London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Coulsdon and Purley 1949
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
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INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
The following table indicates the numbers of cases of infectious
disease notified during 1949, the number thought to have been treated
in hospital, and the number of deaths which resulted.
Owing to the change in the method of admission to hospital after 5th July, 1948, and the impossibility of visiting all the cases of measles and whooping cough, the numbers thought to have been treated in hospital may not be quite accurate, but the proportion of missed cases is probably very small.
| Disease | Numbers Notified. | Treated in Hospital. | Total Deaths. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria | - | - | - |
| Paratyphoid fever | 2 | 1 | |
| Scarlet fever | 138 | 76 | - |
| Erysipelas | 4 | 3 | — |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 2 | 1 | — |
| Pneumonia | 5 | 1 | 33* |
| Dysentery | 14 | 14 | — |
| Cerebro-spinal fever | — | — | — |
| Poliomyelitis | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| Measles | 600 | 4 | 1 |
| Whooping cough | 42 | 2 | — |
| Food Poisoning | 2 | — | - |
| Totals | 818 | 112 | 36 |
*Includes deaths from all forms of pneumonia.
A full statement of the cases of infectious disease notified since
1919 is presented in Table III. in the appendix, while a further analysis
of the 1949 cases by age, wards and the months during which they occurred
is given in Tables I. and II. in the appendix.
It will be seen that measles was by far the commonest notifiable
infectious disease and that 1949 was a peak year for this infection. Similarly
scarlet fever, also a relatively mild disease at present, was more
prevalent than usual. The number of cases of poliomyelitis increased
slightly, but fortunately only a small proportion of the population was
affected.
Excluding measles and whooping cough, which were not notifiable
between the two wars, and the hospital cases of dysentery, which have
now decreased satisfactorily, it is pleasing to record that the incidence
of the remaining acute infectious diseases was only 2.5 per 1,000 population
which is less than the average for the pre-war years, though higher than
recent years owing to the number of cases of mild scarlet fever.
Diphtheria.
For the third year in succession no confirmed case of diptheria has
occurred in the District and only 2 cases were admitted as being suspected
of having the disease. One of these was subsequently diagnosed as a
case of glandular fever, and the other as a non-diptheritic tonsilitis.
18