The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-02-29 00:00:00

"To (he Sanitary utlwrity of Mt Winoborne awl Cranborne
U nio n

"GVITLMIKX,—IIaving held my appointment for so short
a time and the data for the last three months only of I's 73
having been placed at nay disposal, this report will not be
so coutplete as I could have wished it to be; but, at the
same time, I am glad to be able to congratulate you on the
very healthy state of my district during that period. In
the quarter ending 31st December, 1875, there were to
births, 31 males and :"Z males, and during the same period
there were 47 deaths; the births therefore exceeding the
deaths by 22d. Of the 47 deaths 12 (7 males and 5 females)
were of persons of MO years and upwards, the average
being S 4, and 9 of children under 5 years; and of this
number 4 are registered as deaths from premature birth.
There have only been two deaths from epidemic disease
in the district during the quarter—one from aliptheria at
West Moors, a girl aged 7 years; and one from diptheria
at Stunoinster Marshall, a boy aged 3. Of these deaths
I was not aware till I received the registrars of deaths
reports, and I would observe that the duties of medical
officer of health cannot bc satisfactorily performed until
it iP compulsory that aluatioe should be given to him of the
very first outbreak of an epidemic disease. I believe it
has not existed in any other form in the district The
proportion of deaths to the population 01,9110, is 4.8 per
LOW for the quarter. The excessive rainfall in October
and November, viz., 7.17 inches in the former, and 7.3) in
the latter tooth in Winaborne, had not the least injurious
efioet ou the population, taut the very low temperature in
November 20, on the 23th, V,. on the ;filth, anal 300 on
the 27th. appears to have been fatal to several of the
octogenarians. In receiving the sanitary work of the past
six months— Stunninster 3larsluull, Wimborne (town and
fazinsh:6lVits-ha pacts ,i,fitituit,oinaiicha,.itbre.urf..,Annl
entnisoiNck h v
. e
anti
none of these, excepting Wimbonte town, have any steps
been necessary beyond thou., to be carried out lay the
owners asid occupiers of the PFCIIIIACtI visited. And in
the.. ,Nifs if by neglect an tatihealthy state of things
should agisuii Is, foatmial On revisiting the premises, I trust
the Sanitary Authority will not hesitate to adopt the
most striatgent measures, But in the wiunhorno district
proper acti an is required which can only lie carried out by
the Sanitary Authority. I would refer to toy reports of
the 10th and 13th of August, anal the 10th and 17th of
November. snit repeat briefly is, recommendation. No
now water eloset drains to be added to those alreva.ly in
existence. in slivery case where cessioxals exist for the
reception of sewage, earth closets to be substituted, the
earth supply aloj author arrangements to be mauler the
supervision of the Authority, and where no surface drain-
Ca, can (*carried 0.1 by the oecupiors or owners as in the
case if King-street, either a proper drain to be constructed
or the dwellings declared unfit for habitation. True,
Wilishorne has catcalled the genus of epidemic aliniaae, but
how lung may it do AO when it rages in a neighbouring
loan? And I also wish to urge on the Authority the
importance of taking measures to provide that the surface
waiter freely passes off from the town, loath at the saw
mills, anal also by the water way in the Leigh-road. To
gentlemen of your experience I newt not point out the
injuri effects on the health (wised by danip. in the
form of rheumatism, %mit% and diseases of that type
which give rise to so much xi:kneel anal premature decay
among our population. lean lure, therefore, you will not
consider that I exceed any duty in renannuending you to
tarry out fully all the powers investml in you sea Sanitary
Authority.
am, your obedient servant,
WM. Daum.