London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Coulsdon and Purley 1955

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Coulsdon]

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treatment of the initial case at home whereas one definite case
followed hospitalisation of the first case for ear trouble.
ERYSIPELAS.
Only four isolated cases occurred in the summer, none of
which were admitted to Hospital. All recovered.
PUERPERAL PYREXIA.
Three cases were notified, two being due to influenza and
another to phlebitis. One occurred in hospital and all recovered.
ENTERIC FEVER.
Three confirmed cases of paratyphoid fever (B. type) were
notified during the year, two being admitted to hospital. Two
were due to the Taunton strain and while the source of the infection
could not be traced, they were almost certainly associated
directly or indirectly with cases which occurred on the South
Coast in the summer and early autumn. The third case was type
B.A.O.R. and again the source of the infection could not be traced.
DYSENTERY.
The total of 98 notifications received was the highest known
in this District except during the war years. Of this number 32
were in respect of mental hospital cases caused by the Flexner
bacillus during the early months of the year, a relatively high figure
for peace time.
The number of cases occurring among ordinary residents was
abnormally high and even so does not give a true picture of the
extent to which the milder forms of Sonne dysentery affected the
District, particularly during the first half of the year. In the early
stages the local infection was mostly associated with the new
infants school in Woodcote then taking children from Carshalton
and Old Coulsdon, but a large proportion of the resulting cases
were probably unnotified. Those which were notified lived chiefly
in the Southern half of the District.
In May more cases occurred in Sanderstead and Selsdon and
were associated with a wave of the disease north of the District.
Others followed thereabouts during the next two months but
gradually the disease died down except for 15 cases which occurred
in a residential nursery in Kenley in July. Adult cases associated
with the preparation of food were excluded from work and propoganda
was concentrated on the need for scrupulous cleanliness
following the use of the toilet and before handling food. Only
one school was seriously affected and in the circumstances the
limitation of the outbreak was not considered too unsatisfactory.
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