London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Southall 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]
This page requires JavaScript
felt that the risk of contracting tuberculosis while at school was negligible, the bulk of the
infection occurring some time after the school leavers had become established in employment.
Graph B is a pictorial representation of the statistics of tuberculosis in the Borough from
1930 to 1955.
Cancer
It will be seen by the table of causes of death (page 44) that in 1955 109 cases (60 males
and 49 females) died from cancer. See Appendix, Table VI, for an analysis of cancer
deaths since 1931.
Below is set out in tabular form a classification of the cancer deaths according to the
site of the primary growth and in ages.
Age Groups — Male
| Site | Total | Under 10 | 10-20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60-70 | 70-80 | 80+ | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | |
| Lung | 27 | 20 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | — |
| Stomach | 6 | 10 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 3 | — | 4 | — | 1 | — |
| Intestine | 6 | 14 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Bladder | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Prostate | 6 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | 1 |
| Breast | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Other | 16 | 24 | 12 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 |
| Totals | 53 | 72 | 60 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 20 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 2 | |
These figures are inclusive of the deaths occurring at St. Bernard's Hospital, Norwood Hall and Vine Cottage
These tables show that the total number of cancer deaths in 1955 had fallen slightly,
the fall occurring in the number of male deaths, those of the females being slightly higher
than in 1954.
Distribution of Infectious Disease Notifications
For the incidence of various infectious diseases notified during the year, under age
groups and locality, see Appendix, Tables VII and VIII.
Infectious Disease Visits
During the year, the Sanitary Inspectors paid 249 visits with reference to cases of
infectious disease. In addition, the County Health Visitors did a certain amount of home
and school visiting in connection with infectious diseases.
Laboratory Work
Specimens taken for bacteriological or chemical investigation, in connection
particularly with infectious disease cases, are brought daily to the Manor House and
transported to the Ealing Public Health Laboratory. The necessary investigations are
carried out and results reported simultaneously to the Medical Officer of Health and to
any doctor who has submitted a specimen from one of his patients. Details of the work
carried out in 1955 are as follows:—
20
Age Groups — Female
| Site | Total | Under 10 | 10-20 | 20-30 | 30-40 | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60-70 | 70-80 | 80 + | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| '53 | ,54 | ,55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | '53 | '54 | '55 | |
| Breast | 13 | 17 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | — | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | — |
| Lung | 4 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Stomach | 9 | 5 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 4 |
| Uterus | 4 | 3 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — |
| Intestine | 12 | 6 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | — | 1 | 3 | — | 4 |
| Bladder | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Other | 15 | 10 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | — | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | — |
| Totals | 57 | 43 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 8 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 9 |