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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR 1955
Public Health Department,
2, Shalston Villas,
SURBITON.
July, 1956.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of Surbiton.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have pleasure in presenting my thirty-fourth Annual Report,
but it is with some regret that I have to do this owing to the
fact that my retirement took place on 19th December, 1955, but I
was permitted to continue until the end of the year so that I
could render the report for the year ending 31st December, 1955.
During my term of office as Medical Officer of Health to
Surbiton I have seen many changes.
In 1922 the population was approximately 19,000 and the town
of Surbiton seemed to be round and in the vicinity of the station;
the then station was not very attractive. However, it was
redesigned in modern style in 1937.
The greater part of Surbiton was open fields which afforded
delightful walks. The Kingston By-Pass Road was not in existence.
After 1926 the town began to become larger with the rapid
increase of house building. The Council Offices were extended,
and a new library and swimming pool were built giving added
attractions to the residents.
In those days the Fire Brigade was manned by volunteers and
was housed in Victoria Road.
The development of Surbiton brought the population of this
small town up to well over 60,000 and it has overshadowed the
important town of Kingston as far as size and resident population
is concerned.
The Isolation Hospital was enlarged and now accommodates
tubercular cases as well as the usual infectious diseases.
After Surbiton. Hospital was erected in Ewell Road with the
aid of voluntary subscriptions the old Cottage Hospital in
St. James' Road was brought into use for old chronic cases.
The health of Surbiton has improved since 1922. The advent
of immunisation has cleared diphtheria from Surbiton. The
infantile mortality rate declined to 11.02 in 1954 which was the
lowest figure on record but there was an unaccountable increase
to 22.36 in 1955.
Dealing with the year 1955 the number of births attributed
to Surbiton was 760 ns against 816 for 1954* The decline of
births since 1946 is no doubt due to the economical situation,
difficulty in finding accommodation, etc. The number of deaths
for 1955 was 600 against 596 for 1954. This leaves a natural
increase of 160.
It is therefore difficult to understand why the population
for 1955 is given as 62,570 when the population for 1954 was
63,320; however these figures are supplied by the Registrar
General.
2.