BOARD OF HEALTH.

Press, Volume XL, Issue 5812, 30 April 1884, Page 3

BOARD OF HEALTH.

The ordinary meeting of the Board of Health was attended by Messrs Vincent (Chairman), Harper, Harman, Clephane, Parker, White, Hosking, and Ashworth. The Medical Officer reported as follows:—

__ three cases of diphtheria were yesterday reported from three houses widely separated from each other in the district, and as in each case attendance at the Spreydon school seemed to be the cause of the outbreak, I visited the school, although it is situated outside of the boundary of I the Board of Health, and advised that it should be closed at once. I was induced j to take this step as I ascertained during my visit that another case of the same disease from a fourth house had been quite recently iv attendance at the school. These being the only cases of diphtheria at the present in the western portion of the district, I considered it advisable to take prompt action, and I am glad to report that my advice has been followed and the school ; closed. The school, as I stated before, is ' situated beyond the jurisdiction of the Board, but very many of tbe children in attendance at it live in this district. The sanitary condition of the premises is not such as should obtain at a schooL The cesspits should be abolished, and something should be done to prevent the Heathcote river flooding such a Itege proportion of the school grounds. The school itself should be thoroughly ventilated, and afterwards disinfected. - , , The Secretary of the Spreydon School Committee wrote that the instructions in the Medical Officer's report had been carried ont. The Medical Officer's quarterly report was read aa foUows:— Christehurch, April, 1884. Sir,—l have tbe honor to report on the health of the district for the quarter ending March 31st. The following are the numbers of the cases of infectious diseases which have been reported to the Board for the three months:—

The mortality in Christchurch was per 1000 of the population monthly .—January, 0.87; February, 1.49; March. 1-30* And _.°i!L™ c . eam '-' period of last year -—January, February, 1.26; March,LO. The mortality in Sydenham was-. — January, 0.65; February, 0.97; March, 1.18; and for tiie corresponding three months at 188.:-January, 1.66; February, 1.88; •March, 1.87.

The deaths registered in Christchurch. during the quarter from the principal zymotic diseases were:—Diphtheria 3* typhoid fever 2, diarrhoea 7; and for the corresponding months of 18831 —Croup 1, typhoid ftver 5, diarrhoea 11, dysentery lln bydenham the mortality from zymotic diseases during the quarter was represented by 9 fatal cases of diarrhoea; while for the corresponding period of 1883 the following deaths were recorded:—Croup 1, whooping cough 2, typhoid fever 1, diarrhoea 10, dysentery 1. Judged by the mortality statistics, the present quai ter, both in Christehurch and Sydenham, compares rery favorably with the corresponding period of 1883. I tear, however, that it would be quite fallacious to suppose that sanitary improvements are altogether to be credited with this result. The decrease in the death rate is doubtless chiefly to be attributed to the buuup :r having been on exceedingly cold one.) I have frequently directed attention to the insanitary surroundings which are usually found in connection with typhoid fever and diphtheria. A s the causes which give rise to these preventable diseases can be easUy removed, I think it wiU be instructive to publish all the cases which were_ reported during the" quarter, and the conditions which, on my visit of inspection, I considered responsible for the sickness. The following table gives the numbers of the cases, the nature of the disease, and the conditions under which they were observed:— Case No. 1, diphtheria—Leakage from house drain. 2, diphtheria—No drainage, overflowing closet pan, dirty fowl yard. 3, diphtheria—Cesspit. 4, diphtheria—No drainage; another case of the same disease in this house about six months ago. 5, diphtheria — Contracted the disease while attending No. 1 case. 6, diphtheria—lmported from outside the district. 7, diphtheria—Cause not apparent. 8, diphtheria—Cause not apparent. 9, diphtheria—Blocked-up house drain, fowl yard net clean. 10,11, 12, diphtheria—Blocked-up house drain. 13, diphtheria—Accumulation of house refuse, dirty fowl yard, bad drainage. 14, diphtheria—Deficient house drainage. 15, diphtheria—Fowl yard too near dwel-ling-house. 16,17,18, diphtheria—No house drain, no closet, no water supply. 19, diphtheria—House drain leaks, fowl yard too near dweUing-house. 20, diphtheria—Communicated from a person supposed to have a ''sore throat." 21, diphtheria—No apparent cause. 22,23, diphtheria—Blocked-up drain. 21, 25, diphtheria—Fowl yard dirty and too near dwelling-house; refuse heap close to house.. 26, diphtheria—Communicated from No. 20. 27, diphtheria—Fowl yard dirty, no house drain. 28, typhoid fever—Leakage from house sink under the house. 29, typhoid fever—Defective drainage. 30, typhoid fever—Defective drainage at this place last year, when another case of the same disease was reported from this house. 31, typhoid fever—Leakage from wooden house drain. 32, typhoid fever—Drain under house and probably blocked up. 38, typhoid fever—Closet not clean, and too near dwelling-house, accumulation of refuse. 34, typhoid fever—Bath-room and housemaid's sink ventilate house drain, slops accumulated in hole, and allowed to soak into the ground. 35 and 36, typhoid fever—No house drain. 37, typhoid fever—Slops festering in shallow drain under bedroom window., ,_•,- ---38, typhoid fever —Premises dirty and wet. 39, typhoid fever—Cause not apparent. 40 and 41, typhoid fever—Cloßet pan had leaked badly and saturated the ground underneath. Two other persons contracted the disease at this house and went into the country. 42 and 43. typhoid fever—Blocked-up house drain, filthy closet. 44, typhoid fever —Ground underneath closet befouled from leakage. 45, typhoid fever—Cesspit. 46, typhoid fever—lmported from outside the district.

