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Rushden’s health during the war is reviewed by Dr. D. A. McCracken, M.O.H., in a special four-year report which was presented to the Urban Council on Wednesday evening. Figures are given which show that the war has not changed Rushden’s reputation as a healthy town.
Circumstances having prevented the preparation of annual reports, the years now dealt with are 1939 to 1942 inclusive, and Dr. McCracken reports that the health of the people has been well maintained.
The presence of a large number of evacuees in 1939 and at intervals during 1940-2 created many health and social problems “which will remain long in the memory of the inhabitants” but the expected outbreak of catarrhal infectious diseases did not occur.
Except in 1941, when it was based on a relatively large estimated population, the birth rate showed a general upward trend. In 1939 it was (number missing) – the highest for a good many years. In 1940 it dropped to 12.40 and in 1941 to 10.90, but in 1942 there were 251 births and the rate was 15.45. In every case, however, the rates were somewhat below those recorded for the county generally.
There were 19 illegitimate births in 1942.
More Births
During the whole of the 1939-42 period no mother died in childbirth. Death rates were quite normal except in 1940, when many elderly people died as the result of a spell of severe weather, the deaths that year numbering 233 in all. The rates were: 1939, 9.69; 1940, 14.05; 1941, 10.51; 1942, 10.03. All these results were below the national rates and with the exception of 1940, below the Northamptonshire rates. The deaths taken into the calculations include those caused by enemy action.
Room to Improve
The doctor places particular emphasis on the fact that most of the infant deaths occurred during the first week of independent existence.
Deaths during the four-year period included 286 from diseases of the heart and blood vessels, 115 from cancer, 71 from bronchitis, pneumonia, etc., and 47 from tuberculosis. The mortality from pulmonary tuberculosis showed some increase and was slightly higher than the county rate. The death rate from cancer has been increasing during the last 10 years.
No case of suicide occurred in 1942.
An outbreak of paratyphoid, attributed to cream buns, occurred in 1940, forming part of a larger epidemic in the eastern area of the county. Rushden had 20 cases out of the area total of 222, and there was one death.
Epidemics
Ten cases of diphtheria in 1939 included five evacuee children. Eight cases in 1940 included five in one family. Measles was prevalent in 1940-41, with 758 cases, and during the second quarter of 1942 there were 119 cases of whooping cough.
Scabies and other infestations were very prevalent among children in 1940-41, and the eradication of bed bugs was a special duty for the health authorities in 1940.
Dr. McCracken reports that the rat population appears to be very low, and that the system of centralised meat inspection adopted during the war is the greatest step forward in the control of slaughterhouses since 1847. He is pleased with the progress of immunisation against diphtheria.
Of the Rushden Tuberculosis After-Care Committee he says: “The social service rendered to the town by this committee is unequalled in my experience.” He also gives high praise to the Infant Welfare Centre.
Watch On Meat
Reference is made to the heavy work of the Sanitary Inspector (Mr. F. S. F. Piper), who in 1942 paid 581 visits to slaughterhouses alone. During that year nearly 33 tons of meat was condemned. Other food condemned in 1942 weighed about 16½ cwt.
The report also gives the attendances at the swimming bath: 1939, 13,087; 1940, 15,757; 1941, 21,876; 1942, 24,651. The number of attendances by children (included in these figures) rose from 9,192 in 1939 to 19,229 in 1942.
In submitting his printed report to the Council, Dr. McCracken said the upward trend of the birth rate was not a precedent in war-time. The same thing occurred during the last war, and in 1920 the rate was 22.7. In the year of Rushden’s constitution as an urban district it was no less than 37.9.
Regarding infant mortality, the doctor pointed out that only six children under the age of 12 months died 1942, and all were in fact less than one week old. Since 1897 the infant mortality rate had dropped from 150 to 23.9 per 1,000 live births, and that spoke for itself.
Most of the scabies cases occurred in a period of seven months beginning September, 1939. The actual incidence of scabies was never ascertained, but it was a high one, not only among the visitors but among the native population.
Lesson in Hygiene
The lesson to learn about paratyphoid and such diseases was that they could be prevented by a very high personal standard of hygiene among those who handled food, and he looked forward to the day when there would be a definite code laid down for everyone who handled food and retailed it.
The number of children under five years now immunised was not far short of 80 per cent., which was the required level. This showed what could be done by propaganda backed by the voluntary effort of those who had the welfare of the children at heart.
The doctor observed that the statistics showing the local death rate from tuberculosis to be higher than the county rate were deceptive, and he did not think the local rate was unduly high.
Among those to whom he expressed indebtedness was Coun. Sugars, who gave him much support during the difficult days of September, 1939.
On the proposition of the Chairman (Coun. A. F. Weale, J.P.) it was agreed to record on the minutes best thanks to the Medical Officer for his illuminating report.
Milk Reports
Coun. Allebone expressed great concern about the results of the milk tests. For a long time, he said, a high percentage of the samples had been termed “bad.” Milk was of first importance, yet in 1942 54 samples out of 131 were “bad.”
Coun. Waring: I was going to point out that we had 67 per cent. unsatisfactory as against 33 per cent. satisfactory. I think that is rather alarming – I won’t say disgusting. We want a much better showing than this, and I would like to know what is the matter.
Dr. McCracken replied that it looked bad but was not as bad as it seemed. The terms “good,” “moderate” and “bad” were relative terms, used from the scientific point of view. The 1943 returns were very much better.
Dr. Davies asked if cases of scarlet fever and diphtheria could be sent to hospital or not. Some were sent and some were not, he added.
Dr. McCracken said that under the Joint Isolation Hospital Order any case of infectious or notifiable disease could be sent to hospital, but in certain circumstances, when a child could be nursed at home quite safely, they agreed to that being done. There was a tendency among the experts to agree to the milder type of scarlet fever being treated at home because there might otherwise be a danger of reinfection with a more severe type. There had been no deaths from scarlet fever in Rushden for a long time, and very few in the country.
Diphtheria was a different proposition. It was his opinion that a case of clinical diphtheria ought to be nursed in hospital, because the nursing was the sheet anchor for avoiding complications.
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