on 1st September.
From that date until 31st December 196 cases were notified
by medical practitioners at a cost to the ratepayers of
£24 10s.
Generalisations from such a limited experience would
obviously be of little value, but all experience tends to
show that, with adequate hospital accommodation and
means of disinfection, the greatest benefit may be expected
to accrue from early intimation of cases of infectious disease.
Table XV. shows the number of cases notified weekly of
each disease, from which it is seen that the greatest incidence
of scarlet fever was in the month of September, of typhoid
fever also in the same month and particularly in the second
week, and of diphtheria in the early part of November. In
all, 105 cases of scarlet fever were notified, 59 of enteric,
14 of diphtheria, 2 of puerperal fever, and 16 of erysipelas.
Of the scarlet fever cases 32 were removed to hospital,
the remainder being treated at their own homes.
Into the cases of typhoid or enteric fever it is necessary
to enter at greater length. Of the 59 cases reported 19
occurred at Gartcosh and neighbourhood, in the Parish of
Cadder. The history of this outbreak is instructive, although
the lesson it teaches has often been taught before.
Gartcosh is a village of about 500 inhabitants, dependent
almost entirely on the ironworks of Messrs. Smith &