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 1947
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
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The following table shows the age-groups in which notifications and deaths occurred:—
| Age Periods. | New Cases. | Deaths. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary. | Non-pulmonary. | Pulmonary. | Non-pulmonary . | |||||
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Under 1 year | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1 and under 5 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 5 and under 10 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 10 and under 15 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 15 and under 20 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 20 and under 25 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — |
| 25 and under 35 | 5 | 4 | — | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | — |
| 35 and under 45 | 5 | 8 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — |
| 45 and under 55 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — |
| 55 and under 65 | 7 | 3 | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 65 and over | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — |
| Totals | 34 | 25 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 11 | — | — |
The new cases were distributed amongst the wards as follows: —
| Localisation. | Coulsdon East. | Coulsdon West. | Kenley. | Purley. | Sanderstead. | Selsdon and Farleigh. | Wood-cote. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulmonary | 11 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 3 |
| Non- pulmonary | 1 | 3 | - | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| Totals | 12 | 18 | 3 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 5 |
Dealing first with the pulmonary form of this disease, it is noted
that while more cases were notified in 1947 than in either of the two
preceding years, the case rate has on the whole tended to drop, although
of recent years there has been a reverse tendency, probably owing to a
larger number of early and unsuspected cases being detected through
examination for military service and the wider use of mass radiography.
The more important fact is that the death rate, which was diminishing
steadily before the war only to rise during that period, is, if anything,
again tending to decrease. Nationally this trend is even more marked
than locally.
Turning to non-pulmonary tuberculosis, although again there was
an increase in the number of new cases notified and in the case rate,
there were no deaths recorded last year, and the average death rate is
definitely decreasing.
The Council is responsible for measures to prevent the spread of
this disease, including rehousing, disinfection and the examination of
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