View report page

URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL OF COULSDON AND PURLEY.
HEALTH REPORT FOR 1938.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I beg to present to you my Annual Report for 1938, this being my
seventh Report as your Medical Officer of Health.
It will be found that the arrangement adopted in preceding Reports
has been retained to facilitate reference, but with the development of
the services new sections have had to be added, and others extended.
I am pleased to be able to report that in general the year under
review was a very satisfactory one as judged by the recognised standards.
The Birth Rate increased for the fifth year in succession, while the Death
Rate decreased, as also the Maternal Mortality Rate.
The incidence of Infectious Disease was the lowest the District has
experienced, although the number of cases of scarlet fever increased
slightly. Very few cases of diphtheria occurred for the second year in
succession, a condition which appears likely to continue throughout
1939. Residents should not, however, be lulled into a false sense of
security for about 3,000 deaths occur annually in England and Wales
as a result of this disease. Locally waves of diphtheria have occurred
with the crests of the waves at varying intervals of from 2 to 6 years.
Never previously has such a low trough been experienced for so long a
period, hence it is more than likely that there will be an increased number
of cases in the relatively near future, especially with the rapid movements
of population now taking place. All parents would be well advised to
consider the desirability of immunisation for their children, which treatment
is offered free of cost to those under 5 years of age, while the charge
for those over 5 years is only 5s. 0d. for the full course, this being barely
the cost of the serum.
The only Rate which did not exhibit a satisfactory trend in 1938
was the Infantile Mortality Rate, which, although slightly below that
of the Country as a whole, was the highest experienced in this District.
This Rate is, however, liable to marked fluctuations owing to the small
numbers involved, hence it is hoped that 1939 will show a definite improvement.
The chief causes to which deaths were attributed were prematurity
and congenital defects, but as the vast majority of these deaths occurred
outside the Urban District, full investigation was difficult, particularly
as notification of the deaths are often not transferred to this District
until after a lapse of several months.
5