Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 3 March 1882
The Health of the District
Dr. J. Mitchell Wilson, medical officer to the Doncaster Rural Sanitary Authority, has issued his report, for the past year, from which we extract the following:—
The census returns of April last afford the opportunity of making the calculation of births, deaths, &c., in the exact population instead of the usual estimate made from year to year between the census years. The particulars to be given of a few of the larger parishes show how difficult it is to make even an approximate estimate of the population of a township, which is growing rapidly beyond the average of the previous year of the registration district of which it forms part.
The population of the Doncaster Union, in April last, was found to be 53,800, an increase of 8,644, or 19 per cent. since 1875. Omitting the Urban districts of Doncaster, Mexbro’ and Tickhill, the population in the Rural Sanitary District was 24,750, an increase of 4,320, or 21 per cent. for the 10 years.
The increase in the registration districts was in Barnburgh, 501 or 14 per cent.; Bawtry 726, or 13 per cent.; Campsall 313, or 7 per cent.; and Tickhill 2,764, or 21 per cent.; 87 per cent. of the whole increase in the rural district occurred in the six townships of Balby, Wheatley, Conisbro’, Bolton and Bentley-with-Arksey, while the remaining increase of 13 per cent. was distributed over 20 other townships.
In 24 parishes the population had decreased by 155. At the same rate of increase of population as has prevailed since the previous census, the numbers in the rural sanitary district would be doubled in 57 years, but in the parish of Wheatley the increase of the population in the last ten years was equal to 414 per cent.; in Denaby 135 per cent.; Balby-with-Hextorpe and Bolton, each 68 per cent.; Conisbro’ 27, and Bentley-with-Arksey 24 per cent.
I have thought it necessary to give these particulars, as they help to explain the exceptional nature of the parishes where the death rates are found, often much in excess of other parishes in the same registration district.
During the past year 781 births were registered in the rural district equal to a birth-rate of 31.1 per 1,000; the average rate of the last three years was 36, but going back over an average of seven years the rate was 33.9.
The last report of the Registrar-General states that the birth-rate in England was, in 1881, the lowest recorded since 1858. In the Tickhill registration district the birth-rate was 37.5, in each of the other districts less than the general average. In several of the largest parishes, that average was much exceeded; in Denaby it was as high as 46, Balby-with-Hextorpe 40, Wheatley 38, and Conisbro’ 34 per 1,000.
The number of deaths was 440, and the death-rate 17.5; the average rate for the last seven years was 17.8. In the registration district of Barnburgh the deaths were equal to 15.3; in Campsall, 17.5; and in Tickhill, 19. The rates prevailing in different parishes in these districts vary very widely, and the influence of an epidemic may be suspected when the rate is much above the general average, e.g. in Armthorpe the deaths were equal to 23 per 1,000; Balby-with-Hexthorpe, 21; Denaby, 22; and Barnby Dun, 21.8.
From zymotic diseases there were 50 deaths, a smaller number than in either of the last two years; the death-rate was 1.9 as compared with 2.4. The largest number of them was caused by scarlet fever, 17; by enteric and low fever, 14; diarrhoea, 11; 7 from measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough; and small-pox, 1; the results are that the death rate from this class of diseases was in Denaby 2.9, Bolton 4, per 1,000.
The deaths from small-pox occurred at Askern before that township was merged in this Rural Sanitary District; another case occurred at Bolton, but did not spread from there. The deaths among children under one year were equal to 125 of every 100 births; the average for the last three years was 139.
Twenty-nine per cent. of the deaths were in persons over 60 years of age; in some of the parishes 50 per cent. or more of the persons dying had reached that age. The number of inquests held was 19; this is equal to 4.5 per cent. of the deaths registered; for the whole country the proportion is 5.5.
Twelve deaths were returned as not certified by any medical attendant. These were chiefly of very young children or aged persons. Twenty-nine deaths were caused by phthisis or consumption, and 74 by other diseases of the chest; these together equalled nearly one-fourth of the total deaths, and deserve notice because some part of that mortality is preventible under improved sanitary conditions, especially where good drainage has proved successful in drying the subsoil in the neighbourhood of the dwellings.
Zymotic or infectious diseases were prevalent in the rural districts during the greater part of the year. The following summary will give some idea of the distribution of the more important.
Scarlet fever
From my report book, I find over 140 cases were visited, and doubtless many slight cases occurred which were not reported. Advice was given both when visited and by handbills, disinfectants were also liberally supplied but the disinfection of the ordinary clothing is but indifferently carried out, as the safe practice of stoving the room with the clothing in it is not general, and so children return to school or mix with others with the infection still active. Other means also served to spread the disease but these were more accidental and more controllable.
Typhoid and continued fever
Typhoid and continued fever were also more than usually prevalent during the year. I find notes of 35 cases in 11 parishes—14 cases proved fatal. Several of these cases came into the rural districts with the illness beginning. Two of these were fatal. Others were cases of low continued fever rather than specific typhoid.
It was only at Bolton that cases of enteric fever appeared as an epidemic, and the history of this outbreak was given in detail in the report presented in August. A careful inquiry into each case has not proved successful in finding a specific origin for each, for repeatedly it occurred that only one person is attacked out of several all living under the same conditions.
Whooping cough
Whooping cough caused three deaths. Several cases appeared at Hickerton, Barnburgh, Denaby, and recently a large number of cases at Norton. The infection of this disease lasts so long that children are often at school when capable of giving the infection to others.
Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea has not been so rife as in the previous year. It caused 11 deaths, 8 in young children, as compared with 18 in 1880.
I have analysed 20 samples of water during the year. In six the results showed the water to be good for all household purposes; in six there was very much pollution, rendering the water unsafe for drinking; the eight remaining were sufficiently impure as to class them as suspicious.
A new well was sunk at Bolton-on-Dearne. The water supply commonly used was almost conclusively shown to have been the cause of the cases of fever, through a sudden entrance of infected matter.
At Barnburgh, new pumps were provided for existing wells, while those at Conisboro’, Clifton, and Warmsworth were repaired.
In consequence of complaints I have visited the churchyard at Conisboro’, and from all enquiries made there seems good reason for considering the advisability of providing a new cemetery. As graves are now dug bones are continually turned up, and there is no new ground available, while the inhabitants are increasing rapidly. Under the recent Public Health (Interments) Act, 1879, the work of providing cemeteries, where necessary in rural districts, devolves upon the Rural Sanitary Authority.