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 1924
The annual report on the health of the Borough for the year1924
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14
THE PREVALENCE OF DISEASE.
NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
The following diseases are compulsoriiy notifiable in Kensington:—
Small.pox. Acute Polio-myelitis.
Choleia. Glanders.
Diphtheria. Anthrax.
Membranous Croup. Hydrophobia.
Erysipelas. Tuberculosis.
Scarlatina or Scarlet Fever. Influenzal Pneumonia.
Typhus Fever. Acute Primary Pneumonia.
Typhoid or Enteric Fever. Trench Fever.
Relapsing Fever. Malaria.
Continued Fever. Dysentery.
Puerperal Fever. Plague.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum. Acute Encephalitis Lethargica
Cerebro.Spinal Fever. Acute Polio.Encephalitis.
* Zymofic Enteritis.
•Zymotic Enteritis in children under 5 years of age became notifiable in Kensington on July 1st, 1924. The other London
Boroughs in which this disease is notifiable are Fulham, Finsbury, Poplar. Southwark, Deptford, Greenwich and
Woolwich.
| Four Weeks ending | Scarlet Fever | Diphtheria. | Enteric Fever. | Erysipelas. | Ophthalmia Neonatorum. | Puer. peral Fever | Pneumonia. | Malaria. | Encephalitis Lethargica. | F. M'etis & Polio. Encephalitis. | Small-pox. | Cerebro spinal Meningitis. | Dysentery. | Enteritis. | Total. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 26 | 14 | 20 | — | 4 | 2 | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 68 | |
| February 23 | 16 | 23 | 2 | 4 | — | 1 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 75 | |
| March 22 | 16 | 21 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 18 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 59 | |
| April 19 | 12 | 21 | 1 | 7 | 2 | — | 18 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 63 | |
| May 17 | 18 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | 12 | — | 7 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 60 | |
| June 14 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 56 | |
| July 12 | 20 | 19 | 2 | 6 | 3 | — | 8 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 6 | 68 | |
| August 9 | 26 | 12 | 2 | 7 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | 6 | 59 | |
| Sept. 6 | 22 | 6 | 2 | — | 2 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 46 | ||
| October 4 | 32 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | l | — | — | — | 9 | 66 | |
| November 1 | 35 | 13 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 9 | _ | — | — | _ | 1 | _ | 7 | 72 | |
| 29 | 29 | 11 | 3 | 7 | — | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | 63 | |
| Five weeks ending Jan. 3 | 26 | 9 | 6 | 4 | — | 1 | 11 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 58 | |
| Totals . | 281 | 188 | 29 | 59 | 14 | 5 | 157 | 3 | 21 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 40 | 813 | |
Cases of mistaken diagnosis are excluded from tbe above Table
Small Pox.—One case of small pox occurred in the Borough during the year, this being the
first in Kensington since 1915. The circumstances in connection with the case are as follow. A
boy of three years, residing in Willesden, fell ill on 8th June, but the nature of his ailment was not
recognised, and the child remained at home in contact with other members of the family. In the
last week of June, eight other persons living in the same house became ill, and the disease from
which they were suffering was diagnosed as small pox. It then became clear that the boy's illness
was small pox, and that these eight persons had contracted this complaint from him. Three of the
patients died.
On 27th June information was received that a man residing in North Kensington had been in
close contact on several occasions with the little boy during his illness. This man and those
members of his family who were at home were vaccinated on the same day, and all other occupants
of the house were vaccinated on the following day, with the exception of two who were away from
home and who were vaccinated on the 30th June. The man was requested to sleep in a bedroom
by himself, and remain isolated until it became clear whether he would develop the disease or not.
He was not well on the following day, 28th June, but, though there was nothing definite in his
symptoms, the house was placed in quarantine. He was a little better on 29th June, but when seen
again by myself on the morning of 30th June he was seriously ill and was removed promptly to the
Metropolitan Asylums Board Hospital as an early case of small pox. The rash developed after
removal and the diagnosis was confirmed on the following day.
Having been vaccinated only one day before the onset of the illness, this method of prevention
could not protect the man himself at this late stage of the incubation period of [the disease, but
isolation of the patient and vaccination of all other members of the household before the patient
became infectious undoubtedly safeguarded them.