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which they normally resided. Excluding these 7 deaths the local
District rate would only have been 23. Nationally this rate has
steadily decreased, being 40 in 1949 and 32, 28, 21 and 18 in the
following years.
The incidence of new cases of non-pulmonary tuberculosis
remained at 6, while the corresponding death rate was less than
the low post-war average.
The Council is responsible for one of the most important
measures aimed at combating this disease, viz., rehousing, and also
for disinfection, but the County Council bears the responsibility
for all other preventive measures except the treatment of cases,
which is that of the Regional Hospital Boards.
Schemes are being carried out for the immunisation of certain
sections of the population, and for tracing contacts of infectious
cases among school children. It is anticipated that a further
extension of this policy will be inaugurated in the second half of
1954.
The Mass X-Ray Unit operated for a period during June in
Coulsdon with a reasonable response from local residents. The
local Tuberculosis Clinic is held every Monday from 2-4 p.m. at
the Surrey County Council Clinic, 62, Whytecliffe Road, Purley,
and an additional session was added during the year.
There is still no sign of progress in the erection of the anticipated
self-contained Chest Clinic which it is hoped will be built
in Purley Hospital grounds. The provision of this Clinic is
urgently required as the County Council Clinic is being seriously
over-used.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACT, 1936, SECTION 172.
PUBLIC HEALTH (PREVENTION OF TUBERCULOSIS)
REGULATIONS, 1925.
No action has been required under these powers during
recent years.
NON-NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
Apart from influenza, the group of non-notifiable infectious
diseases again accounted for very few deaths.
Excluding the death returns, the only information as to the
presence of outbreaks of non-notifiable infectious disease is obtained
from the returns from the nurseries and public elementary
schools. As judged by these, there were only small outbreaks
of chickenpox in Purley and the Chipstead Valley, and German
measles in Kenley, with isolated cases of mumps. No case of
ringworm was reported.
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