HH62/2/SUTHER/7

Transcription

[Page] 6

Houses with no windows at all in their rooms are fast vanishing
away; they were found in only two Parishes in our County at 1881
Census, viz., Kinlochbervie with 2.8 per cent., and Kildonan with
0.23 per cent. of their families so accommodated.
So far the Place and the People have been described in some of
their relations to each other. Their sanitation in the past was looked
after by the isolated organisations of Parochial Boards in a very
nominal and inefficient fashion; but, now that there has been a
merging of Parishes and a unifying of administrative functions under
one corporate body - the County Council - as Local Authority, one
cannot but hope that, with increased knowledge of their powers
and duties, there will be a unity of purpose and deter-
termined action among the new administrators to render the
the various Public Health Acts effective, and Sanitation a reality in
our County, and not merely a name. Sufficient time has not yet
elapsed for an opinion to be given whether, on account of the at pre-
sent inadequate means of transit from one part to another, the admi-
nistration of the County in one District is the best that could be
devised.

THE CASE.
The first duty of one who purposes to cure a disease is to faith-
fully make out his case or diagnosis; and to do so is occasionally
more difficult than to apply the remedy.
From my original knowledge of this County, and some years'
practice of medicine therein, I was in possession of many facts bear-
ing on its Sanitary condition; but in proceeding to weave a web of
exact information, I could not but perceive how many were the
gaps necessary to be filled up before a complete description of its
diseased state could be said to have been accomplished.
To gather in many of the items of information from all necessary
sources there did not exist any appliances or materials for procedure -
not even did a legacy of accumulated facts or observations or papers
of any scientific importance come into our hands, for there
were no predecessors to compile them. The machinery and imple-
ments for acquiring exact knowledge of the distribution and amount
of Disease had to be first produced. Knowing how much valuable
information was lying dormant and unclassified in the books of our
various Parish Registrars, a proposal to obtain an account of these
data of the facts and causes of death was made by me in February,
1891, but great difficulty was experienced in this endeavour, for in
Scotland there was no compulsory clause in the Registration Acts autho-
rising Local Authorities to demand returns of death, as in England,
for a small statutory fee, and so we had to depend on the courtesy of
the Registrars themselves, who had to be remunerated at a higher
rate. Statistics of a general kind have always been open to us in the
Registrar-Generals Quarterly and Annual Reports, and of these, as
available, I have made large use, but they are not detailed enough

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for exact local studies. Much more remains to be done; and it is my
proposal to map out, as I have opportunity, all the diseased blots of
the County in detail for each parish from facts registered since 1855.
This work may take a long time to accomplish, but it is of essential
importance to enable me to arrive at exact descriptions of the distri-
bution of disease and death.
The Council, about the very first in Scotland, in October, 1890,
adopted the Infectious Disease (Notification) Act, which, by its
operations, has been the means of enabling us to know quickly where
infectious disease broke out or death was likely to be leaving its trail.
In large tabular statement will be seen an enumeration of the
various kinds of fever notified.
In other departments of investigation a great deal requires to be
done to enable me to give visibility to the ravages of disease and
death.
Extended observations will fill up remaining gaps, and the con-
clusions to be drawn from a more particular study of the circum-
stances of the County will be rendered more stable as years go on.
Possibly some conclusions may have to be modified which at pre-
sent are based on general observations of many years, and the
precise study of one, viz., 1891.
At 31st December, 1891, I was 13 1/2 months in office, and during
that time, by diligent inquiry, periodical and special inspections of
all the Parishes and Districts of the County, many facts of deep
significance have been discovered, while in many instances I could
corroborate previously formed convictions.
In compliance with a remit from the County Council of 12th August,
1892, special visits have been made to every Public School and many
Side Schools in the County, and my observations and recommenda-
tions will be found in an appendix.
A short account of the chief defects noticed will best be taken up
in alphabetical order of the Parishes. I am well aware that many
facts of Insanitation are not yet taken notice of, but a selection has
been made of the most flagrant cases, and if to remedy them an earnest
attempt be made, it will afterwards be easier to cause a removal and
prevention of minor faults.
Before proceeding to enumerate defects of the various Parishes, I
may say, speaking generally, that there are in each District large
accumulations of excreta near houses, defiling the air and sources of
water supply, and no attempt, in many cases, is made to lessen the
same or prevent further deposits. Middens and ash-heaps of several
years' growth are found in our fishing villages, being a savoury legacy
of many previous generations. No one can be found who could be
proved the author of these nuisances; and in farms and crofts there
are also yearly accumulations, either near the doors or at a dyke-side
adjoining the Public Roads. Road Drains in several villages are
looked on as public sewers, all manner of filth being thrown into
them and allowed to stagnate until rain showers either carry the filth