HH62/2/ROSS/19

Transcription

[Page] 18

the former and 20 in the latter. Diphtheria, including croup,
accounts for 14; rheumatic fever for 5 in '70-71 and '72, and
8 in the second period. Cancer, which was only 4 in the
first period; in '84-85 and '86, amounted to 10; erysipelas,
2 and 4; scarlatina 12 in the latter, and did not occur at all
in the earlier period. These figures are merely fragmentary;
but so it must be allowed are those which we have to deal with
in comparing the deaths in a selected triennium also. They are
so because there are so many deaths, as we shall see further
on, uncertified. This is a great stumbling block to the statis-
tician; and has also to be lamented in some respects for the
sake of the sick and dying. Opinions may differ as to the
real value of medical services in the way of prolonging life.
But it must be allowed that such help in serious sickness
should be within the reach of everyone. It is to be feared
that in outlying districts many die, who could not, if they
would, obtain such assistance. One or two such districts are
known to me, and, in default of a living being found for a
local doctor, I think the attention of those who send medical
missionaries abroad should be turned to dark places at home.
It humbly seems to me that a man who proposes to devote his
life to the spiritual care of such people as those referred to,
might very well spend his probationership in studying for
and securing a diploma of medicine which would serve him
and his parishioners in good stead in the too common cases
where the nearest doctor is half-a-day's journey away. But
taking the death tables as they stand over the whole County,
during the three year period again, '85-86 and '87, we find 395
deaths set down as due to consumption and its allies = to an
annual death rate of 1.68 per 1000. Next to it comes croup
- probably, really diphtheria, which we include in the 131
cases a large and terrible record = annually to .543 per 1000
living; measles accounts for 73 deaths = to .300per 1000 per
annum; cancer to 67 = .284 per 1000 annually; diarrhoea
61 = a rate of .258; whooping cough 46 = .195; influenza 21
(there will be a bigger record we fear, for '91-92) = .089;
typhoid fever 19 = .080; scarlatina 14 = .059; puerperal fever
13 = .055; tetanus 11 = .047; typhus fever 6 - .025; and blood
poisoning - a vague term - 7 = .029, all per 1000 per annum.

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The total per centage of deaths per annum, taking the
whole County together on an average of three years, comes
to about 16 1/2, a creditable enough figure.

(C) DISTRIBUTION of DISEASE as SHOWN
by REGISTERED DEATHS.
I have mentioned that I have selected twenty-three dis-
eases as either preventible or which we hope in course of time
may become so. I shall shortly run over the different regis-
tration districts, noting peculiarities in the survey. The period
embraced is from 1885 to 1889 inclusive, or a quinquennium.
Beginning with

In Applecross (population, 917.2) there were 6 deaths
from tuberculosis, 2 from influenza, and 1 each from pneumonia
and diarrhoea. Total deaths 70, of which 57 were uncertified.

Avoch (population, 1817), in the Black Isle, wher fisher-
men bulk largely, and where the water supply is scanty, and
the village of Avoch is somewhat overcrowded, and drainage
rather inefficient, we find from 1885 to 1889 inclusive that
there occurred 9 cases of pneumonia, 1 of diarrhoea, 1 of
measles, 1 of typhoid fever, and 19 of consumption and allied
disorders, but none from cancer. Total mortality, 138.

In Alness (population, 1036.6), there died - 2 from pneu-
monia, 4 from diphtheria, and 2 from croup, 1 from puerperal
fever, 5 from whooping cough, and 10 from tuberculous
diseases. Total mortality, 87.

The record in Barvas (population, 4612.6), is 2 of blood
poisoning, 8 of cancer, 13 of pneumonia, 7 of diarrhoea, 1 of
erysipelas, 6 of measles, 2 of puerperal fever, 5 of typhoid, 6
of typhus (the first time we have come across this virulently
infectious disease), 3 of whooping cough, 4 of diphtheria, and
41 of croup, so called, while tuberculous diseases account for 27
Total mortality, 351.

In Carloway (population, 2965), there were 4 from
diarrhoea, 2 from pneumonia, 3 from cancer, 1 from erysip-
elas, I each from puerperal and rheumatic fever, 7 from
whopping cough, 40 from tuberculous diseases, 40 from croup,

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