[Report 1894] / Medical Officer of Health, Pontypool Local Board / U.D.C.
- Pontypool (Wales). Local Board.
- Date:
- 1894
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: [Report 1894] / Medical Officer of Health, Pontypool Local Board / U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![MEDICAL OFFICER’S REPORT. pontypool urban district council. Denham House. Jan. 30th, 1895, To the Urban District Council, Pontypool. Mr Chairman and Gentlemen,—My seventeenth annual report relative to the health and mortality of your district for the year ending Dec. 31st, 1894, is as followsDeaths at all ayes. 99—43 males and 50 females. Annual death-rate for 1894, 16'4 per 1,000. Annual death-rate corrected by the addition of 12 persons who died in the Union Workhouse and belonging to your district, IS 4 per 1,000. Births during the year, 210—97 males and 113 females. Annual birth-rate, 34'S per 1.O00. Hate of infant mortality. 142 8 per 1,000 born. Deaths from all zjmotic diseases and diarrhcea, 2T per 1,000 per annum. Deaths from notified diseases, '49 per 1,000 per annum. The yeoloyical formation of your district remains as it was at the time of my last annual report. It lies upon the carboniferous system, or more par¬ ticularly the millstone grit, or farewell rock, or the lower portion of the true coal measures, and forms the eastern outcrop of the South Wales coalfield. The strata dip. or slope, about 3 inches per yard in land formed bj the above-namecUsrreanvi r] SrlrTalBI ft in. * northerly, north- westeriv, and westerly direction from the before- Sonto°700 feefnT’ an<Llies at an elevation of from ZiVnVAVmZtei mean Sea-le'’eV The atmospheric conditions for the year have sumurerlike, b„t jour area, and the constant supervision exerrisef over the dramas little harm results from an e«el consequently the health of the in¬ habitants has in no way suffered The medical iwYcmoer aaj&j the amount reyistered »nrl.-pd the enormous total of 17 48 inches” mari-ed purrmsls affltfttoft ,JO|’u,ation *»■ statistical if b,UJ-’ the census of 1891 beiiv 5 849 Between the census of the two rears 1S81 and ls«q siilipsiii last year (1893), when it ™ ITfilllf'oooft11 fedMs some reduction should be made ftft real value who come into Your district aL a: ftft ?rsons other districts. After cons de,?.?d 1'“ b®lot'insr to I cannot help concludin “that tl e’im ore b°aT'i fture9 condition ofVour^m\XtaSfTvrtd.?m,Mt mortality. The constant^ superWsion hY’' exercised over the outbreaks nf oLf. ' -°n i-at 18 and the increased information that is Jgg by the masses m connection with the care of ; must-in the «*■ %£ off in the prosperity ot fcS present time the impaired condition7n V ,t0 the materially affeeted the ponulat ““ °/Ede.hhS not penod under review the^KS/^ £2££S5wf?ad m ft? to your population which is on i„ n ‘ aa,n of ,SI 1893. The coal strike of 18M “rS/,'’iT financial condition of the labouriftoUSft'ft a measure handicaiiped them This inn ntlln not regained its position, and it cri,mleftgft8 made worse by the continued inactivity ,aft- 'S plate trade. Bad trade in anv distrir/ * tm* depopulate it, as its youn/mm, miLfe ? ft/0 parts and marriage is postponed. ** 1 1 other The rate of infant mortality for tbp von- i consideration is 142 8 per 1,000 born In tK Undef we are improving every vear Fm-'tVxn tn,s resl>ect there has been a steady decline in the ’^8 Uear2 infants under 1 year. ' There is room I^tallt-V of ment in this respect. Yet, as a tof. to. Jmpl0Te infants in the first vear nf lif/™ tbe deaths of fourth or one-fifth ofXWortalflftftft tor one' while as much as one-half of the death “?n,unit.5’' ■food. I may AoSX^Keboe^croSSnr; t°f 'f tbs praefeioSef of medicine is constantly lec his patients upon, and sometimes mothers len intelligent ear to that which is told them, am .avour to carry out the instructions as to the pro feeding of their young, but more often the