- Email: [email protected]
VITAL STATISTICS FOR 1929.
533
Disposal Board ; but there is a considerable body of informed opinion which finds little parallel between the problems presented by the supply of water and the collection and disposal of refuse, and which is distrustful of over-organisation. What are the leading.facts ? Admittedly there is a lack of uniformity in the methods of collecting the material, the arrangements for disposal of the
I The Departmental Committee was not itself united on the constitution of the suggested
central1 authority. Two members did not see their way to recommend the setting up of a new body with independent control, as this would involve interference with the powers of existing sanitary authorities. There is no reason to believe that most if not all of these authorities would not refuse are in the hands of a few contractors among bring valuable contributions to a conference with whom there is little or no effective competition, the Ministry of Health on the collection and and the dumping of refuse-not only from London disposal of rubbish, or that they would not fall in but from the great towns in the Outer Ring-in with any suggestion made to them. The recent the country and semi-country round about the discussion at the Society of Medical Officers of metropolis has caused much heart-burning. Dumps Health made this pretty clear. No evidence was on the Essex marshes and elsewhere caught fire, laid before the Committee that cleansing can emitted poignant smoke, served as a breeding place be more efficiently done on a larger than on a for flies and rats, and, owing to the continued smaller scale ; no new methods were suggested extension of building, became an offence to an that are not already well known to the cleansing increasing number of persons. Administrative departments. Dumping must be continued because action was taken meanwhile in regard to a there is ground to be levelled ; salvage is of dubious number of these dumps, the situation being value, although no objection can be raised to the improved by changed methods in depositing and use of suitable household refuse for brick-making covering the refuse. Miss SUSAN LAWRENCE, provided the refuse is stored in an isolated situation ; while describing the Essex dumps as a public there is no consensus of opinion that electricity can scandal, pointed out that no Essex authority had be produced economically by burning refuse in yet made full use of its existing powers under the ’, destructors, even on a large scale. But now that Public Health Act, and stated that the Ministry public interest has been aroused, it may well be of Health would press for the discontinuance of hoped that sufficient money will be spent on insanitary dumps. Her remarks seemed to exclude modern equipment for dust collection and for its the prospect of further legislation in the near hygienic disposal, use being made of the machinery future. of government available to-day.
ANNOTATIONS against 1425 for the previous year, thus continuing the steady though slight increase over all recent years and being the highest crude rate recorded. The increase affected both sexes but was rather greater for females than for males. The mortality of women from puerperal sepsis and accidents of pregnancy and childbirth was 4-33 per 1000 live births, compared with 4-42 in the previous year. The improvement was not in respect of puerperal sepsis, which actually
VITAL STATISTICS FOR 1929.
The Registrar-General’s Statistical Review for the year 1929, Part 1. of which has just appeared,l confirms the provisional figures for the general birthrate, death-rate, and infantile mortality issued earlier in the year.2 The birth-rate of 16-3per 1000 persons living at all ages was the lowest recorded since the establishment of civil registration in this country, the lowest rates previously being 16-6 for 1927 and increased from 1-79 to 1-80, but in "other accidents 16-7for 1928. The death-rate of 13-4 per 1000, of and childbirth " which improved from pregnancy against 11-7for the previous year, was the highest 2-63 to 2-53. Although lower than that in 1928 the since 1919, the increase being due almost entirely combined rate is still above the experience of the to the high mortality from respiratory and circulatory seven years 1921-27. diseases and to the epidemic of influenza during the The infantile severe cold of February and March. OPIUM AND SCOPOLAMINE BY THE MOUTH of 74 per 1000 live births was 9 per 1000 IN OBSTETRICS. above that of the previous year, the excess again due IN a long article, which is too largely composed of to the high mortality of the first quarter. With the special of 1918-19 the pleading of a sentimental nature, H. Selheim the of exception pandemic epidemic of influenza was the most severe experienced in this discusses the pros and cons of the use of anaesthetics country since the disease reappeared in 1890-91, the in midwifery.l With most of his opinions most mortality being equal to 734 per million living English obstetricians are, no doubt, in agreement, against 196 in 1928. The mortality from respiratory for they express the general desire to reduce any diseases rose from 1507 in 1928 to 2104 per million, intense pain in labour or so to control the natural but the latter figure had been exceeded in 1920, 1922, process as to make it as little painful and as little and 1924. The mortality from circulatory diseases dangerous as possible to the mother as well as the reached the record figure of 3030 per million, due child. When it comes to practical recommendations largely to the deaths of elderly persons during the for bringing about this desired end the novel suggestion cold weather of the first quarter of the year. The offered by Selheim is that midwives should be allowed to administer omnopon and scopolamine by the death-rate from cancer was 1437per million mouth at the doctor’s orders. He recommends a -
mortality-rate
living
1 H.M. Stationery Office. 7s. 6d. 2 See THE LANCET, 1930, i., 195.
1 Med.
Klinik, 1930, xxvi., 1103.
