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 1885
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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The rateable annual value of property in the several wards, in
1871, was as follows:—St. Mary Abbotts, £323,992 ; Holy
Trinity, £216,716; St. John and St. James, £365,012. Total,
whole parish, £935,720. In 1881 the returns for the first and
second wards, which cannot now be given separately, show a
rateable value of £1,078,512 (increase, £507,804); for St. John
and St. James, £501,704 (increase, £136,692). Total, whole
parish, £1,580,216 (increase, £644,496).
The subjoined figures will be found interesting as marking the development of the parish in population and wealth, since the beginning of the century.
| The Year, | Population. | Rateable value of Property. | The Year. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 8,556 | £75,916 | 1823 |
| 1821 | 14,428 | 93,397 | 1833 |
| 1811 | 26,834 | 142,772 | 1843 |
| 1851 | 44,053 | 257,103 | 1853 |
| 1861 | 70,108 | 444,030 | 1863 |
| 1871 | 120,299 | 975,046 | 1873 |
| 1881 | 163,151 | 1,580,216 | 1881 |
| 1885 (.July) | 172,000 | 1,833,599 | (April) 1886 |
SUMMARY OF VITAL STATISTICS, &c.
The year 1885 was a fairly healthy one, but not so healthy
as the two preceding years, the death rate being 161 per
1,000, compared with 15.5 and 15.1 in 1883 and 1884
respectively. Nevertheless, in nine of my four.weekly reports
I had to record a death rate below the average. The mortality
from the principal zymotic diseases was below the corrected
decennial average; but the deaths from measles were excessive.
Small.pox mortality was just average; that of scarlet fever
less than an eighth of average; diarrhoea was below average ; and
typhoid (enteric) fever less than half average. The mortality
from whooping cough was below, and that from diphtheria slightly
above the average. There was no death from typhus fever or
simple continued fever.
The death rate in the first four weeks of the registration
year (ended January 31st) was 21.5 per 1,000 persons living, the
highest recorded in 1885, and 0.9 above the decennial average: