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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 1954
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
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INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
The following table indicates the number of cases of infectious disease notified during 1954, the number thought to have been treated in hospital, and the number of deaths which occurred.
| Disease. | Numbers Notified. | Treated in Hospital. | Total Deaths. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria | - | —. | - |
| Scarlet fever | 68 | 15 | — |
| Erysipelas | 4 | 1 | — |
| Puerperal pyrexia | — | — | — |
| Pneumonia — primary | 20 | 8 | 58* |
| Enteric fever | 1 | 1 | — |
| Encephalitis, acute | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Dysentery | 12 | 12 | 1 |
| Poliomyelitis, paralytic | 1 | — | — |
| Measles | 9 | — | — |
| Whooping cough | 131 | 4 | — |
| Food poisoning | 74 | 72 | — |
| Totals | 321 | 114 | 60 |
* Deaths from all forms of pneumonia including mental hospital cases.
A further analysis of these cases by age, wards and the
months during which they occurred is given in Tables I and II in
the Appendix, while a full statement of the cases of infectious
disease notified since 1924 is presented in Table III in the
Appendix.
It will be seen that whooping cough was the commonest notifiable
infectious disease while measles, scarlet fever and pneumonia
were much less prevalent than in the previous year. More
cases of food poisoning occurred, due to two outbreaks.
Excluding food poisoning, measles and whooping cough which
were not notifiable between the two Wars, and the hospital cases
of dysentery, the incidence of the remaining acute notifiable infectious
diseases was only 1.5 per 1,000 population, which is much
lower than the post-war average of 2.3.
SMALLPOX.
No case of this disease occurred in the District during the
year but on at least three occasions individuals who had been in
contact with cases overseas had to be supervised.
DIPHTHERIA.
For the eighth year in succession no case of diphtheria
occurred in the District and only one suspicious but unconfirmed
15