HH62/2/NAIRN/5

Transcription

[page] 4

and how far their incidence may be obviated by hygienic
measures in connection with improved house accommodation,
water supply, drainage, &c.
Generally speaking the sanitary condition of this District
should be good. The soil as a rule is light and porous. The
rainfall is small. The population is sparse and employed
principally in agriculture. Only one Village, Auldearn,
(Population 364), and two or three smaller hamlets exist in the
County. The character of the house accommodation has been
improved of late years, though a good deal yet remains to be
done, especially as regards improved sanitary surroundings
for the §dwellings.
The sanitary state of a District is usually judged of
indirectly by its vital statistics - the Birth and Death Rates
- and directly by personal observation and investigation.
For the former purpose the Annual Returns of the Registrar-
General furnish certain data, and for last year I have received
Returns from the District Registrars, but such data are in
themselves insufficient, because there may be a great deal of
sickness and few deaths.
The Infectious Disease (Notification) Act 1889, which was
adopted in the County last May, and came into force on the
1st of July gives information as to the existence of Zymotic
Disease, and through its operation further light is thrown on
the sanitary state of a District. We know that certain of
those diseases are more prone to occur where insanitary
conditions exist, and that all of them spread more rapidly
under similar conditions.
Judged by the Death Rate alone (17.37 per 1000) the
condition of the District, taking its natural advantages into
consideration, is not what it might be. The Death Rate for
one year, however, is not a fair test, and it is necessary to

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have observations over a series of years. I have
compared the Birth and Death Rates for 1891, with the
average rate for the previous five years in the following
table.

[table inserted]

From this table it will be seen that the Death Rate for 1891
is above the mean of the previous five years.
Another point to be taken into consideration is the decrease
of population above referred to. There is reason to believe
that is has been principally due to the migration from the
country of young adults, leaving a population mainly com-
posed of persons at the two extremes of life, amongst whom
the Death Rate is naturally much higher than at middle
life. Of the 88 deaths registered during 1891, 43 (almost
50%) were those of persons aged 60 years and upwards.
The Birth Rate is low, viz. 22.5 per 1000, which may help
to confirm the idea above expressed as to the age constitution of
the population. (It is below the mean of the last five years.)
This point will be cleared up when the complete returns of
the last census are issued.
Judged from the incidence of Zymotic Disease, and
especially from the absence of those diseases more commonly
associated with insanitary surroundings, the sanitary state
of the District is good.
Owing to the Sanitary Inspector having only entered on
his duties in the end of November, any systematic enquiry