HH62/2/WIGTOW/33

Transcription

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II. - INQUIRIES DURING THE YEAR.

These have been in brief the following:- Inquiry at Drummore in
connection with scarlet fever cases; examination of and report on the
village of Sandhead; inquiry as to water at Ardwell School; as to
sanitary state of Castle-Kennedy Public School (special report); as to
diphtheria at Castle-Kennedy, with general inspection of village; as to
scarlet fever in Glenluce, Glen of Luce School, and Inch parish; as to
diphtheria outbreak in Leswalt and Kirkcolm (special report).
In the coming year I propose to arrange a programme of general
and special inquiry in the sense indicated by my Lower District report.

III. AND IV.

There is little to report under these heads. Certificates have been
granted in respect of disinfections in Leswalt and Glen of Luce. No
proceedings have had to be taken against bakehouses.

V. - HOSPITAL SUPERVISION.

I have no official information regarding any hospital for this district.


VI. - PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.

(a.) In November two cases of Diphtheria occurred in Castle-
Kennedy; there was one death. Isolation was easily secured in the
private residence, and no further cases occurred in the village. The
source of the disease was doubtful; but defective drains and cesspool
accommodation in the village received the prompt attention of the
proprietor.
(b.) Two Scarlet Fever cases occurred at Drummore. One case was
in a state of free desquamation when the house was visited. Isolation
was not then possible; but the fever did not spread, and the house was
disinfected by the Sanitary Inspector.
(c.) An outbreak of Diphtheria, amounting to 11 cases, occurred
during the months of October, November, and December, in the
parishes of Leswalt and Kirkcolm. The action taken has been detailed
in a special report. Since the beginning of January, 1892, there has
reached me no report of any fresh case. The Leswalt and Kirkcolm
schools have been closed until further notice. Sanitary improvements
have been made at Leswalt school. It is proper to add that the School
Boards have in both cases done their utmost to assist the Local
Authority in suppressing and forestalling the disease. I recommend an
individual examination of school children in both parishes. Whether
this will be carried out I have no means yet of knowing.

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(d.) Two cases of Scarlet Fever occurred at Glen of Luce School.
The school was closed and disinfected before re-opening.
The other cases now under the supervision of the Public Health
and Sanitary Offices occurred within the present year.
In present circumstances the Public Health Office has to depend
mainly on private intimations of infectious disease. But notice to adopt
the Infectious Diseases Notification has already been given, and the
District Committee will probably adopt that Act at the next meeting.
I am not aware of any hospital accommodation under the District Com-
mittee. I suggest that the question of hospital be remitted to the small
Public Health Committee I have already proposed.

VII. - CAUSE, ORIGIN, AND DISTRIBUTION
OF DISEASE.

The data at my disposal for determining the causes and distribution
of diseases in the district are very limited. The returns I possess are
for only five parishes out of eight, and the three not given are among
the most populous. This deficiency I shall make up as materials
permit in the county report; at present it is possible only to indicate a
few leading features in the parishes whose death-returns I have in detail.
These parishes are - Inch, Kirkmaiden, Leswalt, New Luce, Port-
patrick. These areas, however, are somewhat typical of the whole
district; they are taken from north, middle, and south; they are partly
inland, and partly sea-board. It is probable, then, that with slight
particular variations the remaining three parishes of the district will
show similar features.

A. - GENERAL DEATH-RATES.

(a.) Of the five parishes the total population at the census of 1891
was 9779. The number of deaths for the year ending 31st December
was 159. This yields a death-rate for these parishes of 16.059 per 1000.
This rate, however, is not equally realised all over the areas named.
The rates of these parishes are in order:- Portpatrick, 23.320; New
Luce, 22.100; Leswalt, 20.180; Kirkmaiden, 12.768; Inch, 10.164.
The rate for Portpatrick is higher than the average rate for small towns,
and resembles more the normal rate for the large or principal town areas.
The rate for New Luce is calculated on a narrow basis (population only
858), and cannot be taken as typical. The rate for Leswalt is also high
for a mainland-rural district. Kirkmaiden and Inch realise more nearly
what the mainland-rural districts commonly exhibit. Thus Kirkmaiden,
whose population is 2193, shows a record of only 28 deaths, or a rate of
12.7 per 1000; and Inch, whose population is 2160, shows a record of
only 22 deaths, or 10.1 per 1000.