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 1953
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Carshalton]
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Nine cases of poliomyelitis were reported during the year, seven of them during July and August. Five showed evidence of paralysis and three were non-paralytic. Details are as follows:
| Sex | Age | Date of Onset | Resultant Disability (July, 1954) |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | 6 yrs. | 15th March | Complete recovery |
| F | 14 yrs. | 25th June | Some weakness of left shoulder girdle |
| M | 4 yrs. | 28th June | Fairly extensive weakness chiefly in the legs and left arm |
| F | 4 yrs. | 6th July | Minimal weakness of neck and back |
| M | 6 yrs. | 14th July | Weakness of both legs, neck and abdominal muscles. Walks fairly well with aid of sticks |
| F | 2 yrs. | 16th July | Flail right leg and weakness of the left |
| M | 16 yrs. | 22nd July | Non-paralytic. Complete recovery |
| M | 4 yrs. | 2nd August | Non-paralytic. Complete recovery |
| F | 19 yrs. | 12th August | Non-paralytic. Complete recovery |
Ophthalmia Neonatorum
One case of inflammation of the eyes in the newborn was notified.
The infection was moderately severe but responded well to domiciliary
treatment and recovered without any impairment of vision.
Puerperal Pyrexia
The altered definition of puerperal pyrexia, due to the Regulations
of 1951, brought many more cases of rise of temperature following
childbirth within the scope of notification. Any rise of 2°, whether
sustained or not, from any cause whatever, whether resulting from as
distinct from merely following childbirth or not, is now notifiable. In
consequence, many of these cases are of little significance and the case
rate based on these notifications is no indication of the extent to which
childbirth per se is liable to result in infection.
In conformity with expectation and past experience, the great
majority of these notifications are in respect of patients in hospitals
with maternity units which cater for a large part of Metropolitan Surrey
and where the admissions are preponderantly the abnormal or potentially
abnormal cases. The inclusion of notifications in respect of a large
number of cases of pyrexia in non-resident patients gives an incidence
rate which is valueless and misleading when it is calculated, as it is of
necessity, on Carshalton births only. The same situation arises in any
district which has large maternity hospital units serving an area far
beyond its boundaries.
A total of 212 notifications was received, all patients in local
hospitals. Fifty-four were residents of Carshalton and 124 were first
confinements.
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