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In 35 cases the deceased infant was the first child. Apart from these,
in 61 instances out of the remaining 133, the parents had previously
lost children, the aggregate number of deaths amounting to 128. This
gives an average of two previous deaths in each family. In 40 cases
the family occupied one room only. In eighteen cases they occupied
basement rooms.
A considerable number of the deaths were due to measles and
whooping cough, both of which were prevalent for a considerable period
of time in the year 1907.
(4) Phthisis Cases.
The majority of cases of phthisis reported are notified from the
Hospitals, or from the Chelsea Workhouse when the patients are discharged.
A considerable number of the cases attend Brompton Hospital.
Others go to the Infirmary for a time, coming out for short periods
when the weather is warmer, &c. Such cases are visited on their discharge,
but the addresses are sometimes incorrect. The patients almost
invariably welcome the visits which are made as informal as possible.
As a general rule the patients understand and appear to observe
ordinary precautions as regards ventilation, treatment of expectoration,
&c. But on the other hand, owing to protracted illness, the family can
rarely afford to pay for proper accommodation, with the result that the
patient is seldom sleeping in a separate bed, still less in a separate room.
As an instance of this the following may be cited :—
Patient, wife, and four children, living in one room.
Patient, wife, and two girls, aged respectively 13 and 11, living in
one room.
Patient, husband, and two girls, aged respectively 15 and 12, living
in one room.
All these patients had recently been in the infirmary, but discharged
themselves contrary to advice.
Disinfectants are supplied to patients who appear to require them,
and pocket spittoons and fibre handkerchiefs are given by the Medical
Officer of Health.
(5) School Cases.
During the year 671 cases of infectious complaints (non-notifiable)
were reported from the schools. In spite of the fact that a severe
outbreak of measles occurred in the previous year, a similar outbreak
with a high rate of mortality occurred in 1907. In addition, whoopingcough
was prevalent throughout the whole of the summer, which was
probably attributable to the coldness of the weather. The number
given (671) does not include duplicate notifications, nor more than one
case at each house, and therefore indicates more nearly the number of
houses at which cases occurred. Instances in which children were
attending Chelsea Schools, but living in other Boroughs, were also
excluded from the list.