London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Kingston upon Thames 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kingston-upon-Thames]
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36
Whooping Cough.
There were 126 cases of whooping cough notified during
1953 as compared with 102 in 1952 and 222 in 1951. This
is a debilitating infection occurring mostly in early
childhood.
Seventy-two of the above notifications were in respect
of children under five years of age, and, of the common
childhood illnesses, whooping cough is the most serious,
and has the greatest national fatality and disability rates.
Immunisation against this disease is now being carried
out in Kingston at clinics and by general practitioners.
In some cases immunisation against diphtheria and vaccination
against whooping cough is performed in a combined
process.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
No cases were notified during 1953. This is the
sixth successive year in which no cases of ophthalmia
neonatorum have been notified.
Puerperal Pyrexia.
Eighty cases were notified during 1953. 78 of which occurred in patients in Kingston Hospital. An analysis is shown below, together with figures for the years 1949 - 1952 for purposes of comparison. Twenty-three of the cases were Kingston residents.
| Cases | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | Total notified | 29 | 23 | 41 | 84 | 80 |
| (b) | Number included in (a) of (i) Kingston residents | 4 | 8 | 14 | 23 | 15 |
| (ii) Extra district residents | 25 | 15 | 27 | 61 | 65 | |
| (c) | Number included in (a) notified frcm Kingston Hospital | 28 | 21 | 40 | 82 | 78 |
| (d) | Number included in (a) notified by private doctors | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| (e) | Number of cases included in (d) removed to hospital other than those included in (c) | - | - | - | - | - |
Pood Poisoning-
A total offour cases of food poisoning was notified
during 1953, compared with three cases in 1952.
These were all mild isolated cases. The fullest
investigations were made in each but it was not possible
to prove that any particular foods had caused the illness.
Faeces specimens were taken from each patient, and a
salmonella organism was isolated in respect of one person
only. All other specimens were found to be negative for
pathogenic organisns.