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 1859
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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33
Sanitary Officers; this was considered necessary, as out of 1989 children
horn, no certificates had been received with regard to 1085. These, as
well as about 2500 children in the different schools, were examined, and
orders served upon the parents or relations where necessary.
The principal other points to he noticed with regard to those zymotic
diseases, is the exceeding small mortality from hooping cough, 11 against
64, and the more than usually fatal effects of diarrhoea amongst the infant
population; as many as 62 infants under 3 years of age out of a total
mortality of 72.
It is also worthy of note, that but 18 deaths occurred from fever, a
disease appearing mainly to originate from local causes, against 38.
The following table will accurately point out the mortality from these diseases. It is arranged for each quarter, and the deaths compared with those of 1858, 1857, 1856.—
| Smallpox. | Measles. | Scarlet Fever. | Hooping Cough. | Diarrhœa. | Fever. | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1859—1st Qr. | 2 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 30 | |
| 2nd „ | 4 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 34 |
| 3rd „ | 4 | 16 | 12 | 0 | 61 | 7 | 100 |
| 4th „ | 2 | 19 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 42 |
| Total, 1859 | 11 | 42 | 53 | 11 | 72 | 1 | 196 |
| „ 1858 | 2 | 24 | 49 | 64 | 30 | 38 | 207 |
| „ 1857 | 0 | 15 | 26 | 37 | 83 | 20 | 181 |
| „ 1856 | 13 | 30 | 20 | 19 | 62 | 15 | 159 |
The mortality from these diseases was 14.6 per cent. of all the deaths
in the Parish, and from consumption and other diseases of the respiratory
system, 32.5 percent.; excluding however the mortality of non-parishioners