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 1912
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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It will be of interest to consider next in order the incidence of deaths from phthisis upon the
different Wards in the Borough.
| District. | Number of Deaths. | Death-rates per 10,000. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1906. | 1907. | 1908. | 1909. | 1910. | 1906-10. | 1912. | 1906-10. | 1912. | |
| North Kensington | 154 | 113 | 139 | 121 | 96 | 623 | 132 | 12 | 15 |
| South Kensington | 60 | 61 | 42 | 47 | 42 | 252 | 47 | 6 | 6 |
| St. Charles | 34 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 21 | 125 | 28 | 11 | 12 |
| Golborne | 48 | 31 | 43 | 29 | 31 | 182 | 39 | 14 | 15 |
| Norland | 52 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 30 | 222 | 45 | 20 | 21 |
| Pembridge | 20 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 14 | 94 | 20 | 10 | 11 |
| Holland | 21 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 73 | 12 | 7 | 6 |
| Earl's Court | 13 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 11 | 65 | 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Queen's Gate | 7 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 26 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Redcliffe | 11 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 57 | 13 | 6 | 7 . | |
| Brompton | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 31 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| The Borough | 214 | 174 | 181 | 168 | 138 | 875 | 179 | 10 | 10 |
The intimate connection between phthisis and poverty is illustrated by the experience of
North Kensington, where the mortality has been three times greater than in South Kensington.
Norland and Golborne are the two poorest wards and returned the highest death rate, whilst
the rate in the former ward was no less than six times greater than in Queen's Gate. The whole
of the excess of 24 in the number of deaths in 1912 over the number registered as due to phthisis
in 1911 was contributed by the Wards of Golborne and Norland in the northern division of the
Borough.
The places where deaths from phthisis occurred are set forth in the following list, and also afford some indication of the social status of persons attacked by fatal phthisis.
| Place of Death. | Number of Deaths. |
|---|---|
| Kensington Infirmary | 73 |
| Patient's Home | 74 |
| Brompton Hospital | 1 |
| St. Luke's Home | 4 |
| Outlying Hospitals and Asylums | 25 |
| Other Deaths beyond the Borough | 2 |
| Total | 179 |
More than one-third of the total number of deaths occurred in Poor Law Infirmaries; whilst
7 out of 74 patients who died at home had received medical relief from the Guardians during their
illness. Thus 80 or approximately half the total number of 179 deaths occurred in persons who
had applied to the Poor Law Authorities for medical relief. As an indication of social status the
occupation of those who died will be given on a subsequent page, but all records in this connection
must be understood to illustrate the effects of two factors operating in a vicious circle. Whilst
poverty is a fertile cause of phthisis, it is also in a large measure itself the outcome of disabling
chronic ailments., and among diseases of this class phthisis stands pre-eminent.
Tuberculosis Regulations, 1908.—These Regulations, under which all cases of
consumption in "poo; persons" have been made compulsorily notifiable, came into force on 1st
January, 1909. "Poor persons" are defined as persons in receipt of relief from the Poor Rate
and it is only to this class of patient that the Regulations of 1908 apply. Boards of Guardians