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 1871
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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from this cause 120, equal to 5T per cent, of all the deaths, and
to an annual death rate of 0.96 per 1000, the rate in the Metropolis
generally being 2'4 per 1000. The following Table gives, in a
condensed form, much of the information set out above :—
Table P.
| MONTHLY RETURNS. | Cases recorded in the North Sanitary District. | Cases recorded in the South Sanitary District. | Number of Cases sent to Hospital. | Number of Cases not sent to Hospital. | Total. | Deaths in the Parish. | Deaths in the Hospitals, | Total Deaths. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1871. | ||||||||
| January | 3 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 3 | .. | 3 |
| February | 16 | 15 | 19 | 12 | 31 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| March | 23 | 22 | 25 | 20 | 45 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| April | 38 | 13 | 44 | 7 | 51 | 8 | 5 | 13 |
| May | 71 | 20 | 73 | 18 | 91 | 13 | 11 | 24 |
| J une | 83 | 33 | 68 | 31 | 116 | 14 | 13 | 27 |
| July | 20 | 16 | 29 | 24 | 36 | 8 | 9 | 17 |
| August | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| September | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| October | 6 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 8 | .. | 2 | 2 |
| November | 7 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | .. | 2 |
| December | 24 | 4 | 17 | 11 | 28 | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| Totals | 302 | 142 | 301 | 143 | 444 | 62 | 58 | 120 |
At the Hospitals the deaths of Kensington patients were about
20 per cent, on the admissions. It would be interesting to show
the proportionate mortality in cases treated at home; but we do
not know the total number of cases that occurred. We
registered only 144 not removed to the Hospitals, including 62
who died : a mortality equal to 43 per cent, on the recorded attacks.
Of the 120 deaths (referring to their original locality those of
persons who died in the Hospitals) 89 occurred in the North
Sanitary District, and 31 in the South. But only 16 belonged
to the Brompton Registration District, and the large remainder,
104, to the Town District.
The disease is known to have existed in 323 houses, spread over
179 streets or places, the number of cases being as already stated,
444. Two hundred and fifty-six cases occurred in as many houses,
one to a house. In each of 40 hoiises 2 persons were attacked;
in 13 houses there were 3 cases ; in 5 houses, 4 cases; in 7 houses,
5 cases ; in 2 houses, 7 cases respectively.
There were some peculiarities in the circumstances attending
the outbreak in Ihe different Sanitary Districts deserving of notice,
and notably in respect of the number of cases per house and the
age of those attacked, as shown in the subjoined Tables:—