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LABORATORY WORK:— During the year 29 swabs were sent to the
county Laboratory for examination; of these, 6 were reported
"positive", and 24 "negative,"
One specimen or spatum was sent for examination.
This was negative as regards Tubercle Bacilli.
A supply of fresh Diptheria Anti-Toxin is
always Kept on hand hy me, and has been promptly distributed to
the Medical practitioners whenever required.
EPIDEMICS:- No disease has heen epidemic during the year. The
district has, indeed, been remarkably free rrom disease or all
Kinds; due in great measure, no doubt, to the long continued
sunny, dry weather.
HOSPITALS:- The number cf patients from tne Rural District
treated in the Victoria Hospital, Frome in 1921 was 29.
The number treated in the Froce- Infirmary was 19.
The temporary Isolation Hospital at Colerord was
still open at the beginning of the year with one Diphtheria
patient - admitted last December.
Tnere were 4 other Diphtheria cases admitted this
year, 1 in Jaruary and three in february.
The Hospital was closed on march the 12th and reopened
in June, and again in August for the Scarlet Fever cases
form Groverwood Cottage, Hayden -5 in all.
These cases had all recovered, and the Hospital was
closed finally on November 7th.
(6)
HOUSING.
THE NEW COUNCIL HOUSES.- The 52 houses under construction last
year have been completed, with the change of health Ministry
and the cutting off of Government grants which were to have been
built in the Spring , had to be abandoned - at least for the
present.
The 52 houses completed are situated as follows
Mells 24: Highbury (Coleford) 24; Haydon 4. All these are in
the mining part or the district, and were intended to provide
accommodation for the miners; while the remaining 37 were intended
for the Agricultural labourers,
It is doubtful, however, if the ??heme has been a
success, in spite of its great expense, in relieving the condition
of the people it was intended for. There appear to be only
about 10 miners among the tenants, many of the rest being drawn
from quite a different class and coming from places outside the
district, and even outside the County.
Many of the houses are vacant, swing to the
difficulty of finding t enants able to pay the rent and rates.
If the other houses had been built, i think it
would have been very hard, indeed to have found even one agricultural
labourer with a family able to have paid even half the rent
asked. The usual rents paid by the latter are 1/6, or , at in
the most 2/- per week. As a result there are many houses in
the ai strict on the unfit list, which must continue to be
in habited, because or the lack of near and better buildings which
could be rented at possible rents.
OVER CROWDING:- There wore 7 cases in all reported during the year
1 in No.2. sub-District.
6 in No.l. sub-District.
Of these latter cases two refer to the same family
which was the cause cf overcrowding first at Ridgeway, then at
Holwell, they finally settled in a house at Cloford where they
have sufficient room.