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

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Croydon 1934

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]

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53
until the end of the year. In 1934 two waves were also experienced;
the first with its peak at the end of January, and the
second with its peak at the middle of April. From then a
moderate incidence was present until the beginning of August,
when the numbers dropped rapidly, the incidence remaining very
low for the rest of the year.
Measles was very prevalent in April and May, 1924, then
dropped suddenly, but showed a small rebound during September,
October and November, after when it died away until a
sudden rise in May, June and July, 1925, and was followed, after
a fall, by a further and more prolonged rise from October, 1925,
to May, 1926. During 1927 there was very little Measles in
Croydon; a small rise in October, November and December,
however, heralded a very big incidence of cases—the highest
during the period under review—during the first six months of
1928, Practically no cases occurred after this exacerbation, until
March, 1929, but during this month, and April, May and June,
1929, a number of cases occurred from when the incidence dropped
away until the end of the year. Another wave of considerable
intensity commenced abruptly during the last week of February,
1930, reaching its maximum in the second week of March and
dying away gradually until terminating at the end of June.
During 1931, Measles was quite inconspicuous; but in 1932 there
was a sharp rise in cases in the second week in April which reached
a maximum in the last week in June, falling then rapidly. The
beginning of another wave showed itself at the end of November
and the cases were steadily increasing in number for the rest of
the year. The measles waves, therefore, were as follows : the
first half of 1924, the second half of 1925, and the first quarter of
1926; the first half of 1928, the first half of 1929, the first half of
1930, and the first half of 1932. Measles was rather prevalent
during the first quarter of 1933, dropping rapidly during the
second quarter and not becoming noticeable again until December.
The characteristics of the Measles curves were their abrupt rises
and rather less abrupt falls. Measles was again prevalent during
the first half of the year with peak incidences in February and
May. A very rapid decline at the end of July was followed by a
low incidence for the rest of the year.
Chicken Pox.—A small wave of cases occurred during the
first half of 1924, followed by a higher wave covering the last
quarter of 1924 and the first half of 1925; another irregular wave
was experienced during the first half of 1926, followed by a
secondary in the last quarter. During 1927 and 1928 there was a