The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-02-24 00:00:00

ROWLEY LOCAL BOARD.

The usual monthly meeting of this Board was
held on Monday last, in the Board Room, Old
Hill, Mr. W. Bassano presiding. The other mem-
bers present were Messrs. Plant, Green, Penn,
Lowe, Bennett, Taylor, Hodgett-, Robertson
an Connop.
The Fiume,. Committee reported that the wages
spent on the High way Account during the month,
amounted to £l4l 13s id; that the Surveyor had a
balance of £2O Os 61, and that the Surveyor re
quired to defray the current month's expenses the
sum of £ll2.

The Medical Officer (Mr. G. Beasley) reported an
unusually high death-rate return for the p,ist five
weeks viz., 88 deaths, giving an average of 339
per thousand per annum. This compared favour-
ably with the death-rate for the corresponding
month of last year, which was 15 per thousand.
Nineteen deaths had occurred from zymotic disease
Whooping cough was becominv, prevalent in the
parish, while t e other epidemics were on the de-
crease. Only four cases of typhoid fever had been
reported to him, two of which were eonvalesc,nt,
and the other two were under treatment- He was
happy to say that the smallpox was on the decrease.
The total number of cases which had occurred up
to date was 81,52 of which had been treated in the
hospital. During the month 25 cases had been
admitted into the hospitd, 27 had been discharged
(convalescent), and 15 remained, He believed that
the 15 ca•ws in the hospital were the only cases in
the pari-h. When the hospital was completed he
considered the Board would have a convenient
compact little hospital, capable ot accomtnod eting
40 patients comfortably, and a few more in em-
ergency, rho number of fals alarms was legion
as every case of t•ickne,s was said to be smallpox.
The people now appeared to be awaking o the
benefits conferred on them by the hospital. The
oly eeath from smal pox fluriug ttie moth had
been one outside the ho,,p,tal, in a F truil wh,re the
disease was kept secret, and on his attention being
called to it he found that fin of their children had
been suffering from a very modified form of the
disease and were now convalescent.

Th Assistant Mcdical Officer (fr. T. V.
De D. nne) repotted that during the past five weeks
58 deaths had occurred in the lower district, giving
an average of 11°6 per week, arid an annual rate
of 50.2 per 1,000. This percenL4e was exceed-
i :gip hiw.h, and chiefly due to the continued out-
break of scarlet fever, measles and whooping
cough, those three diseases being very prev.lent in
the district, more especialy at Oid Hill. lie
again called the attention of the Board to the un
healthy, dirty and impassable state of Elbow
Street, Sprine Meadow and New Street, all in Old
Hill. Those streets, with a very little expense,
could be made fit for traffic and more healthy fir
the inhabitants, lie strongly urged the Board to
take immediate action His attention had bee,,
called lately to the offensive smell eminaling from
the drains in High Stif et, Cradley Heath. 1:12,
witl the Inspector, had examined those, an he
thought if the B iard would take into their con-
sideration a method for di aining the cellars tilt ougn
the btreet it would be for the benefit of the dis-
trict.

The Chairman remarked that their first hospital
cost a very small sum of money, I)Lt the additions
since had run up to a very considerable co,t. He
thought that the Boa.d ought to borrow whatever
sum had been expended in capital—it was about
.2700. He said it would be very hard to pay it out
ot the current rates and suggested th ct the money
should be paid back at the rate ~f a.b ,ut £lOO a
year.
After some little consideration he Chairmai,
proposed that the Clerk 1)1 instructed ,o negociate
with the Loan Commisbioners for the amount—

having ascertained th. 3 amount of capitti ex-
pende up ,m the hospital—and to put the question
-n the ap,enila for the n a: meeting, so that they
coal' take proper andlegal steps to carry that out.
The .Jotion was -econded and carried.