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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TABLE 12.
MEASLES—WARD INCIDENCE AND MONTHLY DISTRIBUTION, 1952. (Excluding hospital patients non-resident in Carshalton.)
| 1952. | Ward. | Total. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Helier North. | St. Helier South. | St. Helier West. | North-East | North-West. | Central. | South-East. | South-West. | ||
| January | - | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 3 |
| February | — | — | — | 8 | 12 | 5 | — | — | 25 |
| March | 1 | — | 2 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 35 |
| April | 6 | 1 | — | 17 | 28 | 15 | 3 | - | 70 |
| May | 17 | 10 | 10 | 32 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 107 |
| June | 21 | 24 | 13 | 34 | 10 | 23 | 67 | 16 | 208 |
| July | 11 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 21 | — | 50 |
| August | 2 | - | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 10 |
| September | — | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 4 |
| October | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | 6 |
| November | 4 | I | 2 | 1 | — | — | - | - | 8 |
| December | — | 2 | 6 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 11 |
| Totals | 63 | 52 | 42 | 106 | 80 | 67 | 103 | 24 | 537 |
| Monthly Mean | 5.25 | 4.33 | 3.50 | 8.83 | 6.66 | 5.58 | 8.58 | 2.00 | 41.75 |
| Case rate per 1,000 population | 7.45 | 7.54 | 5.12 | 11.24 | 11.18 | 11.01 | 13.25 | 3.65 | 8.71 |
Whooping Cough
Not for 7 years was the incidence of whooping cough so low as it
was in 1952. A total of 98 cases—all but 4 residents—was notified, as
compared with 471 in the year before. There was no marked epidemic
wave such as was experienced in the first two months of 1951, prevalence
being fairly evenly distributed over the year.
There were no deaths.
As reported last year the County Council extended their scheme of
immunisation to include whooping cough and increasing numbers of
parents are availing themselves of these facilities for their children.
Although the technique has not yet reached that high state of efficiency
attained in respect of diphtheria the process is of considerable value and
it may well be that the substantial fall in the incidence of whooping
cough experienced in 1952 was the result of the natural periodic fall in
the curve of prevalence accelerated by the early effects of immunisation.
It would seem that parents are nowadays more concerned to secure
protection against whooping cough than against diphtheria. This is
natural enough since the district has had complete freedom from
diphtheria for three years, but the risks of neglecting diphtheria
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