bestvivice is disregarded, and the result is badly nouished children that succumb to the first bron¬ chia attack. Poverty and intemperance of parents ofte: lead to the starvation of their young children, as tey frequently get improper food, which causes starution as much as food withheld. The proper feedag of infants is as much a matter for sanitary supevision as the isolation of a case of zymotic disese, for the neglect of either raises the rate of motility. Tb mortality from all causes is epitomized on tab! A, supplied by the Local Government Board and? as follows Dcths under 1 years of age, 30 { 45 under 5 years 1 and under 5 years, 15 J of age.' O'J ver 5 years of ?e and upwards. i anu unaer o vears, lo \ •9 15' 0\ 15 ., 25 „ 5 hi 1 85 ,, 32 fag' -nd upwards, 17) -oup 13::... ig Cough.. It Wi Diab^oe,. . . Phthisis .0 Bronchitis. Pneumonia, and Pluensy .. 1(5 Heart Disease . n Injuries .q All other diseases. j- Total . j- veXJlnf’lWd “ ,reffftement of the Local So- andSnsL lrd'referS new 0as®8 »f aiokneS3, pontypool urban sanitary authority. Population at all ages, census 1891, 5.842. Estimated to middle of 1894, 6.022. New cases of infectious diseases comin<>- tn -ft ”C® |m-inh: feoxUX0' aS° o5 years “d ul,wards. Scarlatina .. s 2 Diphtheria. . i *. ? Membraneous Croup. 2 1 Enteric or Typhoid Fever .'. T . I Erysipelas. q 9 Total. j2 fi.hIa0njaynP051 ^s°ial 5oa'rd adopted the Notified tZ^TZTo ^S”* .“pread'cfttejnX mTe'oflheVe™8 AtTo Hme fe\”i,b us the epidemic form ; but thee arl as pm of the epidemic of 1893 fufteen I‘J;'erS a’ notified to me inri I. u ' J?“teen cases were h-§SsHri~^°u,tl from Hereford : the ]attor he)I^mp'.and ha,i 00rae in? sanitary autWitvTLi”?ied *° » neikhbour- work. Both cases wmdr»ldbe|n.to Cardiff at infectious ward and all to -tlle Union came in actual' contact with tb re-vaccinated who ^“r»faS*S he,rreS'- Imobnbly spacifi the 'thir l e0Tr ’ 1 ,wlieve' 'as the result Of bad drlsla™ and tourtli evidently chill. One of theseKfr i - ?d ft 1“*t to cold and see the doctor ^ken to medical evidence was'eal Id and ' bUL?s ”« croup” returned Icanoffei-uJ d- a ver<iict of mikht have been ,,,2',™ no opinion on it. It croujj, or true fliiihtlieria ^'Tv, croi},,> membraneous to determine the caues of deartfwVK* an in,iuest evidence is a-cofnpiety faree Wltlloiufc medical certificate forbMl vwLT?; 2Cept to ff[ve a sanitary authorities. W f no use to tJje IIhooping Couflk— This disease has been very prevalent all through the year, and it has been the primary cause of death in five instances ; vet in no case was the disease alone the cause of'decease- some secondary chest affection brought about the ratal issue. Diarrhea a,id Dysmteru.-These diseases have fromft TCpry There was but one death * S “‘arrhoea, the sufferer beink a delicate infant. K„ ''r/R.sv.v.— Tubercular disease of the lungs has Roto ™or? predominant than u-ual, and nine deaths i« r.«feSU tedtl0ra lt- 1 am rather surprised there v-iw mmue COU8u,npti9n existing in this damp vauej. I he predisposition to the disease is heredi- JS/flnfm0St Cases- and where that is knOrn to be ■eVLry,,),reca!lfclon should be taken by indi- tnX dSheaIth t0 ‘crease the power of resistance ^lsease general hj'gienic measuies. Infec- lmviuo-(nil!h8'e-ne-raiiy occur-s by.inhaling or swal- •)a,'>lli; therefore persons suffering from Phftsls sb0l'Id .avoid expectorating- on the floor or m.ijndkerdn.f w*!, may dry and ket mired nsVr„dl a and 80 become inhaled by some other person, who may prove a suitable soil for its g rowth —andpnrpakation. As much care should be taken to persons under fi vo vears of /j p],t'bisl’s as though “IWards, making a totaloeaJ,e:„ . .. ote‘ form of inflammation within the chest* More than one-half the deaths during the first year one'-thi delofdJbe n° th^Se d‘seasls- autl more than from the^ hs ?Ider five 5'9ara resulted piobablv werePv, f V0Urable ^“osphe. ic changes “c®nrrnd Vftb