Falling Birth-Rate: A “Good Sign”?
State Of Dwelling-Houses

  The Medical Officer of Health for Rushden (Dr. O. A. J. N. Muriset) presented his report for the year 1923 at the meeting of the Rushden Urban Council held on Wednesday.

  The report states that the population had increased by about 50 over the previous year.  It was pleasing to note that there was a steady increase in the number of inhabited houses.  The numbers of births were 126 males and 117 females, a rate of 17.6 (previous year 17.97), compared with 19.7 for England and Wales.  The total deaths were 65 males and 66 females, a rate of 9.49 (previous year 9.6), the rate for England and Wales being 11.6.  There had been an extraordinary reduction in the infantile death-rate, which spoke well for the child welfare work being carried on in Rushden.  There had been no deaths from infective fevers, in spite of the almost constant presence of influenza.  There was an improvement on the previous year’s figures regarding pulmonary tuberculosis and cancer.  Writing on the causes of sickness, the Doctor reported: “During the spring and autumn of 1923 influenza was very prevalent in the town and caused a considerable amount of invalidity.  Chicken-pox and measles accounted for a great deal of illness amongst schoolchildren, but in no case was it necessary to close schools on this account.  Measles and chicken-pox (or, as it is locally known, ‘blister-pox’) are regarded too lightly by parents, and for this reason proper isolation has been extraordinarily difficult to procure.”  If Health Week is held annually, steady improvement in the general health of the community and in domestic hygiene should show in course of time.  The institution for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis which is under the administrative control of the County Council has continued its excellent work.  The St. John Motor Ambulance Association has continued its good work, and during the year many patients have been conveyed to hospital by the motor ambulance.

  Under the head “Housing” it was reported that there were no dwelling houses found to be in a state so dangerous or injurious to health as to be unfit for human habitation, but there were 30 “not in all respects reasonably fit for human habitation,” 20 having been since attended to.

  The Doctor drew attention to the striking drop in the infant mortality rate from 76.92 to 49.3, and said that, while it was pleasing, they must not expect it to continue.  He was dealing with small figures, and thus the percentage varied more than with larger numbers.  The birth-rate showed a steady fall, from 17.97 to 17.6, and was well below the average for England and Wales, which was 19.7.  The rate of deaths from tuberculosis showed a slight improvement.  There was no adequate provision for isolating smallpox in Rushden, and if they had a case it would run them to great expense, so many additions being needed to the existing building.  On the whole, the town could be congratulated on its state of health.  The death-rate was low, it was not unduly so in comparison with similar towns.  They had been very lucky in absence of infectious diseases.

  Mr. C. Bates, J.P. (chairman of the Council), expressed pleasure that the health of the town was a cause for congratulation.

  Mr. G. W. Coles, J.P., asked whether the low birth-rate was due to bad housing, whether the children born were better in physique, and also whether the ten houses (of the 30 “not in all respect reasonably fit for habitation,” 20 of which had been remedied) had now also been put in repair.

  Dr. Muriset said he did not think they could blame housing for the low birth-rate, although it would have some effect.  In 1920 there was a sudden rise in the birth-rate, although the housing problem was probably worse then than now.  In 1921 and the next year there was a continual fall in the birth-rate, which was general, and not only local in rural as well as in urban areas.  As to whether the children born were any better, it would be difficult to say until they came before the school doctors.  The ten houses referred to had been rectified.

  Mr. J. Spencer, J.P., who asked the doctor whether there was a noticeable difference in numbers of births amongst the poor and the people in better circumstances, and who asked whether “that horrible disease cancer” was causing more deaths, was informed by the Medical Officer that there was very little means of telling whether births were more or less amongst the poor and the well-to-do.  It was a generally known fact that there were more children amongst the poor than among those better provided for, and he did not think that Rushden was any exception to the rule.  Regarding cancer, there were nine deaths last year, compared with eleven in 1922, but such small figures did not give a general idea.

  Mr. T. Wilmott, referring to the falling birth-rate, said he regarded it as a very welcome sign for the country.  I do seriously think – he proceeded – that if only one or two children are born to parents they will be brought up healthier and with better chances than children of a large family.  You can see now members of large families just walking about and drawing the “dole,” and probably they will continue to do so for years to come.  I think it is a welcome sign to have a falling birth-rate.  I have had a large family and have always worked hard to try to keep them properly.  But when parents have families so large that they cannot possibly, under their circumstances, keep them, it amounts to what I have heard, that “somebody will keep them if we cannot.”  Then it is time the country woke up to the fact that large families of overgrown children are no good to the country.

  Mr. J. Hornsby said he considered children were an asset to the country.

  Mr. T. Swindall said it was a very gratifying feature that there had not been one death in Rushden from infectious disease apart from tuberculosis.  That spoke well for the sanitary conditions of the town and the work of the Council.

  On the proposition of the Chairman, seconded by Mr. Wilmott, the thanks of the Council were accorded the doctor for his report.

SANITARY INSPECTOR’S REPORT

  Mr. F. S. F. Piper, Sanitary Inspector to the Rushden Urban Council, presenting his annual report at the same meeting, stated that at the close of 1923 there had been 108 complaints received, nine fewer than in 1922.  During 1923 73 houses had been inspected and 294 defects had been found, 94 living and sleeping rooms, etc., stripped, cleansed, and repapered or distempered.  Several cases of overcrowding had been reported, but, in view of the continued shortage of houses, it was practically impossible to deal with any but the worst cases.  At nine houses improvements were carried out voluntarily.  The Inspector had paid 396 visits to slaughter-houses and 578 for the purposes of inspecting food.  The meat supply was certainly up to the standard of any other town.  During his 111 visits to butchers’ shops and shops where made-up foods were cooked, he had had no cause to complain.  Stalls on the market-place had offered a fairly good class of meat and other food.  The ice-cream premises, fried-fish shops, dairies, milkshops, etc., were satisfactory.  The report also dealt with visits to the factories, fair-grounds, etc., and in dealing with infectious diseases.

  Mr. Spencer asked whether, as a result of the activities undertaken to destroy rats, those pests were disappearing from Rushden.  He had heard of a case of numerous chickens disappearing through the work of rats.

  Mr. Piper said that the 1923 Act was not put into force until last month.  At present everything possible was being done, and, in the case to which Mr. Spencer had referred, the matter had been dealt with.

  The thanks of the Council were passed to Mr. Piper for his valuable report.