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preceding years. The cases occurred fairly uniformly throughout
the year and, although mainly in the Purley Ward, few of them
appeared to be interconnected. So far as is known only 3 of them
were admitted to hospital and no deaths occurred among these
notified cases.
MEASLES.
This disease is usually prevalent in alternate years and it was
therefore, expected that there would be more cases in 1955.
Actually 1,012 were notified compared with 9, 1,319, 170 and 810
in the four preceding years.
So far as is known, the disease remained faily mild in type
and only 2 cases were admitted to hospital. No deaths occurred
and in fact only 2 with very exceptional complications have died
since the war.
The value of the compulsory notification of measles in a District
such as this, has previously been questioned on several
occasions. General propaganda during times of epidemics is all
that is practicable as notifications are received too late to be of
any use and in such numbers as to make the visitation of all,
almost impossible without severely limiting the other health visiting
at the peak of the epidemic.
WHOOPING COUGH.
In 1955 there was a decrease in notifications, 64 being received
compared with 131, 66, 196, 204 and 242 in the 5 previous years.
None of the cases are known to have been admitted to hospital
and all recovered. The majority of the cases occurred between
June and August, the incidence being highest in July and August.
Purley had much the highest number of cases. Just over 40%
were children under 5 years of age and 3 babies were under 1 year.
It must again be emphasised that this disease can be very serious
and is often very debilitating. The immunisation of all children
against it is strongly recommended and this treatment should be
commenced by at least the sixth month of life.
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