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25
The fruits of the hard work that has been put in are the children who have been
prevented from taking diarrhœa: the returns for the money spent on public health
are the infants saved from death from this disorder.
The most typical diarrhoea year experienced for a long time was 1911. In that
year the total number of deaths, registered as due to diarrhœal diseases, was 92.
In 1913 there was not the prolonged periods of excessive heat experienced in
that year, but there were quite long spells of warm dry weather.
There were, in short, conditions favourable to the occurrence and spread of
diarrhoea, and a total of between 40 and 50 might have been expected. That the
number was so low as 33 is particularly encouraging, and may be taken to show that
the work done has been on the right lines.
As has been stated in previous reports, educational work is especially valuable in
connection with the prevention of this disease.
There was a recognition of this in the appointment by the Council of three women
health visitors and sanitary inspectors and the imposing upon them of the duty of
visiting those houses in which there are babies.
There was further recognition of it in the encouragement of co-operation between
the official and the voluntary health workers.
No less valuable in connection with the prevention of this disease, is the general
sanitary works the responsibility for which rests upon the Council.
In 1913 as in previous years this was actively carried out. To the fact that there
has been no slackening of the effort to obtain a high degree of sanitation in the district
must be given a considerable part of the credit for the reduction that has taken place.
The latter part of this report deals with general sanitation and it is not necessary to
say more here than that the works done with the object of discovering nuisances and
having them remedied; the efforts made to improve the milk and food supplies within
the borough; the increased activities in relation to the improvement of housing; the
increase in the frequency of house refuse collection and so on, have all played a part
and will play yet a bigger part in reducing the numbers of cases of the diarrhoeal and
other preventable diseases.
Flies and Disease. Since the diarrhoeal diseases are amongst those which it is
now generally recognised flies are capable of transmitting, reference may be made at
this point to an attempt made to spread information with regard to the dangers
arising from these insects and the methods of getting rid of them.
Acting on the instructions of the Public Health Committee the Medical Officer
of Health prepared a leaflet on the subject and during the fly season large numbers
of these were distributed by the various inspectors and also through the infant
consultations and schools for mothers.
At the same time, the management of one of the picture theatres in the Borough