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 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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One of the cases in regard to which this lady was the probable original source of infection
paid frequent visits to one of the Council's Depots right up to the time of his illness. This information
was obtained immediately after the case was diagnosed, and a number of contacts in the
Council's service at the Depot were vaccinated forthwith.
No case of smallpox occurred in the Borough.
Scarlet Fever.—There was a greatly diminished incidence of this disease during 1923, only
205 cases being notified against 617, 870 and 471 in the three preceding years. Since 1900, there
have been only two years in which the number of notifications was less than in the year 1923.
The following table shows the number of cases notified in each tour-weekly period during 1923.
| District. | Period No. 1. | Period No. 2 | Period No. 3. | Period No. 4. | Period No. 5. | Period No. 6. | Period No. 7. | Period No. 8. | Period No. 9. | Period No. 10. | PeriodNo. 11. | Period No. 12. | Period No. 13. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 935 | 838 | 851 | 663 | 710 | 699 | 719 | 520 | 542 | 939 | 991 | 928 | 783 |
| The Borough | 27 | 34 | 21 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 19 | 17 | 14 |
| North Kensington | 19 | 10 | 32 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 12 |
| South Kensington Wards | 8 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| St. Charles | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 5 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | 2 | |
| 'Golborne | 10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | — |
| Norland | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Pembridge | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| Holland | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Earl's Court | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Queen's Gate | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Redcliffe | 3 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| Brompton | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Cases of mistaken diagnosis are not excluded from the above Table.
Of the 205 Kensington cases, 197 were removed to Hospital.
The mildness of the disease is reflected in the low death rate; there were only two fatal cases
in Kensington during the year, representing a case mortality of 1.00 per cent. The deaths in the
three preceding years were 5, 8 and 6.
Eight of the 205 cases of scarlet fever notified were patients in the same family as a
person who had, within the previous 28 days, returned from hospital after having been treated for
this disease. In addition, two of those developing the disease were members of another family
living in the same house as a person who had been discharged from hospital after scarlet fever less
than 28 days previously. Cases of this kind are called "return cases," and a very careful investigation
was made in each of the 10 with a view to ascertaining the source of infection, but no
satisfactory clue could be obtained.
Thirteen cases notified as suffering from scarlet fever were found, after admission to hospital,
not to be suffering from any infectious disease at all, with the result that they were returned home.
Immediately on receipt of notification at the Town Hall that a person is suffering from scarlet
fever, the home is visited by the District Sanitary Inspector for the purpose of investigating the
source of infection; children are excluded from school and a pamphlet is left at the home advising
that a doctor should be called in if any other member of the family becomes unwell, suffers from a
sore throat, or develops a rash.
Disinfection of the home and any articles likely to be infected is carried out on the day
following the admission of the patient to hospital, nr in the case of a patient nursed at home, on
the receipt of a medical certificate that he is free from infection.
A child of school age is not allowed to resume school attendance until a fortnight has elapsed
since his discharge from hospital, or, in the case of a child nursed at home, a fortnight after the
doctor's certificate of freedom from infection has been received.
Diphtheria.—Two hundred and twenty-three cases were notified during the year, 216 of which
were removed to hospital. The cases notified in the three previous years were 322, 346 and 403.
The number of notifications received during the year was smaller than in any other year since
the termination of the War.
The following table shows the number of cases notified in each four-weekly period during
1923:-