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 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]
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MEASLES.
This disease is usually prevalent in alternate years and it was
therefore not unexpected when only 170 notifications were received
in 1952 compared with 810 in 1951. The previous outbreak extended
from October, 1950, until August, 1951, and the build up
for the next wave can be observed in the gradual increase in the
number of cases noted each month in 1952, the maximum being
40 in December.
Only one case is known to have been admitted to hospital
during the year, the disease remaining of a fairly mild type.
The lack of value of notification of measles and whooping
cough in a District such as this has been commented upon for a
number of years without any official recognition.
WHOOPING COUGH.
Whooping cough was slightly less prevalent in 1952, 196
notifications being received compared with 204 and 242 in the two
previous years. Most cases occurred in March and June with very
few in the second half of the year. Only one case is believed to
have been admitted to Hospital and all recovered.
A note on immunisation against whooping cough is included
later in this report.
TUBERCULOSIS.
The following table presents concisely the position with regard to tuberculosis in the District during 1952:—
| Pulmonary. | Non-pulmonary. | Total. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. | F. | M. | F. | M. | F. | |
| Number of cases on register, 1st January, 1952 | 226 | 163 | 32 | 34 | 258 | 197 |
| Additions, 1952:— | ||||||
| New cases notified | 26 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 29 | 17 |
| Cases removed into District | 15 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 13 |
| Restored to register | 1 | 1 | — | - | 1 | 1 |
| Total Additions | 42 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 47 | 31 |
| Removals, 1952:— | ||||||
| Deaths from (a) Tuberculosis | 7 | 4 | — | 3 | 7 | 7 |
| (b) Other causes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Removed from District | 10 | 8 | — | — | 10 | 8 |
| Recovered | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | 6 | 1 |
| Non-tuberculous | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Total Removed from Register | 22 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 23 | 17 |
| Number of cases on register, 1st January, 1953 | 246 | 178 | 36 | 33* | 282 | 213* |
| * As at 31st January, 1953. | ||||||