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
Carshalton 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Carshalton]
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The number of persons successfully treated and recorded under these arrangements during 1952 was as follows:
| Age at 31st Dec., 1952 | Under 1yr. | 1-4 yrs. | 5-14 yrs. | 15 yrs. & over. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15v' Private Practitioners | 85 | 92 | 11 | 55 | 243 |
| At Clinics | 133 | 104 | 3 | 2 | 242 |
| 218 | 196 | 14 | 57 | 485 | |
| • | |||||
| Bv Private Practitioners | 1 | 5 | 17 | 127 | 150 |
| At Clinics | — | 1 | 1 | - | 2 |
| 1 | 6 | 18 | 127 | 152 |
In addition the following unsuccessful attempts at vaccination were made:
| Age at 31st December, 1952 | Under lyr. | 1-4 yrs. | 5-14 yrs. | 15 yrs. & over. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | 12 | 8 | — | 3 | 23 |
| Re-vaccination | — | — | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 12 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 27 |
Enteric Fever
No cases of typhoid or paratyphoid fever were notified.
Dysentery
Mild dysentery, due to the Sonne bacillus, has been endemic in the
district for many years past. Since this intestinal infection is easily
spread by contamination of food and utensils handled by patients,
many of whom continue about their normal activities, it frequently
assumes epidemic proportions among communities of children whose
sense of personal hygiene is not developed. Waves of prevalence are not,
therefore, uncommon in nurseries, children's hospitals and similar
institutions.
A total of 112 cases was notified during the year, all but 3 confirmed
bacteriologically as Sonne infections, the unconfirmed ones being
diagnosed on clinical grounds only. Eighty-three of the total were
residents of the district, the remaining 29 being patients in local hospitals
admitted from other districts.
The majority of the cases occurred in two outbreaks, one involving
25 children in a local hospital during the summer and the other affecting
26 children and staff of a Day Nursery, together with 14 others among
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