[Report 1931] / Medical Officer of Health, Fife County Council.

  • Fife (Scotland). County Council.
Date:
1931
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1931] / Medical Officer of Health, Fife County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Area and 54 in the small burghs, the respective rates per 1,000 of population being 0-79 and 0-57. In 1930, there were 80 violent deaths in the Landward Area and 63 in the small burghs. DEATHS FROM RESPIRATORY DISEASE. There were 315 deaths in the Landward Area and small burghs from Diseases of the Respiratory System (Landward Area 153, small burghs 162), the mortality rate being 1-60 per 1,000. The mortality rate in the Landward Area was 1*49 and in the small burghs 1*72 per 1,000. Of the total deaths, 143 were attributed to bronchitis, 136 to pneumonia and 36 to other diseases of the respiratory system. Respiratory diseases are destructive of life when the individual is most susceptible to infection, in early childhood and after maturity. Of 315 deaths noted above, 66 occurred at ages under 5 and 204 at years in excess of 45. DISEASES OF PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH. The deaths from these conditions were 23, of which 11 were caused by puerperal sepsis and 12 by other puerperal causes. In the Land- ward Area there were 15 deaths, in the small burghs 8, equivalent to death-rates of 0-15 and 0*08 respectively. The most important cause of death under this heading is puerperal sepsis which was responsible for 7 deaths in the Landward Area and 4 in the small burghs. Thus, the Landward Area death-rate from a cause which hitherto has been regarded as prevenaible is much in excess of that of the small burghs for 1931. Unfortunately, although puerperal sepsis is regarded as a con- dition that ought to be within preventive control, it continues, year in year out, at much the same rate of prevalence. It is less frequent on the Continent than in England and prevails at a higher rate in Scot- land than in England. Doubtless, the average Scots practitioner is not less competent than his colleague of the Continent and possibly the explanation of the higher prevalence of the disease in this country will be found in conditions as yet imperfectly understood. SMALL BURGHS. The annexed table furnishes a summary of the more important figures relating to the small burghs.