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Notification certificates cannot be accepted as a guide to the prevalence and evidence of
tuberculosis. It is probable that tuberculosis in better class patients is frequently not notified, and
further that the number of notifications received has been affected by circumstances arising out of
the war. The death rates for the several Wards have accordingly been set forth in the following
Table as the only available index of relative prevalence in different localities and different grades
of society.
A complete list of the cases of the various infectious diseases notified during the year will be
found in Table II., Appendix. In this Table the cases of each disease are classified according to
the District of the Borough and the age period in which they occurred.
The deaths from the infectious diseases are shown in Table 111., Appendix. In the cases of
Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria and Enteric Fever the number of persons attacked and the case mortality
were below the average of past years.
Cerebro-Spinal Fever. —The prevalence of this disease did not attain epidemic dimensions.
Twenty genuine cases were notified and 14 deaths occurred. In London as a whole 436 cases of
cerebro-spinal fever and 102 deaths were recorded.
Measles - Only 6 deaths from Measles occurred as compared with 80 to 90 deaths which have
been registered in years of epidemics of a fatal type.
Diarrhœa. —55 deaths at all ages were registered as due to Diarrhoea or Enteritis. In epidemic
years, with excessive heat in the summer months, the deaths from the same causes under the age of
two years alone range from 80 to 150.
Small Pox.—No cases of Small Pox occurred in Kensington. Only three cases were notified
in London during the year.
Puerperal Fever. —Ten cases, about the average annual number, were notified during the
year. The deaths from puerperal fever numbered 8 as compared with an average mortality of 5.
Four cases were notified by the Medical Superintendent of the Kensington Infirmary. Among the
remainder there was no instance of more than one case of puerperal fever occurring in the practice
of the same midwife or doctor during the year. The dates on which the Infirmary cases occurred
were March 18th, April 9th, May 27th and December 14th.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.—Twenty-six cases of ophthalmia in newly born infants were
notified during the year. The results recorded were as follows: —
Recovered with unimpaired vision in both eyes - - 21 cases
One eye vision impaired—one eye vision normal 1 case
Death during course of treatment 2 cases
Left district during course of treatment - 2 cases
Tuberculosis.—Three hundred persons were notified for the first time as suffering from
tuberculosis of the lungs; 129 new patients were notified as suffering from other forms of
tuberculosis. Under both heads there has been a considerable drop in the number of notifications
received, as compared with previous years.
The deaths from consumption or tuberculosis of the lungs numbered 186, from other forms of
tuberculosis 54. The mortality from tuberculosis in contrast with number of notifications showed
no diminution as will be seen from the following figures : —