The Poole Telegram. — 1881-02-04 (Poole, Dorset, England)

THE HMALTH ON TM BOROUUH.  _ The Medical Officer of Health presented his annual report on the general health of the borough during the past year. It was a most exhaustive report, and the following statement will contain the matters of general interest referred to : Having inspected systematically, with and without your inspector, the whole of the borough, and kept myaelf Informed of the influences which might affect injuriously the public health therein. I bog to hana you this, my annual report for the year 1:0. respecting the origin and distribution of difessee. I am of opinion that one bad case ce typhoid fever in Fordingten was due to drinking water trout an old well, which is used for culicary purposes in the same neighbourhood; there were two other milder cases which originated front inhaling horrible smells, emanating from a heap of decomposing matter, proper precautions having been at once taken, the further spread of the disease was prevented in this Particul.r street, in which it might have destroyed many lives, being by far the most unhealthy and most deusely C iowded spot in your '.oorough ; one other case was treated in the hospital, but no deaths from this disease have been recorded. In the newly-built Orchard-street there have been three deaths from scar atiaa, and its complications during July, brought on by getting out of doors too soon after recovi ring from the fever; farnigetion, disinfection of the walls of the room, dtc., prevented the occurrence of any other cases, if we except one child under five sears of age. The deaths due to diarrhozia and its complications were 10 in number, and were ell under one year of age ; of the other children att tcked, only one under five years of age recovered. There were five cases of measles, which terminated fatally, the oldest being two years of age. One fatal case uf whooping cough ,followed, by convulsions, °marred on June 25:13, the subject being a little girl one year old. In the County Hoapiial one child died of croup, alter every means had boen resorted to in order to save the life. Amongst the chief sanitary matters that have beeti dune may I e ineutioned the followinc :—Fifteen pig-styes have been 60 altered as mot to be injuriona to health; five eut rely removed, being too close to dwelling.houses; 10 drains I eve beers put iu order ; two have been trappea ; three cas .a of over crowding have been ni.at.,,d— in one case I round, on measuring, only 217 cubic feet for each person, which is less than half the minimum allowed for soldiers; boiling up of refries prevented; accumulations of decaying animal and vegetable in•tter taken away after 24 hours' besides some 1.580 1 'ads of refuse carted away by the scavenger; one slauget,rhouse„ not kept as it should be, greatly improved, he. Total number of rorths, 243(108 wales, 135 female); registioed thus: lot titter ter, 78 (3e males); 2nd, 68 (22 matte); 3rd. 46(24 m ale-) ; 4th, 51(24 males); 41 being born alive in the duly Triuitv pariah, 14 boys :35 in S'. Peter'e, 16 boys :25 In All Saint' , 9 boys ; 83 in East Fordington, 39 boys; 59 in West Foreingtor, 30 boys; making 142 (69 hors) in Fordington and 101 (39 boyil in D wcheetor ; thus it will be seen the births exceed the deaths by 202, giving a birthrate of 32.4 par 1,000; respectivag the 141 deaths (Si males and 57 females), 19 occurred in Holy Trinity parish, 24 in St. Peter's, 14 in All Saint's, 47 in East For dington, 'l4 in West Fordiugtom and 13 in toe hospital ; those in West Fordington include the five deaths in the R.IL A. Barracks, also the two who died in the now Infantry Depot—o young soldier of consumption, ale. d 19, and male infant of five months (iliarrhie a and coavulaiow): and in St. Porer's inque,t held OD the body of s woman who died in 11 11. Prison, in D cember, from chronic disease of liver; there was another inquest over the body of a young man in All Saint's parish, who committed suicide by hanging himself to the baliotwe ; both cases were the result of drink ; bronchitis caused 18 deaths heart disease, 13 7of these dropsy supervened, consumption, 12; old age, diarrhea s, each 9, ie.; the pep _dation being at least7.4:is (census 1871,6,915) roves a death-rate of 188 per I,ooe. No less than (t 0 of the children died before attaining 5 years of age, and 49 of these died under one year, showing 196 per 1,000 as the rats of infant mortality, which is much higher than it should be—iu other words very newly one in every five died before they were a twelvemonth old. This, however, is lower than the rate of mortality amongst French children (211 per cent.). This high rate I attribute t 3 artificial reeding, to the densely crowded district of Fordington, surrounding Dorohester, causing so many cases of fatal diarrhm t above referred to, tor if we deduct the deaths of these 37 infants who died in this particular district wo have a very low rate—only 48 per 1,000 as the rate of infant mortality for all the parishes of Dorchester combined. Two new slaughter-houses have been duly tic' used. After my inspections, making a total of eight, the coweheds I have eftsn visited to prevent disease being spread by the agency of milk. Having appended the forms II and B, containing the deaths and new c Wes of sickness in your borough during the past twelvemouth .for your perusal, and sent a copy of this report to the Local Government Board. I beg to remain, gentlemen, yours mo-t obediently. E. J.