Disposal Board ; but there is a considerable body of informed opinion which finds little parallel between the problems presented by the supply of water and the collection and disposal of refuse, and which is distrustful of over-organisation. What are the leading.facts ? Admittedly there is a lack of uniformity in the methods of collecting the material, the arrangements for disposal of the
I The Departmental Committee was not itself united on the constitution of the suggested
central1 authority. Two members did not see their way to recommend the setting up of a new body with independent control, as this would involve interference with the powers of existing sanitary authorities. There is no reason to believe that most if not all of these authorities would not refuse are in the hands of a few contractors among bring valuable contributions to a conference with whom there is little or no effective competition, the Ministry of Health on the collection and and the dumping of refuse-not only from London disposal of rubbish, or that they would not fall in but from the great towns in the Outer Ring-in with any suggestion made to them. The recent the country and semi-country round about the discussion at the Society of Medical Officers of metropolis has caused much heart-burning. Dumps Health made this pretty clear. No evidence was on the Essex marshes and elsewhere caught fire, laid before the Committee that cleansing can emitted poignant smoke, served as a breeding place be more efficiently done on a larger than on a for flies and rats, and, owing to the continued smaller scale ; no new methods were suggested extension of building, became an offence to an that are not already well known to the cleansing increasing number of persons. Administrative departments. Dumping must be continued because action was taken meanwhile in regard to a there is ground to be levelled ; salvage is of dubious number of these dumps, the situation being value, although no objection can be raised to the improved by changed methods in depositing and use of suitable household refuse for brick-making covering the refuse. Miss SUSAN LAWRENCE, provided the refuse is stored in an isolated situation ; while describing the Essex dumps as a public there is no consensus of opinion that electricity can scandal, pointed out that no Essex authority had be produced economically by burning refuse in yet made full use of its existing powers under the ’, destructors, even on a large scale. But now that Public Health Act, and stated that the Ministry public interest has been aroused, it may well be of Health would press for the discontinuance of hoped that sufficient money will be spent on insanitary dumps. Her remarks seemed to exclude modern equipment for dust collection and for its the prospect of further legislation in the near hygienic disposal, use being made of the machinery future. of government available to-day.
ANNOTATIONS against 1425 for the previous year, thus continuing the steady though slight increase over all recent years and being the highest crude rate recorded. The increase affected both sexes but was rather greater for females than for males. The mortality of women from puerperal sepsis and accidents of pregnancy and childbirth was 4-33 per 1000 live births, compared with 4-42 in the previous year. The improvement was not in respect of puerperal sepsis, which actually
VITAL STATISTICS FOR 1929.
The Registrar-General’s Statistical Review for the year 1929, Part 1. of which has just appeared,l confirms the provisional figures for the general birthrate, death-rate, and infantile mortality issued earlier in the year.2 The birth-rate of 16-3per 1000 persons living at all ages was the lowest recorded since the establishment of civil registration in this country, the lowest rates previously being 16-6 for 1927 and increased from 1-79 to 1-80, but in "other accidents 16-7for 1928. The death-rate of 13-4 per 1000, of and childbirth " which improved from pregnancy against 11-7for the previous year, was the highest 2-63 to 2-53. Although lower than that in 1928 the since 1919, the increase being due almost entirely combined rate is still above the experience of the to the high mortality from respiratory and circulatory seven years 1921-27. diseases and to the epidemic of influenza during the The infantile severe cold of February and March. OPIUM AND SCOPOLAMINE BY THE MOUTH of 74 per 1000 live births was 9 per 1000 IN OBSTETRICS. above that of the previous year, the excess again due IN a long article, which is too largely composed of to the high mortality of the first quarter. With the special of 1918-19 the pleading of a sentimental nature, H. Selheim the of exception pandemic epidemic of influenza was the most severe experienced in this discusses the pros and cons of the use of anaesthetics country since the disease reappeared in 1890-91, the in midwifery.l With most of his opinions most mortality being equal to 734 per million living English obstetricians are, no doubt, in agreement, against 196 in 1928. The mortality from respiratory for they express the general desire to reduce any diseases rose from 1507 in 1928 to 2104 per million, intense pain in labour or so to control the natural but the latter figure had been exceeded in 1920, 1922, process as to make it as little painful and as little and 1924. The mortality from circulatory diseases dangerous as possible to the mother as well as the reached the record figure of 3030 per million, due child. When it comes to practical recommendations largely to the deaths of elderly persons during the for bringing about this desired end the novel suggestion cold weather of the first quarter of the year. The offered by Selheim is that midwives should be allowed to administer omnopon and scopolamine by the death-rate from cancer was 1437per million mouth at the doctor’s orders. He recommends a -
mortality-rate
living
1 H.M. Stationery Office. 7s. 6d. 2 See THE LANCET, 1930, i., 195.
1 Med.
Klinik, 1930, xxvi., 1103.