[Report 1896] / Medical Officer of Health, Paul U.D.C.

  • Paul (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1896] / Medical Officer of Health, Paul U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    [3] Infectious Diseases. I closed last year’s report with the expression of a belief that the Scarlatina Epidemic, prevalent throughout 1895, had nearly reached its end. Fortunately the hope has been justified. As against 104 cases of Scarlatina within the district in 18S5, twenty-one were ascertained to exist in the year that has just finished. Of these eight were notified in January, one in February, two in April, one in May, one in June, one in July. I heard of one other case in October, and none was notified thereafter. But on visiting Mousehole on November 3rd, I came across two closely related families, who upon inspection proved to have three children apiece affected. One child was attending the Wesleyan School at Mousehole, while yet in the peeling stage. I have not heard of, or been able to discover, any fresh cases since. Only, in connection with the possible recrudescence of this and other Infectious Diseases, it must be remembered that we adjoin the district of an Authority which persistently declines to avail itself of the provisions of the Infectious Diseases’ Notification Act. My last year’s report, in its last paragraph, also drew attention to an outbreak of Typhoid Fever then occurring at Street-an-nowan, Newlyn. Two fresh cases occurred there in January, and were removed to the West Cornwall Infirmary, Penzance. Another outbreak commenced in July, when two cases were reported at Street-an-nowan. One occurred in Newlyn Town in August, and during August and September four cases were reported on Paul Hill, adjoining the Street-an-nowan district, one of these latter having a fatal termination. Typhoid outbreaks of this kind, thus localised and distributed, can only be set down to imperfect sewerage, and their recollection should spur your Authority to lose no time, as soon as the necessary sanction of the Local Govern¬ ment Board has been obtained, in pressing forward a complete improved sewerage scheme for the Street-an-nowan district. Two cases of Typhoid Fever occurred during June and July at Mousehole, and both ended fatally. One case of Erysipelas at Newlyn was reported to me in January, and one case of Measles at Paul Churchtown in October. Both were of mild character. These complete the list, 39 in all, of Zymotic Diseases for the year. Need of Hospital Accommodation and Disinfecting Apparatus. I would venture to repeat my oft-offered remark that the district is without hospital accommodation and disinfecting apparatus. The Scarlatina Epidemics of 1893 and 1895 have clearly shown the continuous necessity of such provision, while their absence places us completely at the mercy of events in case of the arrival of Smallpox, Cholera, or other dreaded infectious disorder. I am, Gentlemen, Faithfully yours, RICHARD DAVEY BOASE, M.O.H. Paul Urban Sanitary District. 5, Morrab Road, Penzance, Jananuary 16th, 1897.