[Report 1901] / Medical Officer of Health, Aspull D.C.

  • Aspull (England). District Council.
Date:
1901
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1901] / Medical Officer of Health, Aspull D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Taking a general review of the past year, we find that it cf)nnnenced with a prevalence of Scarlet Fever, in consequence of which I adr ised, in January, the closing of St. Elizabeth’s Scliools, Bolton Road. This action seemed to have a good effect on tlie continuance of the outbreak, at any rate it was followed by a raprid decline in the number of notifications in that locality. The disease, however, was scattered over the greater prart of the township during tiie first four months. In July, August, and Sepjtember tliere w'as, with the exception of a few' cases of Diphtheria, very little Zymotic disease reported. T ha^■e already mentioned that Dipjhtlieria has been unusually prevalent, and by far the greater number of cases occuri'ed in the New Spriirgs district, particulaiJy in Top Lock, Fairbrothei’’s Yard, and Longtield vStreet. Some few, but on!}' a small minority, were r-eported in houses w'here the sarritary arTangemerrts were fairly good ; the majority were found irr crow'ded areas, the surroundings of which were more than suspicious. This was especially noticeable in Faii’brother’s Yard and some parts of I,,eeds Street. Diphtheria, like Typhoid Fever, will always flourish wher’c the surrounding premises are unpavcil and badly drained. Irr October foirr cases of Diprhtheria were reportetl in Penrriirgtmi Green amongst people of the most cleanly habits and in good sanitary piroperty. I made a careful inspection, and reported to j’ou tire probable cau.se, which has since been remedied ^leasles vvas prevalent in the New- Spalngs rlistrict in April and May, causing two deaths. The case.s were numerous, but were trot of such a se\ere type as ott fornrer occasions. The closing of the sclrools irr that district was contemplated, but lire outbreak srtlrsidrng such action was not rrecessary'. As it is not a rrotifiable disea.se it ofteir becomes widely distribrrted before its presence becomes oflicially recognised. The Medical Officer for the County, irr table C, desires to ktrow if any disease other than tho.se mentiorred irr the Notification Act have beeir nrade rrotifiable. There is rro doulrt that the rrotification of all irrfectious di.seases would be irrost desirable. I would, however, suggest that your Council might seriously corrsider sonre rrreans of including Measles arrd Phthisis. Durirrg the year I subirritted to your Courrcil sevei'al leprorts respecting insairitary pr-oprerty, one in reference to houses numbered 6 to 13, Ratclifte Road. The recommendations thereirr have been carried irrto effect as far- as it is possible with old property. Irr another, I drew' your atterrtiorr to tire corrditiorr of a farnrhouse situate irr Haigh Road. I had alroirt that tinre several irrterview's with the reprreserrtatives of the owrrer, and made various suggestioirs, w’hich, I regret to say, have not as yet beerr carried out. I wouhl like to urge orr your Courrcil the importance of paving the back streets and y'ards irr the Top Lock district without delay. Should the climatic conditions be favourable during the coming sumrrrer for the development of Zymotic disease, we slrall be liable to a repetition or even to a rnor-e severe visitation than we have experierrced durirrg the prast y'ear. The Zymotic rate of 6'6 per 1,000 is uirusually high. It would be perhaps advisable to explain that certain diseases such as Gastritis, Enteritis, J’C., Arc., are now irrcfuded, which was irot the case irr previous j'ear-s, birt aprart from the inclusion of these, the Zy'rrrotic rate is much too high, and those steps likely' to biltrg it at least to its normal level should be undertakerr irr the early .sprrirrg. Frequent irrspectiorrs of the various prarts of the townshijr have beerr nrade by myself and Nuisance Irrspector, and rrrarry' srrrall rrratters have received atierrtioir to which it was not rrecessary to draw ymur atternion. The water supply'rrray be said to be good arrd plentiful, with the exceptiorr that comprlaints have lieerr made by people residing in the higher- parts of the district to the effect that they are frequerrtly urrable to obtairr a supply' bctweerr the hours of S arrd 12 a.tn. This rrray be due to want of pressure, but atr irregular supply is rrot conducive to the liealth of the coirsurners. Slaughter-houses, Bakehouses, Dairies, arrd Cowsheds have beerr subject to inspectiorr. It has not beerr rrecessary to di-aw your atterrtion to atry' warrt or defective sarritation irr corrnection with these occupations. The Nuisance Iirsp)ect(jr Iras issued 13.1 notices for abaterrrents ; (16 houses have been fumigated arrd cleaned down ; 10 new closets built; 12 cases of overcrowditrg have received attentiorr. No offerrsive trades have Ireen carried on, arrd it has rrot Vreeir rrecessary to condemrr arry' articles of fo'rd ex[a)sed for sale. I airt, Gentlenren, obediently yours, L. COOKE, Medical Officer of Health.