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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 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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14
THE PREVALENCE OF DISEASE.
NOTIFIABLE INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
The following diseases are compulsorily notifiable in Kensington:—
small-pox.
Cholera.
Diphtheria.
Membranous Croup.
Erysipelas.
Scarlatina or Scarlet Fever.
Typhus Fever.
Typhoid or Enteric Fever.
Relapsing Fever.
Continued Fever.
Puerperal Fever.
Ophthalmia Neonatorum.
Cerebro-Spinal Fever.
Acute Poliomyelitis.
Glanders.
Anthrax.
Hydrophobia.
Tuberculosis.
Influenzal Pneumonia.
Acute Primary Pneumonia.
Trench Fever.
Malaria.
Dysentery.
Plague.
Acute Encephalitis Lethargica.
Acute Polio-Encephalitis.
Table showing Notifications of Infectious Diseases received in 1923, arranged in Four-Weekly Periods.
| Four Weeks ending | Scarlet Fever | Diphtheria. | Enteric Fever. | Erysipelas. | Ophthalmia Neonatorum. | Puerperal Fever. | Pneumonia. | Malaria. | Encepha. litis Lethargica. | P. M'etis & Polio-Encephalitis. | Total. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 27 | 26 | 14 | - | 7 | 1 | 7 | - | 1 | 56 | ||||
| February 24 | 30 | 26 | - | 5 | 2 | — | 8 | - | — | — | 72 | ||
| March 24 | 19 | 23 | — | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | - | 1 | — | 57 | ||
| April 21 | 17 | 20 | - | 3 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 62 | ||
| May 19 | 12 | 21 | — | 2 | — | 1 | 14 | - | — | — | 50 | ||
| June 16 | 10 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 1 | - | — | 49 | ||
| July 14 | 10 | 18 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 46 | ||
| August 11 | 10 | 13 | _ | 5 | 2 | - | 7 | - | - | - | 37 | ||
| Sept. 8 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | - | 1 | 30 | ||
| October 6 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 7 | — | — | — | 44 | ||
| November 3 | 19 | 22 | — | 5 | 1 | 1 | 13 | — | - | — | 61 | ||
| December 1 | 16 | 25 | — | 12 | 1 | 1 | 13 | — | - | 2 | 70 | ||
| 29 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 12 | — | - | 1 | 47 | ||
| Totals - | 205 | 223 | 12 | 67 | 21 | 15 | 125 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 681 | ||
Cases of mistaken diagnosis are excluded from the above Table.
| Greenwich | 4 | Hackney | 1 |
| Baltersea | 1 | Camberwell | 1 |
| Paddington | 1 | Lewisham | 1 |
| Finsbury | 1 | City of Westminster | 1 |
A lady who arrived in London from Spain on the 4th August, 1923, and who developed a
modified form of smallpox on 13th August, whilst staying at a hotel, appears to have been the
original source of infection in six of the cases which occurred in London, and in a similar number
which occurred in districts surrounding London.
This lady thought she was suffering from influenza, and did not call in a doctor. She left the
hotel on the 19th August, and went to live with her sister in a district adjoining Kensington.
An enquiry into the history of several cases which cropped up in various parts of London and
the Home Counties showed that each patient had been in more or less direct contact with this lady
during the period she was supposed to have been suffering from influenza. A careful search was
made for the lady's whereabouts and, after some difficulty, she was discovered on September 10th.
She was found to be recovering from smallpox and was removed to hospital.
On the following day I received information that the lady had been shopping in various
establishments in Kensington on the day that her disease was diagnosed, and also a few days
previously. As full information as possible of her visits to Kensington was obtained, and
immediate steps were taken in regard to vaccination of those with whom she had been in contact.
About 2,000 persons in Kensington who were possible contacts were vaccinated.