Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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Detailed information in regard to diphtheria mortality in the borough in 52 years—1856-190
is set out in Appendix II., Tables B, C, and D, pp. 109 and 110.
The deaths in London, as a whole, were 781—approximately 545 below the corrected decennial
average—compared with 729, 533, and 691, in the preceding three years; the notifications 8,761,
compared with 7,224, 6,489, and 8,035. The cases admitted to hospital were 5,782, compared with
4,739, 4,180, and 5,264, in the three preceding years; and the deaths in hospital 547 a casemortality
of 9.5 per cent. At the close of the year there were 1,170 cases under treatment,
compared with 807, 701, and 1,000, at the corresponding period in the preceding three years.
The subjoined table, based on the thirteen four-weekly reports, set out certain particulars with regard to diphtheria, in Kensington, and in London as a whole: —
| Report for four weeks ended | No. of Notifications. | No. of cases admitted to Hospital. | No. of Deaths. | No. of cases in Hospital at the end of the period. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington. | London. | Kensington. | London. | Kensington. | London. | ||
| January 26 | 13 | 605 | 10 | 494 | 2 | 74 | 925 |
| February 23 | 11 | 648 | 10 | 507 | 1 | 77 | 920 |
| March 23 | 11 | 619 | 11 | 519 | — | 62 | 1,006 |
| April 20 | 7 | 617 | 4 | 524 | 2 | 53 | 997 |
| May 18 | 14 | 559 | 12 | 464 | 3 | 55 | 922 |
| June 15 | 14 | 570 | 9 | 489 | — | 44 | 945 |
| July 13 | 15 | 560 | 13 | 478 | 1 | 39 | 868 |
| August 10 | 19 | 626 | 17 | 530 | 2 | 44 | 885 |
| September 7 | 18 | 581 | 16 | 486 | 1 | 52 | 845 |
| October 5 | 18 | 857 | .14 | 745 | 3 | 76 | 1,065 |
| November 2 | 21 | 940 | 16 | 769 | 2 | 64 | 1,256 |
| November 30 | 46 | 850 | 46 | 716 | 4 | 92 | 1,279 |
| December 28 | 27 | 729 | 26 | 620 | 3 | 63 | 1,170 |
| 234 | 8,761 | 204 | 7,341 | 24 | 785 | ||
Note.—Correction has not been made in the above table for errors in diagnosis, either with respect to notifications or
admissions to hospitals.
WHOOPING-COUGH.
Whooping cough was the cause of 81 deaths, compared with 19, 60, and 20, in the preceding
three years; 77 of them in the Town sub-district; the corrected decennial average being 45.
Seventy-six of the deaths were of children under 5 years of age, including 34 in the first year
of life.
All of the cases reported by school teachers (385 in number) were visited by the lady sanitary
inspectors. The schools in connection with which cases were reported were 26. The aggregate
cases in six schools (ranging from 20, upwards to 82) were 231; in other eight schools there were
114 cases (ranging from 8 to 19); in the remaining 12 schools there were 40 cases. The largest
numbers occurred in connection with Wornington Road C.C. School 82, Edinburgh Road C.C.
School 49, Oxford Gardens C.C. School 34, St. Mary Abbots Church School 25, St. George's
Church School 21, and Middle Row C.C. School 20. In addition to the cases reported by school
teachers, other 212 were found in the 361 houses visited. Of the total cases (597 in 380 families)
340 were of children under five years of age; 457 belonged to three wards, St. Charles 142, Golborne
227, and Norland 88 (population approximately 73,320), and 140 to the remaining six wards
(population 107,180). An advisory leaflet was left with each family, pointing out the serious nature
of the disease—a fact which the inspectors think is becoming better recognised by mothers, leading
to more care of the sufferers.
Prevention of spread of whooping-cougn in the families of the poor (as in the
case of measles) is almost impossible, and indeed is by many mothers hardly thought
desirable. The deaths from both diseases are almost exclusively confined to the families of persons
in humble circumstances; the fatal issue being usually due to some intercurrent malady,
commonly of the respiratory system.
The deaths from whooping-cough in London, as a whole, were 1,800, and approximately 28
above the corrected average.
FEVER.
Forty cases of Enteric Fever were notified, compared with 46, 49, and 38, in the preceding
three years. The deaths were 5 (9 below the corrected decennial average), 3 of them belonging to