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TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COULSDON
AND PURLEY URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with pleasure that I present this my Annual Report for
1957, it being my 26th report as your Medical Officer of Health.
It is accompanied, however, by some degree of regret in that it
will be my last Report in this capacity. With the passage of time,
it is increasingly difficult not to get stale and, in my opinion, it is
then usually wiser to transfer those particular responsibilities to a
new generation while seeking opportunities for further but different
service elsewhere.
I am very glad to be able to report that there has been no
retrogression in the standard of the Public Health in this District
but that, as will be observed, further preventive measures were
introduced in 1957, the results of which should be noticeable in
subsequent Reports.
As judged by the usual standards, the inadequacy of which is
again indicated, the health of the District remained reasonably
satisfactory during 1957. Once more the Birth Rate increased
while the percentage of illegitimate births decreased to a very low
level. The corrected Death Rate was still well below that of the
nation as a whole and it is particularly pleasing to observe the big
decrease in the tuberculosis death rate and even a slight but steady
decline in the cancer death rate in recent years. Unfortunately,
one maternal death occurred after two clear years, and the Infant
Mortality Rate was higher than the record low level of 1956; it
was still well below the recent average, however, and as is stressed
throughout the Report, more attention has to be given to general
trends than to spectacular fluctuations in any given year.
Apart from measles, the local incidence of infectious disease
was reasonably satisfactory, although there were a few more cases
of poliomyelitis than the average in recent years, including unfortunately,
2 fatal adult cases.
In spite of the limited quantities of vaccine available, immunisation
against this disease progressed, a further 3,540 children
receiving their two injections, and evidence as to the efficacy of
this measure on a national scale as deduced by an analysis of the
statistics for 1957 is awaited with interest.
It is commendable that despite the attractions of this latest
form of immunisation, acceptance of the earliest form of vaccination,
i.e. that against smallpox, did not decline but probably
achieved a record in that about 75% of the babies under 1 year
were vaccinated.
At last it is possible to report some slight but real progress
towards the solution of the problem of the flooding near Purley
Fountain. Although fortunately this has not affected the Public
Health, it has been a potential danger which should be removed
as soon as possible. May my successor have the satisfaction of
reporting its termination in an early Report.
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