Dr. Morris, the Medical Officer of health for Rushden, attended the meeting of the Rushden Urban Council on Wednesday and presented his report for the year 1905 – given in full in this issue.

Replying to questions, Dr. Morris said the death-rate was the lowest they had had. The infantile mortality was lower than in many other places, and was less than in the Wellingborough Rural District.

Mr. Bazeley: Can Dr. Morris give us any cause for this high infant mortality of 109 per 1000 births?

Dr. Morris: It is not so high as in the whole of England and Wales.

Mr. Bazeley: Still, it is too high.

Dr. Morris: In some parts it is 130 and 132 per 1000.

Mr. Bazeley: There must be a cause for it.

Dr. Morris: A great deal of it, no doubt, is due to the neglect of the mothers.

Mr. Claridge: In some factories they attribute it to the mothers working in the factories.

Mr. Swindall thought there were not many

Married Women Working

in the factories in Rushden.

Mr. Bazeley: A good number yet, I am afraid.

Mr. Skinner: You must look to the home for the remedy of the death-rate.

Dr. Morris: Yes.

Answering questions on the notification of infectious diseases, Dr. Morris said the cases were all reported now. The Act would never stamp out disease.

A long discussion took place regarding scarlet fever in Rushden.

Mr. Denton asked if Dr. Morris thought the Council could do anything further, with his assistance, to stamp out scarlet fever or to prevent its recurrence. The epidemic had been serious, though the disease had been of a mild type.

Dr. Morris: The fact is that many cases have never been reported. The parents have not called in a doctor until the peeling stage, and the sufferers have been about the whole of the time until the cases are reported.

Mr. Claridge: Does that apply to Rushden?

Dr. Morris: Yes.

Mr. J. B. Martin (Sanitary Inspector): The cases have been of a mild nature, and the parents have not thought it necessary to call in a doctor.

Dr. Morris said that when a case was reported the householders were not allowed to go to the factory and were not permitted to send work out. Consequently, if a case arose, it was

Kept Quiet.

Very often it was only by accident that the case was found out, and then the mischief was done.

Mr. Skinner: Are not most children liable to it?

Dr. Morris: They are not bound to have it. Some are more susceptible to it than others.

Mr. Claridge: We practically have not been free from scarlet fever in Rushden for two years?

Dr. Morris: No.

Mr. Martin: Take the population all through, and I do not think there has been anything wilfully done wrong.

The Chairman: The Council have done all they know.

Dr. Morris: Yes, everything has been done that could be done. I think Rushden has been a pattern for other towns.

Mr. Swindall said that only one case had been notified since Jan. 2, so that they hoped they had got to the end of the epidemic.

Mr. Ballard: I think the disease is more serious than some imagine.

Mr. Claridge: There is nothing in the town favourable to the spread of scarlet fever?

Dr. Morris: No.

The matter then dropped.

Several questions were then asked regarding the inspection of factories, and Mr. Bazeley said the Labour members of the Council would like to see Dr. Morris visit the factories personally, as they heard complaints regarding the smells in some of the factories.