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 1905
Annual report on the health, sanitary condition, etc., etc., of the Royal Borough of Kensington for the year 1905
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Diphtheria in Kensington, 1895-1905.
| Year. | Cases Notified. | Case rate per 1,000 of population. | Deaths. | Death rate per 1,000 of population. | Case Mortality per cent. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1895 | 378 | 2.23 | 89 | 0.53 | 23.5 |
| 1896 | 371 | 2.18 | 72 | 0.42 | 19.4 |
| 1897 | 332 | 1.94 | 82 | 0.48 | 24.7 |
| 1898 | 222 | 1.29 | 26 | 0.15 | 11.7 |
| 1899 | 257 | 1.49 | 42 | 0.24 | 16.3 |
| 1900 | 332 | 1.92 | 27 | 0.16 | 8.1 |
| 1901 | 250 | 1.41 | 38 | 0.21 | 15.2 |
| 1902 | 184 | 1.04 | 20 | 0.11 | 10.9 |
| 1903 | 158 | 0.90 | 24 | 0.13 | 15.2 |
| 1904 | 186 | 1.04 | 17 | 0.09 | 9.1 |
WHOOPING-COUGH.
Whooping-cough was the cause of 60 deaths, compared with 21, 90, and 19, in the preceding
three years; 54 in the Town sub-district, and 6 in Brompton; the corrected decennial average
being 51. Fifty-seven of the deaths were of children under five years of age, including 24
under one year. The mortality rate was 0.34 per 1,000 of the population. The four-weekly tale of
deaths is set out in the table at page 15.
The lady sanitary inspectors commenced, in June, a systematic visitation of cases of whooping-cough
reported by school teachers, to the number of 43; other 24 cases having been found in
the houses visited making a total of 67 in the seven months. All but three of the cases were in
three wards in North Kensington; viz., in St. Charles 31, in Golborne 18, and in Norland 15.
Thirty-nine of the sufferers were under five years of age; (5 under one year) and 28 between 5
and 14 years. All but three of these deaths were of children under five years of age; 24,
18, and 7, in the first, second and third years, respectively. Between three and five there were
8 deaths, and 3 between five and seven. Of the 60 deaths during the year, 50 had occurred
before the inspectors began their new work. It was made apparent that mothers attached little
importance to the disease, a doctor seldom being called in. The inspectors' visits were well
received, and it may be hoped that the oral advice given will have served a useful purpose, supported
as it was by distribution of a Leaflet calling attention to the serious nature of the disease, and the
danger incurred through neglect of proper care of the little sufferers.
The deaths in London, as a whole, were 1,507, and 434 below the corrected decennial average
(1,941). The mortality rate was 0.36 per 1,000 of the population.
FEVER.
The notified cases of Enteric Fever were forty-nine in number, compared with 80, 61,
and 46, in the preceding three years. The deaths were 13 (2 below the corrected decennial average),
9 of them belonging to the Town sub-district. Eight of the deaths took place in hospitals, to which
40 cases were removed. The deaths from this cause in the preceding three years were 19, 9,
and 6 respectively. The mortality rate was 0.07 per 1,000 of the population. In a few of the
cases there was ground for suspicion that the illness had been caused by the eating of shellfish—oysters
in two instances.