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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62
In 1906-7 the medical orders issued were 1,024,* including 473 for the infirmary, the remaining
551 patients having been treated locally—at the dispensary, or at home. The reduction in
dispensary and home orders in the latter year was thus 482 (47 per cent.), compared with the
number in 1896-7.
The subjoined statement exhibits the vital and mortal statistics of the Special Area, as a whole, in 1896 and in 1906.
| 1896 | 1906 | |
| Births | 118 | 104 |
| Birth-rate | 29.5 | 26.0 per 1,000 persons living. |
| Deaths | 187 | 121 |
| Death-rate | 46.8 | 30.2 per 1,000 persons living. |
| Infantile Mortality-rate | 432 | 308 per 1,000 registered births. |
| Zymotic death-rate | 7.5 | 5.7 per 1,000 persons living.* |
| Death-rate from Tubercular | ||
| and Wasting diseases | 110 | 8.0 per 1,000 persons living. |
The Causes of Death were—
| 1896 | 1906 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tubercular and Wasting Diseases | 44 | 32 |
| Zymotic Diseases | 30 + | 23: |
| Syphilis | 6 | — |
| Cancer | 7 | 2 |
| Violence | 7 | 2 |
| Heart and lungs, Diseases of | 49 | 40 |
| Nervous system, Diseases of | 17 | 5 |
| Visceral and other Diseases, various | 23 | 17 |
| Old Age | 4 | — |
| Total Deaths | 187 | 121 |
The Ages at Death were—
| 1896 | 1906 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under one year | 51 | 32 § | (Total under 5 years, in 1896, 82) | |
| 1—5 years | 31 | 18 | (Total under 5 years, in 1906, 50) | |
| 5—20 years | 6 | 4 | ||
| 20—60 years | 70 | 41 | ||
| 60 years and upwards | 29 | 26 | ||
| 187 | 121 | |||
In 1896, of 187 deaths, 77 took place at home, 98 at the Infirmary (21-4 per cent, of all deaths in
that institution), 5 in the Western Fever Hospital, 4 in other public institutions, and 3 elsewhere.
In 1906, of 121 deaths, 47 took place at home, 67 at the Infirmary (12 4 per cent, of all deaths
in that institution), and 7 at other public institutions.
In 1896 the deaths exceeded the births to the number of 69; in 1906 to the number of 17 only.
The proportional numbers of deaths from violence, and of inquests held, in the Special Area,
in 1896 and in 1906, were not in excess of those in Kensington as a whole.
The Special Committee's Inquiry. 1896.—The witnesses, clerical and lay, attributed the evil
condition of the Area mainly to drunkenness, leading to squalor, immorality, brawling and
violence. The Roman Catholic clergyman in charge of the Church of St. Francis, stated that fourfifths
of the people were of Irish nationality, and that most of their earnings went in drink.
Opinions were divided as to the extent and character of immorality, but it was generally allowed
that prostitution was not practised in the district—fallen women plied their avocation outside (See
Note 3, page 65). There was a consensus of opinion in regard to the ill-effects of the "furnished
room system "; the furnished rooms were said to be " the source of more evils than the common
* The orders issued in 1906-7 (1,06'2) included 38 for inhabitants of Kenley (then William) Street,
†Whooping-cough 9, Measles 7, Diarrhoea 7, Scarlet fever 5, Enteric fever and Diphtheria 1 each.
‡Measles 9, Diarrhoea 12, Scarlet Fever and Whooping-cough 1 each. The notifications of infectious disease in the
Area, 66 in 1896, were 31 only in 1906.
§ The subject of infantile mortality, in the Area, in 1906 is dealt with at page 59.