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 1944
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
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4
INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
Contrary to what might have been expected in the fifth
complete year of war, infectious disease was less prevalent in the
District than in either of the 4 preceding years.
In comparing the years it is desirable to exclude
Measles and whooping Cough, which only became notifiable again in
1939, although 1944 was quite a good year in respect of both
diseases. Tuberculosis is also considered separately later in
this Report,
Apart from these diseases, only 176 cases of
infectious disease were notified and of these no less than 64
were associated with the mental hospitals in outbreaks which did
not affect the remainder of the District, Scarlet Fever diminished
most markedly and it is hoped that it will still further decrease.
From the following table it would appear that Diphtheria, Enteric
and Dysentery had increased but this is due to the influence of
the mental hospitals. Actually there were in the District as a
whole only 2 cases of Diphtheria, 4 of Dysentery and no Enteric,
Poliomyelitis, Encephalitis Lethargica or Ophthalmia Neonatorum,
Even including the cases at the mental hospitals, the incidence of infectious disease per thousand of population was about the average for the period 1925-36 and was only surpassed during the very good years immediately preceding the war.
| Disease. | Number notified. | Number removed to Isolation Hospital. | Total number of Deaths. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria | 19 | 10 | - |
| Typhoid Fever | 1 | - | 1 |
| Paratyphoid Fever | 5 | 1 | - |
| Scarlet Fever | 88 | 51 | - |
| Erysipelas | 9 | 1 | - |
| Puerperal Pyrexia | 1 | 1 | - |
| Pneumonia | 9 | -- | 30 |
| Dysentery | 42 | 2 | - |
| Cerebro-spinal fever | 2 | 1 | — |
| Measles | 52 | - | - |
| Whooping Cough | 51 | 8 | 2 |
| Totals | 279 | 75 | 33 |
Includes deaths from all forms of Pneumonia.
Diphtheria.
At the first glance it would appear that the incidence
of Diphtheria increased during 1944 as a total of 19 notifications
were received. Of these, however, no less than 15 occurred at
one of the mental hospitals among the adult patients and staff.
The use of passive, followed by active, immunisation stopped
this outbreak.
From the District as a whole only 4 notifications were
received and 2 of these were not confirmed, being only cases of
tonsilitis with negative swabs. The two isolated and
bacteriologically positive cases occurred in children who had
previously been immunised with P. A. F. One of these, being only
3 years old and having been immunised at the age of 1 year, had
not been Schick tested subsequently. His was a fairly severe
attack from which, however, he recovered.
The other child returned from Leeds late in the year,
where she had had recent tonsilitis. This recurred and the swab
showed a scanty growth of diphtheria germs (mitis) together with
haemolytic streptococci (Group A), Interestingly enough she
caused no secondary cases either at school or among the numerous
members of her family with whom she was in intimate contact.
She recovered after a prolonged spell in hospital.