The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-08-23 00:00:00

THE SANITARY CONDITION OF STOUR-
BRIDGE AND DISTRICT.

It will he fresh in the recollection of our readers,
that a short time ago it was reported that a
Government Sanitary Inspector was in the town,
and that he had proposed some extensive radical
alterations in the &linage of the township, to
effect which would put the ratepapers to some
considerable expense. We have now before us his
report, from which it appears that there were, at
all events, good and substantial grounds for the
rumours, and our readers will be able to judge for
themselves that the proposed alterations have
been in no degree exaggerated.
Dr. Ballard commences his report by stating
that it was in consequence of the prolonged pre-
valence of small-pox in the Stourbridge Registra-
tion District he was at the beginning of March
last instructed to visit it. On his arrival, however,
he found that the epidemic had nearly subsided,
and that, in consequence, with respect to the im-
mediate object of his visit his advice was no
longer required. He then appends a table show-
ing the progress made by the disease from the
commencement of 1872 until the termination of
the second month in 1873. It appears from the
table that in the tialesowen district there were
during the year 1872, 77 deaths from small-pox,
the mortality having risen from 1 in the first
quarter to 52 in the fourth, giving a ratio of 576
per I,OIJO of population. In tea Btourbridge
district the number of deaths were 59, having
increased from 12 in the first quarter to 23 in the
second, and 14 in the thlid, but decreased to DI
in the fourth. The rates of death was 2.36 per
I,OtXl. In Kingswinford district there were
registered in the first quarter, 49, in the second,
124, in the third, 36, and in the fourth, 124—total
233, or 665 per 1,900 of population, In January
and February, 1873, there were 9 deaths in Hales.
Owen, none in Stourbridge, and 3 in Kingswin-
ford. At the time small-poi began to extend he
had just completed his inspection of the public
vaccination of the union. The result was to show
that there had been considerable neglect of infant
vaccination, and he wrote to the guardians call-
ing their attention to the fact, and urging the
importance of immediate steps being taken to
procure the vaccination of all those unprotected
children, and to promote re-vaccination among
grown-up persons. In January, 1872, three
vaccination officers, one for each sub-district,
were appointed to see that the provisions, of the
Vaccination Act were observed; and in June, 1872,
the bluardians issued special public notices, call-
ing upon the inhabitants to protect themselves by
vaccination autl re-vaccination. Of these vaccina-
tion Officers one, namely, the Vaccination Officer
for the Stourbridge Sub-district, has apparently
performed his work well and zealously; but the
other two Vaccination Officers neglected to per-
form the important duties laid upon them by their
instructions." Premising that there are four
Sanitary Authorities in the Registration District,
Dr. Ballard appends a table showing the mortality
from small-pox in the districts of these authorities.
The table is as follows:

; 7.. t....•
g 1-..; .77:-
E 7.4 '.-: -_-7''

letnet ulSiAlarbt MEN C4.11.11e...ujiurt... 9376 6
11111 Local .........1194k0a 6.2
fa') ii.t•AL LO,Ai 41.:.)ard ....... 6432 80 126
•

- -
With reference to Stourbridge, Dr. Ballard states
that" Although no systematic method was adopted
by the Commissioners for gaining information as
to the cases of small-pox withiu the district, a
belief is expressed that every case received the
attention of the Local Authority. A Meclical
Officer of health was appointed for three months
from January IS, Is72,bui at the expiration of his
period of office he was not re-appointed. The In-
spector of Nuisances distributed disinfectants,
chloride of lime, and crude carbolic acid, and gave
verbal directions as to the mode of using them.
Inasmuch as these two substances act in different
ways in destroying infection, and ought not to be
used conjointly, the distribution of both by an
Inspector of Nuisances, giving merely verbal
directions, when there was a Medical Officer of
Health, whose province it was to determine the
proper mode of applying disinfectants, could not
be expected to be productive of any good results.
Infected houses were fumigated with sulphurous
acid and lime-whited, and in one ease infected
bedding and clothes were destroyed by burning;
but no hospital was provided for the isolation of
cuss, which could not be properly isolated at
home, nor were public means provided for the
disinfection of woollen articles. The epidemic
would have been wore systematically dealt with
had the inspector been properly instructed in the
provisions of the Nuisance Removal and Sanitary
Acts, of which he professed almost entire ignor-
ance."

The report refers to the Rural Sanitary Autho-
rity of the Stourbridge Union, and points out that
"With the exception of that part of the district
which immediately adjoins the town of Stourbridge,
and which is assigned to one of the five Inspectors
of Nuisances (Barrett), no efficient action had beeu
taken to carry out systematically any of the
powers given by the Sanitary Act with the view
to arresting the progress of infectious diseases.
In Barrett's district disinfection of the infected
houses and things were actively carried out, but
in the other parts of the Union the provisions of
the 22nd section of the Sanitary Act were entirely
overlooked, or the inspeetorscontented themselves
with regnesting the owners of sonic infected houses
to lime-wash them, and with giving away chloride
of lime and McDougall's powder. Prior to the
passing of the Public Health Act, 1872 it was in
the power of the Vestries of the several parishes
to provide at least temporary means of isolating
the sick, and subsecinently to that date it was in
the power of the Rural Sanitary Authority to do
so. But neither the Vestries nor the Rural Said-
try Authority make any such provision; nor did
the Guardians obtain the professional assistance
of a medical man to advise them in dealing with
the epidemic, although even prior to the passing
I of the Public Health Act, 1872, they were em-
powered to obtain such assistance."

The second portion of Dr. Ballard's report is
headed with tables showing the number of deaths
in the years 1871-1-2. He states that "scarlet
fever and 'fever,' chiefly enteric, as I am informed
prevailed most in the more populous parts of the
Halesowen Sub-District, which is now all within
the jurisdiction of the Rural Sanitary Authority.
I am informed that enteric fever is rarely if ever
absent from Brierley Hill, or Quarry Bank."