HH62/2/RENFRE/25

Transcription

[Page] 24

order named - Elderslie, Blackstoun, Clippens, Scotstoun, Thornlie-
bank, * Crosslee, Busby, and Anniesland, Linwood - Ϯ Howwood,
Barrhead, Nitshill - Yoker, Kilbarchan - Newton Mearns - and the
Sheddens-Clarkston district. - Under the heading Diphtheria, the
following sections stand highest, in the order named - Elderslie,
Blackstoun, Scotstoun - Anniesland - Cathcart, Clippens - Howwood
- Barrhead - Barrhead landward - Mearns landward - Renfrew land-

* One of the most interesting circumstances brought out in the course of this
analysis has been the improvement in the condition of the public health in
Thornliebank, which, while twelve years ago it was very unsatisfactory, is
now as good as in any other part of the country. When, as in the other
cases, I divided the decennium into two quinquennial periods, this improvement
was placed in relief. Over the first five years the mean death-rate was 24·1 per
thousand of the population, as compared with 16·1 over the second five years -
a decrease of 8 per thousand! The zymotic death-rate fell from the abnormal rate
of 6·4 to 2·2; the principal decrease being under the heading 'scarlet fever' -
which appears to have raged as a plague in 1881-82; but the most interesting,
in view of what I am about to say, is the decline in the death-rate from enteric
fever, which fell from 1·1 to ·3. The death-rate from 'tubercular diseases other
than phthisis' fell from 2·6 to ·9, and that from 'septic diseases,' from ·3 to ·1;
the death-rate from phthisis fell from 3·8 to 3·3. For the purpose of closer
examination I divided the decennium into a series of biennial periods, the most
characteristic features of which are summarised in the following table. I regret
I have not in my possession the figures for preceding years.

[Table inserted]

I felt bound to inquire whether any collateral circumstance could account for
this very striking improvement in the health of the village. I found that in the
course of 1882-83, a new main-sewerage system for the village had been provided
by Mr. Crum, at an expense of over £2000, and that simultaneously the house-
drains over the village had been reconstructed, and 'jawboxes' which had stood
in the kitchens had been replaced generally outside. Words can add nothing to
the force and suggestiveness of this sequence of events. - The rise in the zymotic
death-rate in the biennial period, 1885-86, was due to an epidemic of whooping-
cough.

Ϯ Places separated by a dash have an equal death-rate.

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ward. Scarlet fever, Nitshill, Clippens, Elderslie, Thornliebank, Barr-
head, Gateside, Yoker, Houston (village), Scotstoun and Kilbarchan
(village). Enteric fever, Blackstoun and Clippens, Elderslie - John-
stone landward, Inkerman - Crosslee - Gateside - Renfrew landward,
Bridge-of-Weir (Houston) - Linwood - Linwood landward - Erskine
landward - Newton-Mearns - and Eaglesham village. Measles, Black-
stoun, Elderslie, Scotstoun, Sheddens-Clarkston, Howwood, Newton-
Mearns, Linwood - Busby - Neilston - Anniesland. Whooping-cough,
Busby, Clippens, Scotstoun - Yoker, Linwood - Thornliebank, Barr-
head - Bridge-of-Weir (Houston) - Houston landward, Blackstoun -
Bishopton - Kilbarchan - Neilston - Newton Mearns. Diarrhea,
Crosslee, Elderslie - Blackstoun - Clippens - Anniesland, Howwood,
Scotstoun - Inverkip, Linwood - Yoker - Lochwinnoch (village).
The following districts have had no deaths from diphtheria in the
course of the decennium, - Inchinnan, Bishopton, Bridge-of-Weir
(Ranfurly), Lochwinnoch landward, Inverkip, Kilmalcolm landward,
Kilbarchan landward, Mearns landward, and Renfrew landward.
The following have had no deaths from enteric fever, - Inchinnan,
Bridge-of-Weir (Ranfurly), Kilbarchan landward, Mearns landwaad,
Houston landward, Anniesland, Clarkston, Barrhead landward. No
deaths from measles were registered during the decennium in
Kilmalcolm, Langbank, Erskine landward, Inchinnan, Inverkip,
Clippens (?), Linwood landward, Houston landward, Eaglesham,
Eaglesham landward, Mearns landward, Paisley landward, Yoker.
There were no deaths from whooping-cough in Kilbarchan landward,
Lochwinnoch landward, Neilston landward.
The death-rate from Phthisis fluctuates extraordinarily over the
County. It is difficult to discover any working hypothesis upon
which to account for these fluctuations. They are apparently
independent of climate, soil, or elevation of site. Thus Newton
Mearns heads the list with a death-rate of 4·7, while the death-rate in
Mearns landward, the surrounding district, is only 1·2; Thornliebank
has a mean phthisical death-rate of 3·6, while the death-rate of the
landward part of the parish is only 1·3; the Linwood death-rate is
3·4, in Linwood landward it is as low as ·8. Linwood landward
(death-rate ·8) Yoker (·6), Scotstoun (·9), Clippens (·9), part of
Inchinnan (1·0), most of Paisley landward (1·0), lie at a low level, on
a flat plain but little elevated above the sluggish rivers which wind
slowly through their midst, and have an undoubtedly damp subsoil;
on a considerable number of winter days fog hangs heavily over them.