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

View report page

Croydon 1919

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]

This page requires JavaScript

18
6. Time within which it is proposed that the scheme (or if the
scheme is to be carried out by instalments, each part of
the scheme) is to be carried into effect:—
Part of Scheme. Approximate date for completion.
Woodside October, 1920.
Waddon November, 1921.
Norbury July, 1922.
There is a very serious amount of overcrowding in existence
now in the Borough. This is the natural sequence of the shortage
of houses. It has been practically impossible to deal with overcrowding
in the customary manner as a nuisance, and it has been
made a practice at the present time to deal with only such extremely
serious cases as urgently demand attention, and these only to deal
with as the means of better accommodation for the people can be
found.
It will be observed that eight houses are dealt with under
Closing Orders. These houses have been seriously damaged by
wilful misconduct of persons in the neighbourhood, and have been
taken over by the Corporation and reconstructed. They are being
managed by the Corporation now by means of a residential caretaker
responsible for the general conduct of the tenants.
No other Closing Orders were made during the year, and no
other representations were received or made that any house was
unfit for human habitation.
PREVALENCE OF AND CONTROL OVER INFECTIOUS
DISEASES.
Scarlet Fever.
603 cases of scarlet fever were notified in 1919, as against 414
the previous year. Death occurred in 11 cases. The incidence
was mainly in the fall of the year and the pressure on the hospital
accommodation was severe at that period. (See accompanyingdiagram
of the weekly incidence of scarlet fever in the borough.)
Towards the end of the year there was a remarkable number of
cases of double infection, i.e., scarlet and measles, scarlet and
chicken pox and scarlet and diphtheria occurring simultaneously
in the individual.
Diphtheria.
429 cases of diphtheria were notified in 1919, as against 179
for 1918. Death occurred in 37 cases. The heaviest incidence
was in the autumn. (See accompanying diagram of weekly incidence.)
As in scarlet, there was an unusual amount of mixed
infection. The hospital accommodation for this disease was also
very severely taxed.