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

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Kensington 1912

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]

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17
Six cases were notified from one lodging house in the Telford Road, and six occurred in the
northern half of Ladbroke Grove. Four out of 8 cases were notified in the Dartmoor Street area
of Holland Ward. There was no common source of infection in schools or in the milk supply,
but the grouping of the cases in streets or houses situated in close proximity to one another suggests
that the disease was probably spread by children mixing together in the streets of the districts
attacked.
The total number of cases notified was 85 below the annual average for the 10 years 1901-1910.
The type of the disease was also exceptionally mild, the case mortality being equivalent to only
17 deaths as compared with an average of 30 deaths among every thousand cases, in the last
intercensal period.

Scarlet Fever in Kensington, 1901-1912.

The Year.Cases notified.Case rate per 1,000 of population.Deaths.Death rate per 1,000 of population.Case mortality per cent.
1901—19103,8702.221150.073.0
19112271.3230.021.3
19122971.7350.031.7

In 84 instances inquiry elicited a definite history of contact with persons suffering from Scarlet
Fever. Nineteen cases were due to infection in schools; 12 were due to contact with persons
recently discharged from hospital after an attack of Scarlet Fever; 5 arose from contact with
"missed cases" or persons who had suffered from unrecognised attacks of the disease. In 6 cases
the infection was derived from sources beyond the Borough. Three patients acquired the disease
in hospital, and in two instances the symptoms of Scarlet Fever appeared in less than three
days after an operation for the removal of the tonsils. Defects in the drainage system were
found in 24 of the houses where Scarlet Fever occurred.
ENTERIC FEVER.
The number of cases of enteric fever notified during the year was 15, the number of deaths
being 4. Such figures are too insignificant to afford a proper basis for discussing the seasonal
incidence and the fatality of this disease in Kensington. In the decennium 1901-1910, the receipt
of 529 notifications of typhoid fever and the occurrence of 86 deaths gave an annual average of
53 cases and 9 deaths. The following figures show the remarkable decrease in the prevalence of
the disease, which has taken place in the last two years:—
Decennium 1901—1910 Cases 529 Deaths 86
Averages „ „ 53 „ 9
1911 „ 20 „ 4
1912 „ 15 „ 4
Of the 15 patients notified 7 had acquired the infection beyond the boundaries of the Borough.
In only one case was the disease alleged to have followed the consumption of shell-fish, and in 7
cases no clue as to the source of infection could be obtained.
PUERPERAL FEVER.
Eight cases of puerperal fever were notified during the year and of this number six proved
fatal. Three patients were attended in the first instance by midwives and five by doctors. In
two of the cases attended by midwives labour was normal; in the third case the birth of the
child was followed by severe haemorrhage. In two of the doctors' cases the child was delivered by
instruments; the confinement in the third case took place in the Infirmary; two patients were in
good circumstances and details as to the progress of labour were not obtained. In no instance