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 1907
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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| Period, | No. of Deaths from Tuberculosis of the lung. | No. of Persons who have died from Tuberculosis of the lung without being notified. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheffield. | Kensington. | Sheffield. | Kensington. | |
| Half-year to April 30th, 1904 | 315 | 108 | 19 | 61 |
| Half-year to October 31st, 1904 | 241 | 120 | 19 | 72 |
| Half-year to April 30th, 1905 | 272 | 108 | 19 | 67 |
| Half-year to October 31st, 1905 | 232 | 76 | 11 | 33 |
| Half-year to April 30th, 1906 | 217 | 108 | 13 | 57 |
| Half-year to October 31st, 1906 | 211 | 106 | 19 | 49 |
| Half-year to April 30th, 1907 | 285 | 108 | 21 | 48 |
| 1,773 | 734 | 121 | 387 | |
It would seem to be a fair inference from the above figures that during the 3J years dealt
with, about 500 cases in Sheffield, and 1,550 cases in Kensington, failed to get notified. The
estimated population of Sheffield in 1907 was 456,000, that of Kensington 180,500.
THE VOLUNTARY NOTIFICATION OF CONSUMPTION IN KENSINGTON.
Towards the close of 1901, the Council resolved, upon the recommendation of the Public
Health Committee, to make pulmonary phthisis (consumption) voluntarily notifiable by medical
practitioners, as from the commencement of 1902 ; and, subsequently, with a view to the utilisation
of the information thus obtained, the Committee authorised me to employ the services of the lady
inspectors (Miss de Chaumont and Miss Looker) in an inquiry into the circumstances of the cases
notified ; and, generally, to give effect to the recommendations of their Sub-Committee, whose
report on the subject is printed in the Council's Minutes for 13th November, 1901 (pages 19 and 20).
The work thus inaugurated is still going on, and in submitting the sixth annual report of the
inspectors, I desire to express my appreciation of their services. The report is as follows:—
" During the year 1907 we enquired into all cases of phthisis (pulmonary consumption)
voluntarily notified by medical practitioners, 231 in number (compared with 252 in 1906), of which
58 proved fatal. We made enquiries also with regard to 22 deaths of persons whose illness had been
notified in previous years, and of 94 deaths of persons whose illness had not been notified. The
cases investigated during the year were thus 347 (males 191, females 156) ; the number of visits
paid being 623.
| Number of Rooms Occupied. | l | 2 | 3 | 4 or more. | Homeless Persons in the Infirmary. | Common Lodginghouse Cases. | No Information obtainable. | Total Cases investigated. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of cases of illness | 98 | 80 |
" One hundred and ninety-one of the 231 notifications (83 per cent.), and 113 (65 per cent.),
of the 174 deaths, were of persons belonging to North Kensington ; whilst 171 (74 per cent.) of the
notifications were from three wards, viz.:—St. Charles (36), Golborne (47), Norland (88): 96 (55 per
cent.) of the deaths (25,31, and 40, respectively) belonged to the same wards, the population of which
is but little over 73,000, or 40.4 per cent, of total population.