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
Kensington 1903
The annual report on the health, sanitary condition, etc., etc., of the Royal Borough of Kensington for the year 1903
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In previous reports an opinion was expressed that the expenditure on disinfection might
possibly be reduced, were the work done without the intervention of a contractor: this opinion
will be subjected to the test of experience, when the Council's station at Wood Lane, Shepherd's
Bush, shall have been erected.
TEMPORARY SHELTER OR HOUSE ACCOMMODATION.
The Public Health (London) Act, 1891 (section 60, sub-section 4), imposes on the sanitary
authority the duty of making provision for housing poor persons during the time necessary for
disinfection of rooms after infectious disease. The need for this provision is shown by the fact that
last year, 70 cases of infectious disease occurred in families in occupation of three rooms; 167
cases in families occupying two rooms, and 40 cases in families herded in single rooms. Of the
sufferers in families occupying single rooms, 19 had scarlet fever, 16 had diphtheria and 5 had
typhoid fever.
The subjoined statement, now brought up to date, was originally prepared for the information
of the Public Health Committee when considering the question of providing a shelter.
Cases of Infectious Disease which occurred in Tenements of less than Four Rooms, during the Years 1894-1903.
| The Year. | In Three-Room Tenements. | In Two-Room Tenements. | In One-Room Tenements. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 | 119 | 158 | 64 | 341 |
| 1895 | 165 | 268 | 101 | 534 |
| 1896 | 305 | 384 | 144 | 833 |
| 1897 | 195 | 372 | 98 | 665 |
| 1898 | 124 | 210 | 80 | 414 |
| 1899 | 127 | 192 | 73 | 392 |
| 1900 | 123 | 239 | 53 | 415 |
| 1901 | 164 | 195 | 63 | 422 |
| 1902 | 116 | 198 | 61 | 375 |
| 1903 | 70 | 167 | 40 | 277 |
| Totals | 1,508 | 2,383 | 777 | 4,668 |
Cases of Infectious Disease occurring in One-Room Tenements.
| The Year. | Small-pox. | Scarlet Fever. | Diphtheria. | Typhus Fever. | Typhoid Fever. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 | 4 | 34 | 19 | — | 7 | 64 |
| 1895 | 1 | 42 | 46 | — | 12 | 101 |
| 1896 | 5 | 88 | 43 | — | 8 | 144 |
| 1897 | — | 60 | 26 | — | 12 | 98 |
| 1898 | — | 44 | 18 | — | 18 | 80 |
| 1899 | — | 41 | 16 | — | 16 | 73 |
| 1900 | — | 22 | 22 | — | 9 | 53 |
| 1901 | 2 | 33 | 19 | 2 | 7 | 63 |
| 1902 | 18 | 20 | 18 | — | 5 | 61 |
| 1903 | — | 19 | 16 | — | 5 | 40 |
| Totals | 30 | 403 | 243 | 2 | 99 | 777 |