There are many encouraging features in the annual report of Dr. Muriset, the Medical Officer of Health for the urban district of Rushden, who shows that the total number of deaths in the town last year was 147, namely, 68 males and 79 females.  These figures show a death-rate of 10.71 per thousand of the population, as compared with 9.23 for the preceding year and 11.02 for the year 1919.  Although not as low as last year’s figures, we agree with Dr. Muriset in his view that Rushden’s death-rate for 1921 is satisfactory, especially when it is pointed out that the figures for 1920 were based on a much larger population than the census proved the town to possess.  The infantile mortality rate – that is the number of deaths of infants under one year of age – is given at 80.5 per thousand births, and this, too, though in excess of the previous year, when the rate was 73.17 per thousand births, must be considered satisfactory.  There is, in fact, a very considerable decrease in the infant mortality as compared with the year 1919, when the death-rate was 131 per thousand births.  The infantile death-rate for England and Wales is 83 as against Rushden’s 80, so that Rushden is still below the average for the whole country, though the local figures on this point are not quite so satisfactory as usual.  There are still large numbers of houses in the town which accommodate more than one family, and, as the Medical Officer remarks, such houses can never be suitable for the up-bringing of young children.  The births totalled 173, which gives a birth-rate of 19.89 per thousand of the population, as compared with 22.77 in 1920 and 14.27 in 1919.  When it is pointed out that the birth-rate for the whole country was 18.5 in 1919, was 25.4 in 1920 and was 22.4 in 1921 it will be seen that the birth-rate in Rushden is consistently below that for the whole country.

We note that infectious fevers caused eight deaths during the past year, and this must be considered as satisfactory when it is pointed out that the number includes six deaths from influenza, which disease, towards the end of the year, was epidemic in Rushden.  Tuberculosis in all its forms accounted for seventeen deaths, a mortality rate of 1.23 per thousand of the town’s population.  This is rather higher than the figures for the previous year, when the rate was 1.11, but the Medical Officer thinks that the epidemic of influenza had something to do with this slight increase in the mortality.  Cancer caused twelve deaths, heart disease was fatal in thirteen cases, and there were fifteen fatal cases of bronchitis, pneumonia, and other respiratory diseases, the latter figure being a considerable increase on the previous year, when there were eight deaths, and Dr. Muriset thinks that here again influenza may account for the increase.  Rushden is to be heartily congratulated on the fact that the cases of infectious diseases notified during the year 1921 totalled only 42, as compared with 279 in the year 1916, with 278 in 1917, with 211 in 1918, with 118 in 1919, and with 63 in 1920.  No fewer than 28 of the notifications were in January, February, November, and December – the colder periods of the year.  During the latter part of the year Rushden, in common with neighbouring districts, was visited by an epidemic of influenza, but fortunately the disease was a mild type, and cases showing respiratory complications were comparatively few, having regard to the immense number of people affected.  Dr. Muriset refers to the opening of Rushden House as a County Sanatorium for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, and says that already many inhabitants of Rushden suffering from this dread disease have been treated successfully at this institution.  The town water supply comes in for a well-deserved compliment from the Medical Officer, who rightly describes it as “constant and unlimited” and who says that Rushden must consider itself most fortunate in this respect.

From the annual report of Mr. Piper, the Sanitary Inspector for the urban district, we learn that some difficulty has been experienced during the year in obtaining repairs and improvements to certain property in the town, owing to the high cost of materials and labour, but Mr. Piper anticipates a betterment in this respect in the course of the present year, and he hopes the number of improvements will increase automatically.  An important item of the year’s work was the provision of additional ventilation to nineteen sleeping-rooms.  In each of these cases it was found that a fireplace did not exist in the bedrooms to complete the circuit of ventilation, and proper ventilators were fixed in addition to the windows.  It is interesting to note also that 34 windows, which previously were fixed, were made to open.  With regard to sanitation, Mr. Piper says that the condition of affairs in Rushden as compared with other towns, is exceedingly satisfactory.  We note the Sanitary Inspector’s significant remark that, when the building of houses is a possible venture on the part of property owners and others, greater activity will have to be exercised under the Housing and Town Planning Acts, a sentence which follows upon his statement that “with regard to closing orders upon certain existing property which is undoubtedly unfit for habitation, the matter must be held in abeyance on account of the shortage of houses in the town. “One has, therefore,” he says, “to make the best of these unsatisfactory dwellings by recommending that certain repairs should be carried out in order to put them in a reasonable state of repair, temporarily, fit for habitation.”  Prior to Mr. Piper assuming the duties of Sanitary Inspector it was the custom of the Urban Council to destroy all infected beds and to allow the sum of £1  7s.  6d. for each bed so destroyed.  Mr. Piper has now effected a saving of £110 on the past two years by disinfecting the bedding, wearing apparel, etc., in over eighty cases, and then returning the articles to the owners; and he says that while he could not deal with large quantities daily in the event of an epidemic he can, under normal conditions, go on until the Council deem it advisable to purchase a small steam disinfector.  The inspection of food supplies has taken up a good deal of the Inspector’s time, and it is clear, from the reports of the two officers, that the public health of Rushden is well looked after by Dr. Muriset and Mr. Piper.