Dr. H. F. Parson's report to the local government board on the sanitary condition of the Stourbridge registration district, and on the late prevalence of scarlet fever therein.

  • Parsons, H. F.
Date:
1879
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Dr. H. F. Parson's report to the local government board on the sanitary condition of the Stourbridge registration district, and on the late prevalence of scarlet fever therein. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    subjecting infected articles to heat. Houses in which infectious disease has occurred are fumigated with chlorine gas. A heavy fall of snow at the time of my visit somewhat interfered with tho inspection, but still sufficient was seen to show that, on comparing the present state of Brierley Hill with that described by Dr. Ballard in 1873, a con- siderable and creditable amount of sanitary amelioration has been effected, although there is doubtless room for further improvement. The good results of this work are evidenced by the following table, for the figures in which I am indebted to Mr. H. D. Ellis a former, and Mr. Ashmead, the present Medical Officer of Health. Year. Total Deaths. Rate per 1,001) per Annum. Rate per 1,000 per Annum cor- rected for Workhouse Deaths. Deaths from Scarlet Fever. Typhoid. Small-pox. 1869 285 25-S 26-5 39 9 1870 287 25’9 26*8 3 7 — 1871 255 23-0 23-9 11 3 — 1872 335 30-3 311 9 6 86 1873 230 20-8 21-7 22 5 — 1874 241 21 '8 22-5 19 6 — 1875 254 23-0 23-9 1 2 — 1876 197 17 • 7 18-6 5 f — 1877 226 20-4 21 ■ 1 3 — — 1878 263 23-7 24-9 54 2 — 1879 214 19-4 203 10 i — It will be seen that on a series of years the average death-rate has undergone a satisfactory diminution: thus, taking the 5 years 1869-73, and deducting the exceptional mortality from small-pox in 1872, we find that the average death-rate was 23'6 per 1,000 per annum ; while for the 6 years 1874-79, the average death-rate has been only 2 l’O. Had it not been for the epidemic of scarlet fever in 1878, a disease with which the Sanitary Authority have not yet provided the means to cope, the diminution of mortality would have been still greater. The average annual number of deaths from typhoid fever has fallen from 6 in the first period to 3 in the second. Quarry Bank Urban District. Quarry Bank, like Brierley Hill, is a portion of the parish of Kingswinford, its area being estimated at 985 acres. The population in 1871 was 6,332. The district is a poor one, the rateable value being only 7,787/. The inhabi- tants are almost entirely of the labouring class, many of them being nailers. The town is well situated on a hill with a south aspect, overlooking the valley of the Stour. Streets and Dwellings.—The houses are in rows, but there is not much crowding together of houses on the ground. Some of the streets which are undedicated have never been properly formed or channelled ; but it is stated that the Sanitary Authority are getting these in order gradually, two or three being put in repair each year. There are a few back-to-back houses, Some of the cottages were in a very dirty state both inside and outside, ashes, excrement and refuse being littered all around. Sewerage.—With the exception of one street which is drained into the Stour, there is no sewerage in any part of Quarry Bank other than the rough open channels by the roadsides, down which were seen flowing slop-water, liquid manure, the refuse from a brewery, and even the blood of a slaughtered pig. Many houses drain into dumb-wells. Water Supply.—There is no public water supply. Water is obtained from wells which are in many cases so near to privies, pigsties, and dumb-wells as to endanger the purity of the water. Application has been made to the South Staffordshire Waterworks Company to extend their mains to Quarry Bank, and the town has been canvassed on two occasions to ascertain how many of the inhabitants were willing to take the water, but the number of r 870. D