[Report 1906] / Medical Officer of Health, Leek U.D.C.

  • Leek (England). Urban District Council.
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1906] / Medical Officer of Health, Leek U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    on the health of the inhabitants, both in respect to the general mortality, and more particularly as to its influence on the mortality from Phthisis, with the somewhat unexpected result that no appreciable difference could be demonstrated. Further comparative investigations relating to other diseases would be interesting and instructive. The population is mainly composed of artisans, the chief trade being silk manufacture and silk dyeing. House Accommodation. The house accommodation is fairly good, both as regards its adequacy, and fitness for habitation. One case of overcrowding has been investigated and reported on, and after notice had been served, the condition was brought within legal limits, prosecution being rendered unnecessary. I fear there are many cases best described as border¬ land cases, which I should heartily rejoice to get rid of, but the dearth of houses having good sized rooms at a low rent makes it impossible, for wages are always comparatively low in many branches of silk manufacture, and especially low now that the trade is bad and many workers are making short time. The injurious effects in these borderland cases would be largely counteracted if the people would learn to open the windows more freely and to unstop the chimneys which are stuffed with bags of shavings, etc., or blocked by boards which are frequently papered over to look clean and pretty. These conditions, which plainly mean want of fresh air and accumulation of bad air in the bedrooms, have an important bearing on our infant mortality, for