Dr. G.S. Buchanan's report to the Local Government Board upon epidemic diphtheria in the borough of Tunbridge Wells / [G.S. Buchanan].

  • George Seaton Buchanan
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. G.S. Buchanan's report to the Local Government Board upon epidemic diphtheria in the borough of Tunbridge Wells / [G.S. Buchanan]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    OFFICIAL COPY. Dr. G. S. Buchanan’s Report to the Local Government Board .• WELLCOME LIBRARY - reneral Collections +P 210: A-.*' upon Epidemic Diphtheria in the Borough of Tunbridge Wells. Richd- Thorne Thorne, Medical Officer, March 9th, 1899. : f * At the end of April 1898, the Returns of the Registrar General showed that in the Borough of Tunbridge Wells as many as 13 deaths from diphtheria had been recorded during the first three months of the year. As no information had been received from the Medical Officer of Health of this borough that diphtheria was prevalent in his district, the Board requested the Town Council to instruct that officer to furnish a report upon the subject. The Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Stamford, reporting accordingly on May 25th, informed the Board that during the three months in question he had learnt, by means of “ notification,” of 101 cases of diphtheria occurring within the borough. Little indication of the conditions under which diphtheria had become epidemic was to be had from Dr. Stamford’s report, but the measures in repression of the outbreak adopted by the Town Council were stated in some detail, and in general it was to be gathered from the report that diphtheria had ceased to be prevalent in the district. At the end of July, however, the Registrar General’s Returns recorded nine additional deaths from diphtheria in the Borough of Tunbridge Wells between April 1st and June 30th, and, no further communication having been received from the Town Council or Medical Officer of Health, the Board directed local inquiry. Accordingly I visited Tunbridge Wells in the middle of August and again at the end of September. Before dealing with the diphtheria prevalence, it will be convenient if I give a brief general description of Tunbridge Wells and of its sanitary condition and administration. I.—General Description and Sanitary Condition. The Borough of Tunbridge Wells is situate in West Kent, and has an area of 3,740 acres. Most of this area consists of hills and plateaux of Tunbridge Wells Sand, a dry and porous stratum of the Hastings series. In the northern part of the borough patches of Weald Clay overlie the Tunbridge Wells Sand, and near its eastern boundary Wadhurst Clay, another stratum of the Hastings series, crops out from beneath the sand. Much of the area of the borough is occupied by open heathy common and by public and private parks and gardens. A large proportion of the inhabitants are persons of the well-to-do class ; many have business in London, or have settled in Tunbridge Wells after retirement from work ; others, again, are persons who spend a large portion of the year at Tunbridge Wells in pursuit of health. There are several large hotels, and many householders let lodgings to visitors during a summer or a winter “ season.’ The shops, workshops, and places of business are those incidental to a residential neighbourhood and health resort. The poorer class are for the most part LONDON: PRINTED FOR HER MAJESTY’S STATIONERY OFFICE, By* DARLING & SON, Ltd., 1-3, Great St. Thomas Apostle, E.C. And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from EYRE & SPOTTISWOODE, East Harding Street, Fleet Street, E.C.; or JOHN MENZIES & Co., 12, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, and 90, West Nile Street, Glasgow ; or HODGES, FIGGIS, & Co., Limited, 104, Grafton Street, Dublin. No. 137. 1898. Price 3d. 1140—375—12/98 Wt 16448 D ie 8. 19
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