[Report 1923] / Medical Officer of Health, Hitchin U.D.C.

  • Hitchin (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1923
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1923] / Medical Officer of Health, Hitchin U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    1/2
    Hitchin Urban District : Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1923. TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. Gentlemen,— The following is a Summary of the Health. Conditions in your District during the year. Genekal (Statistics. Area: 3.675 acres. Population (estimated) : 13,470. Number of Inhabited Houses: 3,526. hateable value: aim,506. AbSessaole value: <£5i,374. Sum produced by a penny rate: .£233. Vital Statistics. There were 213 births, and 131 deaths. There were 9 deaths oi lmants under one year. Taking the population at 13,470, which is tne ngure given by the Registrar- General, the Tollowing rates are arrived at:— Hitchin England & U.D. Vvales. Hi r th-rate (per 1,000 living) ... 15.6 19.7 Death-rate (per 1,000 living; ... 8.4 11.6 Infant Mortality (per l,OoO living) 12.2 69.0 As compared with the general rates, the birtn-rate is low, the death-rate is low, and the infant mortality rate is also low. The birth-rate has been steadily going down for years now. Tnere were four deaths of infants due probably to ante-natal or natal condi- tions. There were no deaths from scarlet fever, diphtheria, measles, whooping cough, or infantile diarrhcea. . There were 4 deaths from influenza. 8 deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis, 2 from other forms of tuberculosis, 14 trom malignant disease, 32 from cardio-vascular disease, 21 from respiratory disease, 5 from violence, and 45 rrom other causes. There were 7 illegitimate births (5 girls and 2 boys), but no deaths amongst these children. These figures show a decline in diseases at present preventable, and are to that extent satisfactory. Infectious Diseases. The following diseases were notified, with the number who were infected :— 1923. 1922 Scarlet fever 14 26 Diphtheria 2 5 Pneumonia 1 4 Tuberculosis— Pulmonary 13 17 Chicken-pox has been made notifiable this year as small-pox has appeared in this country to an appreciable extent. Small-pox, though at present only mild, is increasing, and we might at any time be faced with a serious state of affairs. Vaccination against small-pox is to-day a safe and reliable safeguard. As will be seen, infectious diseases again showed a decline. The attack-rates for llie above diseases were as follows : — Scarlet fever ... 1.03 Diphtheria .14 Pneumonia .07 Pulmonary Tuberculosis .96 Dangerous infectious cases, or those that cannot bo isolated at home, are sent to the Hitchin Rural and Letchworth Urban Joint Hospital. The Council pays for the examination of “ swabs ” and for diphtheria antitoxin in necessitous cases. Housing. During the year the Ministry gave per- mission to the Council to deal with the St. Andrew’s-street area as an insanitary- area. The Council has acquired 8$ acres of land on the south side of the existing housing estate (where there are 78 houses). On this a new road properly sewered is being constructed, and 80 cottages will be built upon it. Soane of these will be maisonettes, or flats, and the housing ac- commodation will lie equal to about 1(10 tenements. About 56 of these will be re- quired for the re-housing of persons from the demolition of St. Andrew’e-streel. Houses in this latter area have alread? been pulled down. Chaklton Village. An inquiry by the Ministry of Health was held on November 8 into the sanitary condition of the village and of the river into which many houses drain waste water. The Inspector (Dr. James Pearse) thoroughly examined the houses and fol- lowed the river Hiz all the way down tc Hitchin. As a result of this the Council has adopted the policy of abolishing all privies and converting the closets into e.c.’s. The Council will undertake the emptying and cleansing of these, as well as the removal of houso refuse. The owners are to pro- vide a greater number oif e.c.’s and to improve the outlets of drains into the river. The Council is also cleaning out the river. In this way the sanitation of Charlton should 'be improved without in- curring the great cost of connecting with the main sewerage of Hitchin. School Inspection. During the year 421 children were examined and tile following defects were found :— Unclean 36 Malnutrition 12 Bad Teeth ..: 115 Enlarged Tonsils and Adenoids 150 Anaemic and Heart 19 Eye Defect 61 Skin Disease 16 Besides other isolated defects. 241 children were unvaccinated. In nearly every instance there is an improvement on fast, year, and the work of getting the detects remedied has gone on fairly well, with the help of the Health Visitor and Clinics provided by the Coun- ty Council, and of the Massage Clinic pro- vided by the Red Cross Society. The Sanitary Inspector, Mr. Blood, lias been very busy during the year, but has carried out alL the routine inspections, and I append the details which he has kindly provided me with, f remain. Your obedient Servant. NORMAN MAOFADYEN, M.B., D.P.H., M.O.H- SANITARY INSPECTIONS. Houses inspected 150 Houses Re-inspected 60 Other Premises inspected 7 School Premises inspected 8 Trade Premises visits 415 Markets 2 Houses cieansed 8 Drainage repairs 18 Water house inspections G Yards repaired 10 Nuisances abated 15 Trade Premises cleansed 8 Houses disinfected 39 Cow-keepers and Dairies regu- larly inspected 12 Bakehouses regularly inspected ... 17 Slaughterhouses regularly in- inspected 16 Pood Inspection. Carcases inspected 216 Animals improperly kept 4 Food Condemned. Bacon 10 lbs. Pork 15 „ Beef 24 ,. Mutton 10 „ Fish 20 ,. Fruit 10 ,. Milk (ltb. tins) 15 ,, Rabbits (cases of foreign! 2 T remain. Your obedient Servant, A. T. BLOOD, Sanitary Inspector.