HH62/2/LANARK/108

Transcription

[Page] 107

McLean, round which the houses are built. These works
and adjoining houses are dependent for their water supply
on an open stream which skirts the works, and which
receives the sewage of several houses higher up. This
water, so liable to contamination, is pumped up and passed
through a series of small filters, and then distributed to
the works and the dwelling-houses. Of the whole series
of cases the only thing in common was that they used
this water. In more than one instance boys, who were
temporarily employed at the works and had drunk of the
water, were attacked with typhoid, even although they
lived at some distance from what might be called the
infected area. In every instance, without exception, the
persons attacked used the water from the stream referred
to, and this fact is of the greatest significance as pointing
to the source of infection. Of these cases 10 were removed
to hospital, and 9 allowed to remain at home.
Sixteen (16) cases of erysipelas were reported, but the
information so derived is of little sanitary value, as the
mortality from erysipelas is so low as to be comparatively
trifling. I have never been able to understand why
erysipelas should have been included in the Notification
Act, as a large proportion of cases seem to arise indepen-
dently of the sanitary surroundings.

[Page] 108

Table XV. - Cases of Infectious Diseases notified
in the LOWER WARD from 1st September
to 31st December, 1891.

[Table inserted]

In addition to above, 5 cases of Whooping Cough and 1 of Measles
were reported.