Health in Haltwhistle: 1900 to 1960

An exploration of health issues, from 1900 to 1960, in the small Northumberland town of Haltwhistle. Using information from council and medical officer reports, this book deals with range of topics including:

• Infectious diseases like polio, smallpox, scarlet fever, whooping cough, measles and tuberculosis
• The water supply and the sewerage system
• How refuse was collected and disposed of
• The move towards indoor and flushing toilets
• The type of food sold and produced in the area
• The type of employment that was available
• Housing developments and the state of the roads
• The development of health services in the area including the first ambulance and hospital

There are also population statistics including the number of births and deaths and details of the main causes of death. There are lots of facts and figures but also a wealth of other data that is in its own way priceless. For example, did you know that:

• In 1904 a man was employed to water the streets in dry and dusty weather
• A canal linking the Tyne and Solway was proposed in 1937
• 1947 saw the first ice cream manufacturers in the area
• In 1954 seventy households in Haltwhistle town were still reliant for their water on standpipes or that
• 1956 saw the building or a rocket testing station at Spadeadam