[Report 1912] / Medical Officer of Health, Radnorshire County Council.
- Radnorshire (Wales). County Council.
- Date:
- 1912
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1912] / Medical Officer of Health, Radnorshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.
19/54 page 17
![General Order of 13th December, 1910, concerning the duties of Medical Officers of Health :— It (the Report) should also embody the results of enquiries into Jthe “ causes, origin, and distribution of diseases within the District, “ and ” to what extent the same have depended on conditions capable of removal or mitigation.” [Article XIX (2) of the Board’s General Order.] Dr. H. A. Debenham (Presteign Urban District) has complied with this request and has reported very fully as to the prevalence of Goitre. His remarks are of great interest as research in India on the same subject points very strongly to the possibility of the infection of Goitre being carried by water. Dr. Debenham says :— Goitre is a disease which is endemic in the whole neighbourhood, but I believe that in recent years the town itself, as contrasted with the surrounding country, develops very few instances of the disease. Goitre is a disease known to be very prevalent in certain limestone districts, and to be associated with the drinking water of those Districts, and, directly or indirectly (probably indirectly) with the lime salts by chemical or by biological influence. It is a matter in which it is impossible to get statistics in proof, and therefore must rest entirely upon opinions, but my impression with regard to the diminishing prevalence of Goitre in the town is supported by the opinions and experi- ence of the other medical practitioners in your town. One of them says in answer to my enquiry :—“I certainly think that in recent years as far as my experience goes, there have been less cases of Goitre in the town than in the sur- rounding country district; in fact, I think that the town is comparatively immune.” It may, I think, be taken as a fact that at the present time this difference between the town and surrounding country is very marked. The debatable questions are—(a) Has this difference always existed? And (b) if not, since when did the comparative exemption of the town area commence? My own experience in the county goes back to 27 years, and I am](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28874729_0019.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
