[Report 1894] / Medical Officer of Health, Leake R.D.C.

  • Leake (England). Rural District Council.
Date:
1894
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1894] / Medical Officer of Health, Leake R.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    LEAKE RURAL DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH Poe the Year Ending 31st December, 1894. To the Rural District Council. Gentlemen: As the Nottinghamshire parishes are now constituted a separate district, I have thought it de¬ sirable to make a separate annual report for the newly-constituted district of Leake. I will first deal with the district as a whole, and afterwards give an account of the conditions affecting the public health and the mortality of each parish. The district has an area of 17,076 statute acres. The population in 1891 was 3,699. It has probably increased since then, and for the next few years, during the construction of the new railway, will probably be much higher. The total number of deaths registered during tho year was 56 ; this is equal to au annual death rate of 15 per thousand of the population, which is a little below the average of the last five years. The total number of deaths from zymotic diseases was 6. This gives a zymotic death rate of 1-6, which is very satis¬ factory. The deaths from zymotic disease were as follows :—Scarlet fever 1, typhoid fever 1, erysipelas 1, whooping cough 2, and diarrhoea 1. INFECTIOUS DISEASES NOTIFICATION ACT. This Act came into operation on January 1, and is undoubtedly of great use in preventing the spread of diseases of the class with which it deals. By securing to your Officers prompt notice of the existence of infectious disease, it enables them to visit the spot and give directions as to isolation, disinfection, and pointing out to parents, &c , the provisions of the Public Health Act, and the penalties attaching to exposure of persons suffer¬ ing from such diseases or allowing infected clothing, &c., in any public place, shop, public conveyance, etc. It will be seen with satisfaction from the accompanying schedules that although sporadic cases of these diseases occurred in Stanford, East Leake, Costock, and West Leake, there was no spread in any instance. The total number of notifications received was 14. STANFORD. The sanitary condition oi the village is excellent. Four cases of infectious disease were notified, 1 erysipelas and 3 scarlet fever. This latter com¬ plaint was, in my opinion, imported from Lough¬ borough. There were 6 births and 1 death, equal to an annual death rate of 6 per thousand of the population. REMPSTONE. Births 8, deaths 2, no infectious disease, death rate 6 6 per thousand. WEST LEAKE. Births 4, death 1, one case of scarlet fever notified, death rate 6 7 per thousand. COSTOCK. Births 6, deaths 6, one oase of scarlet fever notified. This case was imported from Birming¬ ham. Death rate 20-9. The death rate in this parish is rather high, but the deaths are all of persons over 65. There was no death from pre¬ ventable disease. NORMANTON. Births 8, deaths 5, no infectious disease, death rate 14-7 per thousand. EAST LEAKE. Births 29, deaths 18. Five cases of scarlet fever have been notified, one of which proved fatal. There was also a fatal case of erysipelas, and one of whooping cough. This gives a zymotic death rate of 3’6 and a general death rate of 22 per thousand, which is considerably above the average of the district. SUTTON BONINGTON. Births 33, deaths 13 Two cases of typhoid fever were notified, both of which were imported ; and one case of erysipelas. Death rate 13 per thou¬ sand. This is the most populous village in the dis¬ trict, and I consider that its sanitary condition is very good. THORPE-IN-THE-GLEBE AND WY8ALL. Births 5, deaths 3, no infectious disease notified, death rate 13'2. WILLOUGHBY. Births 8, deaths 7, no infectious disease notified. There was one death from whooping cough and one from diarrhoea. This gives a zymotic death rate of 4 8 and a general death rate of 16 9 per thousand. Thera are a few other points worthy of notice with regard to the district as a whole. 1. That not a single case of typhoid fever originated within the district during the year, the two Sutton cases being imported. 2. That no deaths occurred from infantile diarrhoea. 3. The low infantile mortality. These three points indicate a very good sanitary condition. BIRTHS. The total number of births registered during the year was 107,; this is an annual birth rate of 23.5 per thousand of the population. WATER SUPPLY. The water supply of the district is exclusively from wells. Six samples have been submitted to me for analysis, and two samples were so impure as to be, in my opinion, unfit for drinking. Orders were made on the owners to provide a sufficient water supply, and in one case it was necessary to institute legal proceedings against the owner. A proper water supply has since been provided in each case. SEWAGE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL. The only system of sewage and house refuse collection and disposal which exists in the district is that of the common midden and privy, which I believe to be the best for rural districts, provided the middens are constructed of impervious materials, are emptied frequently, and not made too large. Care should also be taken that they are far enough away from the source of water supply or streams, the water from which may be used for domestic purposes lower down their course. systematic inspections, &c. In company with the Inspector, I have made in¬ spections of several parishes and places therein, and by myself have made visits in connection with outbreaks of infectious disease, houses unfit for habitation, dirty houses, overcrowding, pigs kept too near dwellings, &c., details of wnich will be found in the Inspector’s report. With regard to the sanitary state of the district at the end of the year, I may say that it was excellent, as it was quite free from preventable disease of every kind during the months of November and December. Appended are the tabulated statistics of mortality, &c., classified according to locality, diseases, and ages, I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, THOMAS CORCORAN, Medical Officer of Health. Loughborough, 17th January, 1895. tabulated statistics. Mortality at all ages 56, under one year 12, one and under five 1, five and under fifteen 2, fifteen and under twenty-five 3, twenty-five and under sixty-five 13, sixty-five and upwards 25. Number of deaths in each parish :—Cos-tock 6, East Leake 18, Normanton-on-Soar 5, Rempstone 2, Stanford 1, Sutton Bonuington 13, Tfiorpe-in-the-Glebe and Wysall 3, West Leake 1, Willoughby-on-the- Wolds 7. Mortality from subjoined causes. Under five years, Erysipelas 1, Whooping Cough 2, Bronchitis 3, all other diseases 7, total 13. Five years and upwards, Scarlatina 1, Enteric FeveT 1, Diarrhoea 1, Phthisis 3, Bronchitis 8, Heart Disease 3, Injuries 2, all other diseases 24, total 43. INSPECTOR'S REPORT. Gentlemen : I have during the past year made periodical inspections of the parishes comprising the Leake District Council. There have been twelve houses disinfected and cleansed after in¬ fectious disease, ten of which I have personally disinfected, at the expense of the Authority ; six samples of drinking water have been taken for analysis, one well has been closed by order of the Magistrates and a fresh water supply provided, three additional middens have been erected, one case of overcrowding abated, two dirty houses cleansed, one pigstye removed a further dis¬ tance from a dwelling house, ten drains to cottages have been tanen up, cleansed, and re-laid with sanitary tiles. The parish sewers have had their annual cleansing. The Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milkshops Order of 1885 has been satisfactorily carried out. Inspections under the Factory and Workshops Act show that there are 63 persons engaged in the manufacture of wearing apparel, this has been carried on during the past year without any interruption from infectious disease. I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, GALLIO BOWLES.