[Report 1927] / Medical Officer of Health, St Andrews.

  • St. Andrews (Scotland). Council.
Date:
1927
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1927] / Medical Officer of Health, St Andrews. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Provision for Puerperal Sepsis Cases. The policy of the Town Council in this respect was outlined in the Report for 1926. Representations were made to the Scottish Board of Health and it was finally agreed that cases of puerperal sepsis occurring in the Burgh should be treated in the Burgh Fever Hospital. The cost was approved for the purposes of the Maternity and Child Welfare Grant. The Board, however, sanctioned the arrangement only in view of the special circum- stances of St. Andrews and reserved the right to re-consider the matter at any time should they so decide. WATER SUPPLY. The position with regard to the water supply of the town was described in the Report for 1926, and certain proposals submitted to the Town Council were indicated, namely that— (a) Additional filters be provided, (b) Existing filters be renovated, (c) Wanton waste be checked, (d) Means of safeguard be taken against possible sources of con- tamination in the catchment area. All the proposals were agreed to by the Town Council and by the autumn of 1927, four new filters, constructed on modern lines, were laid down. Commencement was made in renewing the sand and part of the gravel layers in some of the old filters and pre- liminary steps were taken in the installation of a water meter, the means available for measuring the rate of filtration being decidedly primitive. The water from certain highly polluted streams was by-passed to the sea. Other streams in the higher reaches of the catchment area were cleaned and fenced. Negotiations were well advanced towards the purchase of more land in the catchment area. A waterman was appointed to inspect the fittings in the town for leakage and for wanton waste, with the result that the consumpt of water per head per day fell from 69 55 gallons in 1926 to 63 gallons in 1927. In spite, however, of these measures, no great improvement resulted in the bacteriological purity of the water supply. Bacillus Coli continued to be found in quantities of water varing from 10 c.c. to a fraction of 1 c.c. It was obvious that the process of