47, typhoid fever—Cesspit, leaky house drain, accumulation of refuse. 48, typhoid fever—No house drain. 49, typhoid fever—Leaky closet pan, refuse allowed to accumulate.

50, typhoid fever—Closet and fowl yard dose to the dwelling-house, side channel in front of house very foul. 51, typhoid fever—Dirty closet, .damp yard. . 52, typhoid fever —No drainage, cesspit. • 53, typhoid fever—No apparent cause, case of the same disease in this house six months ago. 54, typhoid fever—Cause not apparent. 55, typhoid fever—No house drain, aide channel offensive.

56, typhoid fever—Side channel very offensive.

57, typho'd fever—Cesspit. 58, typhoid fever—Cesspit, blocked-up house drain. 59, typhoid fever — Cesspit, defective drainage. 60, typhoid fever—Cause not apparent. 61, typhoid fever—No house drain, dirty yard, case of same disease in this house last year. " , 62, typhoid fever—House drain untrapped and ventilated into house, soakage under house from house drain.

63, typhoid fever —House on made ground, another case cf the same disease in adjoin ing house last year.l • 64, typhoid fever—Cesspit, accumulation of refuse. 65, typhoid fever—Defective trapping on house drains. . 66, typhoid fever—Broken up house drain, dirty fowl yard too near dwelling-house. 67, typhoid fever—Rubbish heap at neighboring premises. 68, typboid fever—House drainage permits of leakage into ground. 69, typhoid fever—No doset accommodation. ' . 70, typhoid fever —Imported from outside the district. „ „ 71 and 72, typhoid fever —No bouse drainage. 73, typhoid fever—Cesspit. , 74, typhoid fever—Ground, damp, leaky house drain, case of same disease in same house two years ago. 75, typhoid fever—Leakage from house drain, accumulated refuse. 76, typhoid fever —Ground underneath. closet saturated with filth, blocked up house drain. _ . . 77, typhoid fever —Cause not apparent. 78, typhoid fever — Contamination of drinking water from soakage house drain and bathroom tmventalated and untrapped. An analysis of the above table will make it quite clear that in this district diphtheria and typhoid fever might be kept under better control. , "' I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, _,—. COUBTNST NSDWItL, M.D., Medical Officer.

A letter was read from the residents of Bromley and Woolston, calling attention to a nuisance caused by the accumulation of filth and animal matter carted from other places, and deposited on Mr Thos. Clegg's section. The Inspector reported having instructed Mr Clegg to remove the offensive matter, or dispose of it so that no nuisance should arise. Mr A. Anderson called attention to tbe danger to the health of the residents in the neighborhood by the practice of carting filth from the city and depositing it into pits near Wilson's bridge. Mr Brightling in reply wrote that he would take extra precautions to prevent any nuisance arising. The question of the dismissal of the Medical Officer was brought up, and consideration deferred until the next meeting. Accounts amounting to £52 Is 8d were passed tor payment.

3? u <a . a> • .*, 8*2 .2 -J*-* " § s -*■ » •9 Ja -*-** £ m gi g « ■S ft . m S ' ChriBtchurch 18 14 4 1—37 Sydenham... 7 2 1 1—11 Avon ... 9 0 0 0-9 Heathcote... 3 2 « 0-~ 5 Biccarton ... 1 4 0 0— 5 Spreydon ... 1 0 0 0—1 St. Albans... 5 4 2 0-11 Linwood ... 7 1 0 2-10 Woolston ... 0 0 0 C— 0 51 27 7 4 89 And according to the months they were distributed thus :— 53 u OB . ■ 4. as * fi •S Ja •*» 3 __£ 1 ~ -s - _. 2* g *-*- g . ft ;•■ £ S - . January ... 6 13 2 • Febrnaif ... 21 1 4 1 March ... 24 13 1 .3 51 27 7 4 The numbers reported for the corresponding quarter of 1683 were :— P» • __ u ■ 5_ * • t> a**<j tf - *-> _-s *a p. g p. g a> fc ft OO Christchurch 27 7 1 1—36 Sydenham ..49 6 3 1—59 Avon ... 7 2 0 1—10 Heathcote... 7 1 2 0- 10 Biccarton ... 15 1 4 0—20 Spreydon ... 1 6 0 1—8 St. Albans... 6 5 1 1—13 Linwood ... 10 1 -0 0—11 Woolston ... 3 0 0 0—3 " 125 29 11 5 170