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51
SECTION IV.
PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
Table I. gives the figures for ages and Wards.
Scarlet Fever was more prevalent than in 1933; the largest incidence
has been in Waddon, West Thornton and Upper Norwood
Wards. Based on the estimated ward populations, the case rate
for these wards was respectively, 895, 561 and 432 per 100,000 of
the population. The age group 5-15 years, as usual, suffered
most; cases in this group comprising 59.7% of the total.
Diphtheria was also more prevalent than in 1933; most cases
occurred in Waddon (119) and West Thornton (74). Once again
the age group 5-15 years give the highest figures.
No cases of Small Pox occurred during the year.
There were 15 cases of Puerperal Fever and 36 of Puerperal
Pyrexia; 17 occurred in the age group 16-25 years and 34 in the
age group 26-45 years. A majority of the cases occurred in
women having their first confinement.
The incidence of the commoner infectious diseases in Croydon
during the past eleven years is of interest.
Scarlet Fever has shown a succession of shallow waves of
incidence with a distinct trend towards an aggregate increase.
The periods of maximum intensity have been in 1924, June and
July; 1925, March, April and May; 1926, May, June and July;
1927, April, May and June; 1928, January and February, with
another in November and December; 1929, a gradual increase
throughout the year without any intermissions. 1930 and 1931,
the incidence was relatively constant, with a slight decline in the
number of cases in August and September. During 1932 there
was a steady increase in cases until the begininng of May, when
the incidence fell rapidly and remained low until the beginning
of a new wave in November. In 1933 the incidence remained
fairly steady throughout the year. In 1934 there were two peaks
of incidence, the first and smaller came in the second week in
March following a steady rise from the beginning of the year;
the incidence then dropped rapidly and remained constant until
the second peak was reaohed, following a rapid rise, the third
week in November. The greatest number of cases in one week