HH62/2/LINLIT/31

Transcription

[Page] 30

Hospital Accommodation.
land and Broxburn Hospitals. The former is a
Combination Hospital, and lies at the extreme
end of the County, and is only suitable for that
neighbourhood and for the adjoining district of
Mid-Lothian which shares it. The latter was a
presentation Hospital originally meant for Brox-
burn alone. Its management is now under the
District Committee. Three patients have been
sent into it during the year. These Hospitals
are satisfactory, but as they are situated at the
extreme end of the District, I have laid before
the District Committee a recommendation that
a suitable Hospital should be erected in the
neighbourhood of Bathgate. If the Burghs of
Bathgate, Armadale, and Whitburn join with the
County, there could be erected at comparatively
small cost to the District sufficient accommodation
for infectious diseases.

Adoption of Notification of Infectious Diseases Act.
I have urged upon the Districts the adoption
of the Notification of Infectious Diseases Act.
LINLITHGOW DISTRICT has already adopted it, and
it came into operation on the 1st of January
1892. BATHGATE DISTRICT is on the eve of
adopting it.

Infectious Diseases in the County.
In consequence of the Notification Act not
having been in force during the year, I cannot
say exactly what amount of disease of the
infectious class has prevailed; however, I am
enabled to state through the kindness of the
medical practitioners of the County, that the
general epidemic of influenza occurred in the

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months of October, November, and December,
and was accompanied, especially latterly, by lung
affections. Whooping-cough was prevalent during
the first half of the year in Uphall parish; a
few fatal cases of diphtheria occurred in the Uphall
parish and neighbourhood of Whitburn; and a
few cases of scarlet fever were seen in Broxburn,
Kirkliston, Torpichen, and neighbourhood of
Bathgate. Typhoid fever prevailed at Woodend
and at the Kinneil Company's Rows near Bo'ness.

Births and Deaths for the year unascertained.
I regret exceedingly that I cannot fill up the
tabular form supplied by you to the District
Clerks and forwarded me, in consequence of being
unable to procure registration returns complete.
The District of Bathgate tried a course different
to that used by myself in the other Districts of
the various Counties to secure these returns, -
namely, through the Parochial Boards, - but with
the result that I have not received a single extract.
I trust by another year some means of securing
these necessary facts may be found.

I have the honour to be,
MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,
Your obedient Servant,
W. J. BROCK, D.Sc.,
Medical Officer of Health for Mid-Lothian,
West Lothian, and Peeblesshire.

COUNTY ROOMS, EDINBURGH,
January 1892.