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 1911
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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| Report for four weeks ended | Number of Deaths. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measles. | Whooping Cough. | Influenza | Diarrhœa & Enteritis. | |
| January 28 | 30 | 6 | 3 | 4 |
| February 25 | 23 | 11 | 4 | 5 |
| March 25 | 25 | 7 | 5 | |
| April 22 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| May 20 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 4 |
| June 17 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| July 15 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| August 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 |
| September 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 63 |
| October 7 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 29 |
| November 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| December 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| December 30. | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 |
| Total ......... | 93 | 54 | 25 | 184 |
| Age at Death. | Measles. | Whooping Cough. | Influenza. | Diarrhœa & Enteritis. |
| Under 1 year | 21 | 25 | 1 | 123 |
| Under 5 years | 88 | 53 | 1 | 156 |
| 5 to 15 years | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 to 65 years | 0 | 0 | 6 | 18 |
| 65 years and upwards | 0 | 0 | 18 | 10 |
| Total | 93 | 54 | 25 | 184 |
Fatal diarrhoea is seen to be a disease of infancy occurring in the late summer and early
autumn ; deaths from measles and whooping cough occur in early childhood; influenza is chiefly
fatal in old age and late middle life, the number of deaths showing a marked remission in the
summer months.
MEASLES.
The deaths from measles numbered 93 and with only five exceptions occurred in children
under 5 years of age. The epidemic which resulted in so large a number of deaths began in
December, 1910, when 17 children died of measles as compared with 8, 4 and 3 in the preceding
months. In January, 1911, the number of deaths attaining 30 reached the maximum, but showed
no substantial diminution until after the end of March when the deaths fell to 7 in the four weeks
period ending on April 22nd.
All cases of measles in children attending the elementary schools are notified by the head
teachers and visited by the lady sanitary inspectors. During the year 702 cases were notified;
114 additional cases were found in the homes visited, the total number of cases coming to the notice
of the Public Health Department being 816. Out of this number only 222 had received medical
advice before they were visited by the inspectors. A leaflet is left with the mother of each family
attacked calling attention to the serious nature of the disease and insisting on precautions being
taken to prevent the spread of infection. The largest number of cases occurred in the Barlby
Road School, where 98 children were attacked; St. Mary Abbott's School contributed the next
largest number, notifying 56 cases of measles during the year. From the various class rooms or
departments attacked unprotected children were excluded by the Education Authority for periods
varying between 4 and 21 days on 24 separate occasions. The whole of the Infants' Department
in the Gloucester Grove School was closed from June 19th to July 23rd.