HH62/2/SUTHER/33

Transcription

[Page] 32

Phthisis being spread is to cause all the sputa to be spat into rags or
on to paper, which can afterwards be burnt.]
Regarding the staff required for local assistance I reported
specially to the Board of Supervision, as requested by them, as
follows:-
"10th June, 1891.
"Report to the Board of Supervision on the question of local
assistance required, and the removal of existing officers:-
"I. Existing Medical Officers of Parishes. - l beg to report that
of the Medical Officers of Parishes who were in office at the 'appointed
day,' not all of them are at present in office on account of having left
the county; and of those now in office, it is my opinion that their
services will no longer be required, as they are not situated in those
parts of the county where their services may be required, viz., in the
West Coast and North Coast parishes. If the need for local assist-
ance in those districts will in the future be more urgent than at
present, it will be within the power of the County Council to have it
supplied by appointing the Medical Officers of Badcall and Tongue in
their respective districts.
"II. Existing Sanitary Inspectors of Parishes. - l have had a
consultation with the Chief Sanitary Inspector of the county, and we
are of opinion that the offices of the various Parochial Inspectors are
no longer required, but we would recommend that there be an
Inspector situated in Scourie or some central place for the contiguous
parishes of Assynt and Eddrachillis; and also another Inspector
situated in Tongue or thereabouts for the parishes of Durness,
Tongue, and Farr, both of these Inspectors to act under the chief
Inspector in the capacity of official sub-inspectors, or unofficially, as
the necessity for extra local assistance should arise."
A Public Health Committee of County Council was formed after a
suggestion was made to this effect; and in September they met once
as such to discuss sanitary affairs. My intention in asking our
Sanitary Committee to be formed was that there might be frequent
meetings at convenient spots, for consultation about the work with
the Medical Officer of Health and Sanitary Inspector, so as to forward
it, and have it introduced at Council meetings afterwards, arranged
for practical carrying out so far.
Attendance at meetings of Council and Helmsdale Sub-Committee
was given when requested, or when thought advisable and necessary
to supplement by verbal statement my written opinions and sugges-
tions. Special opinions and advice were written regarding the
insanitation of Helmsdale Lane, Road Nuisances in the County
generally, and the condition of the County Buildings, Dornoch, and
also regarding new arrangements of Sanitary Inspector, issuing public
notices regarding the scavenging of Helmsdale. Action has also been
taken in the matter of improving lodging-houses, as suggested to
some owners.

[Page] 33

Work has also been done in the case of remedying the condition
of foul ashpits situated too near houses or roads. Old midden
heaps in some places were levelled and sown with grass seeds, and
new deposits prevented by house-to-house intimation. Notices were
sent to a large number of authors of nuisances, and abatement
thereof resulted; while in other cases drains have been made,
opened, or cleaned, as required; cesspools shut, or cleaned out;
structural improvements, such as rhones, W.C.'s put in new, were
effected in several houses; tanks for water supplies were cleaned out
and kept free from contamination; the condition of several hotels
and places of public resort has been improved voluntarily, on sugges-
tions being made to that effect; and improvement also has resulted
in or about several schools.
To record how much is still undone is an easier though less
pleasant task. Many subjects for improvement were reported to
Council, and the powers to bring them about could be easily applied,
but it was thought advisable to err on the side of leniency, trusting
to the moral effect of threatened proceedings if no betterment within
a certain time. In other cases, some in the Council wished more time
for coroboration of the statements made by us after special investi-
gation. But of many other matters there was no consideration at all,
even though on the cards of business, because of the pressure and
amount of contentious business; and the proposal I had to make -
and now respectfully repeat - was that for Public Health work a
special day for such important duties should be given frequently,
instead of the utterly inadequate time at the fag end of general
meetings of the County Council.
To enumerate in detail the work which has not been done forces
one to consider
WHAT IS POSSIBLE
to be done in our county, reckoning on only a rudimentary standard
of sanitation.
Though men never attain to their ideals, yet it is always advis-
able to aim high and keep still pursuing in the attempt to translate
into actual realities our attainable ideals.
With such a stage as this county to live on, and with a people of
such a history and potentialities, it is surely possible so to adapt the
one to the other that a larger number shall have such conditions of
existence as shall enable them to arrive at a good old age and a
larger measure of health in the intervening years from infancy
upwards. The world's work will be better accomplished in proportion
as men's health and strength are conserved to them by fostering the
growth of all the contributory conditions, and limiting or preventing
the action of all influences detrimental to health in the state of their
personal habits, habitations, water, or air supply.