ri'aiIest 'cofher. and having to kit ov^remain the8 ^ iipsftpfeii death-rate7rom1a?ldenC'V f-° d,ecrease > that the a rate af'l™ i nnn5’m0tlC dlsoases assumes so low acres) hnf it Tft ft > 0,lu' district is small (234 fhroe1 or four \nI° .you'' district, than wSs the case x eftfVft’ “rreoted^tXa'fower0 children of tbiQX<i Uded imanv Persons and youn«- officials and arc'“Sj8’taX the r®sources of the Union consMer h°w he r ? Some ',0''fc.,0u of Mr time to - th‘S “dy thelXurint'Ms?sw¥Viewthe vi'al ,,0'm's <* iojismot^v. If th™slSS?i„Tfsswo7th doini°2t°ina1!? ?ecurlt\- e&ovLuMU fesiSS-ife tenLn'IoXnee'foAYfnfootIm ft Board'3 «*• in the following parXa h* ^ r dlSoa;ebos|)ital that your Boanl ofiV 1 b, _ I »>» tui,>' assured Board of Guardians have nn«w J yfcertain fche badly-constructed cottage in a crowded street or 1°“^ is.a most undesirable thing to happen ” It insmSitta°esb Tn0h1t?late100nfti0U8 diseases i “„1iottag!es. In better class houses it can be ?0°UwS'inf‘cat ’*&>*'***& bos p*ita Resisted tinm nnst° f p° 0 ft ft Public schools, as, for some P ooeedm:.1 XYft doubt'i as t0 ‘be value of the the view nf ,Su°b closure can only be desired with P„®,vie.'y,of Pieventing children coming into con- tact with non-mfepted ones. The exclusion of Ob ict \bl°? In,ee‘ed bouses accomplishes this tion tb'isft closul'e of the schools does not. 1 men- year tPom- l been ?° “eertified death during the vii-dictw.ib 1 ft-S have been bold: in two the thefourlh suicide aS6’ “ the thW croup' and in li^h»ftpiy.bas ueen of ‘be same good qua- it S uddtbn C0rplam‘s bare reached me respecting ^. ^and the only suggestion, ^an advancejn this F|(p‘d?' ‘bey migh t store a sufficient sup- With the district! 1 b kable and consistent 21 ^ndticUs toifthe°f ?Uftno^*eports baying served sadoTsXKlfcteSd re“byal »»*- and defective closets. 33 Detective drams, untrapped gullevs Ac 40 in™ ,?' ft fil‘b. &0, defective tfon? K and ‘‘““Sfbillk. filthv condi- sfteets?... h°USeS’ and obs‘ruc‘ions in Total. 210 t0-and aIb “»>- licensed add,t,0nal lodging-house has been tJhAslftft‘erhouses, have been regularly insnec- • The bye-laws are observed resuectino- thpm ^ubH^?1Xh^'beenrnnif“^ 1 blic slaughterhouse I consider a verv o-rnvp nni coStemd? daus'erl.llnd 1 am glad to find toe Coundii dewecafiXaerketm? “ mOTe suitabla oneontheii rn November last Her Majesty’s Inspector of Factories communicated with me enclosing a l t0riefa°TprleS and worbshops existing-in8 your dt Swav^dHa™-W|!'e 'r”.inf0‘'me(i about, and have always paid periodical visits to, and I have pleasure o-iveuPfnfcln? tbat a '-'eady compliance is always £ t0 anT suggestion of myself or your inspec- ,, There are but two cowsheds in your arpa nnrl abouTte^mnktelf Visited aVd insPected. There are SlES milksellersor vendors of milk who supply milk within your district. As a rule it is fetched outside your authority, and sold in 5 oui distnet Without going to any dairy but all rn-emises considered as dairiesm inspected regu- fc K b-n disi“- ‘b®. Bonty”ooiteL00LlUXa™,1 befoiftlt? feal extinction, completed and opened the mtrket her6 tTalmreT^ t00\ Pbice on Decern: ment nnrl hn?M{ The Inu'chase- enfranchise- one of the was a stupendous effort, and been thus f RRrfc 1%?Sl?8' Wan,fcs of the disfcrict has hpnpfit fv! 1 apd extenstvely carried out The benefit to the health of those engaged in huvin® toecosSreatly »PI»£&taa. ThY'en? square feT f 22'2S°' ‘he «** coyered ™ tA The new bye-laws of the Pontypool Board were Sul S ftffus‘i. and contain much that will be offices the ?U,dan0e ot ‘h® Council and ite in?a8 ISSSft te*#- aiSlViS. Is ft A, ceeam tt has the highest possinle value • the fair** riterfflHev?ithwm“i?e tJ.%co°tempated I am, Mr Chairman and Gentlemen, o t,Y,(Iurs obediently, B Mason, M.R.C P &c Medical Officer of Health.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28872137_0001.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
