London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Kensington 1926

The annual report on the health of the Borough for the year1926

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Pneumonia and Influenzal Pneumonia.—There are many forms of pneumonia, but the onlykinds
notifiable are acute primary pneumonia and influenzal pneumonia. One hundred and fortyfive
notifications were received, 107 patients being certified as suffering from acute primary pneumonia
and 38 from influenzal pneumonia. It is clear that many cases escaped notification.
The number of deaths from pneumonia during the year was 177, and 44 deaths were certified
to be due to influenza.
Malaria.—Two cases of this disease were notified, and investigation revealed that one patient
had been a soldier who had contracted the disease whilst on foreign service ; the other patient was
a girl of fourteen years who was under treatment in hospital for epilepsy and had been artificially
infected with malaria parasites.
Encephalitis Lethargica.—This disease, commonly known as "sleepy sickness," was prevalent
throughout the country in the year 1924, the number of cases notified in that year in England and
Wales being 5,063, in London 620, and in Kensington 21. During the year 1925, the number of
cases diminished considerably, the figures for England and Wales being 2,670, for London 302, and
for Kensington 15. In the year 1926 there was a still further reduction, 2,267 cases being notified
in England and Wales, 225 in London and 10 in Kensington. Five of the ten cases notified in the
Borough were found after admission to hospital not to be suffering from encephalitis lethargica or
any other notifiable disease ; thus, the number of Kensington cases was reduced to five.

The following table gives details of the five definite cases:—

No.Sex.Age.Date of Notification.Result.
1.M.483rd February.Recovered, but suffers from loss of memory.
2.F.685thRecovered completely.
3.F.38th May.Died.
4F.53rd July.Recovered, but remains delicate.
5.M.2 mos.12th July.Died.

Polio-myelitis and Polio-encephalitis.—These are diseases which attack the central nervous
system and may give rise to paralysis ; in this respect they are comparable with cerebro-spinal
meningitis and encephalitis lethargica. The diseases have long been known, under the name of
"infantile paralysis," as a form of paralysis of which sporadic cases occur, chiefly in children and
less frequently in adults. In recent years they have occurred in epidemic form, and as they are
undoubtedly infectious they have been made compulsorily notifiable. The degree of infectivity,
as in the case of encephalitis lethargica, is of a low order and it is only seldom that association
can be traced between the cases which are notified. One case in a household is rarely followed by
a second.

In 1926, four cases of poho-myelitis were notified to the Public Health Department and the following table gives details:—

No.SexAge.Date of Notification.Result.
1F.8 mos;6th February.Recovered. Slightly nervous, but otherwise quite well.
2F.9 mos.6th August.Now in Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton. Paralysed in both legs.
3M.18
21st September.Partially recovered. Progressing satisfactorily.
4M.23rd October.Paralysed in right shoulder. Attending University College Hospital.

Cerebro Spinal Meningitis.—There were four cases of this disease notified during the year. Two of the four cases after admission to hospital were certified not to be suffering from cerebro spinal meningitis or any other notifiable disease. Particulars of the remaining two are subjoined :—

No.Sex-Age.Date of Notification.Result.
1F.5 mos.15th January.Died.
•2F.9th March.Recovered.