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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Table Q.
| Total No. of Cases. | No. of Streets in which disease appeared. | No. of Houses in which disease appeared. | No. of Houses having one ill. | Do. 2 ill. | Do. 3 ill. | Do. 4 ill. | Do. 5 ill. | Do. 7 ill. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Sanitary District | 303 | 91 | 200 | 144 | 33 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| South do. | 141 | 88 | 123 | 112 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 444 | 179 | 323 | 256 | 40 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
As to sex. In the North District the males attacked were 156;
females 147. In the South District, males 80, and females, 61.
The following Table shows a striking difference in the ages of
the persons attacked in the two districts: children under 10
forming 37 per cent, of the whole number in the North District,
aud less than 8 per cent, in the South District; while betwen the
ages of 10 and 40 the attacks in the North and South Districts
respectively formed 58 and 78 per cent, of the cases.
Table R.
| Ages of persons attacked. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| North District. | South District | ||
| Under 5 years | 54 | 7 | |
| 5 and under 10 years | 58 | 4 | |
| 10 „ 20 ,, | 87 | 37 | |
| 20 „ 40 ,, | 92 | 74 | |
| 40 „ 60 ,, | 11 | 17 | |
| 60 and upwards | 1 | 2 | |
| 303 | 141 | ||
It is not possible to state with certainty the total number of persons
attacked in the Parish. That many cases occurred without
our knowledge, is clear, for in not a few instances a death first
made known the existence of the disease in a house. Tf we assume
the mortality of home-treated cases to have been 20 per cent, on tho
attacks, it would give a total of 310 cases, of which only 144 were
reported at the time. This estimate cannot be far out, and it makes
the total cases of the disease 613, and the concealed eases 169.
Much public mischief was done and in many instances a great
amount of private loss and suffering self-inflicted by concealment of
sickness. Is it unreasonable to anticipate a time when this state of
things will no longer be possible; when instruction in the
principles of Sanitary laws and public hygiene will form a par^ of
the code of State education ? Whenever that time arrives I predict
that a law will be passed requiring immediate disclosure of all cases of
infectious or catching diseases, such as Small Pox, and Specific Fevers,
and the instant removal of cases for which the home resources do
not afford, either proper lodging or adequate means for obtaining