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

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Kensington 1930

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

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68
Case A.
A male, aged 42 years, was found to be suffering from smallpox and was removed to hospital. On
enquiry, it was ascertained that he had been in contact with a case of smallpox at his place of employment.
The patient recovered.
Case B.
A male, aged 53 years, was found to be suffering from smallpox and was removed to hospital. No
information could be obtained as to the source of infection in this case. The patient recovered.
Case C.
As a result of very careful investigation, it was discovered that a Kensington family had been hoppicking
in Kent in September, where they had been in contact with a person suffering from smallpox.
On the family's return to London, two of the children fell ill with what was supposed to be chicken-pox,
but subsequently proved to be smallpox. These children were responsible for spreading the infection
under this heading. In October the family left London to live permanently in Essex. It was not
until an outbreak of smallpox developed amongst their new neighbours in Essex that it was found that
the supposed attacks of chicken pox had been smallpox. The children had not, of course, been seen by
a doctor in Kensington and were responsible for one case in this borough. As a result of a very
thorough campaign of vaccination amongst all known susceptible contacts, the outbreak inKensington
was not allowed to develop.
Case D.
A male, aged 65 years, who lived in South Kensington, was found to be suffering from smallpox
on his visit to a hospital in another Borough. No information as to the source of infection could be
obtained, and the patient recovered.
In every case of smallpox, the contacts were urged to be vaccinated or revaccinated as a
precautionary measure if it had not already been carried out. All vaccinations and revaccinations
were performed by the Public Vaccinators.
No other case of smallpox occurred within the borough, but during the year many Kensington
residents had been in contact with cases in other districts, and also several came to live in the
borough who had been in contact with cases on board ships. These contacts were kept under daily
observation until all possibility of developing the disease had disappeared. The object of repeatedly
visiting these contacts is to secure prompt isolation before the patient becomes infectious in the
event of smallpox occurring.
The total number of contacts kept under observation during the year was 386.
Scarlet Fever.—The number of cases notified during the year was 411, of which 384 were
removed to hospital.

The following table shows the number of cases notified in the various wards in each four-weekly period during 1930:—

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.Period No. 11.Period No. 12.Period No. 13.
London148214441389139312451348121511519311106134313791400
The Borough46444336362935191325222736
North Kensington35312721252428181318191522
South Kensington1113161511571-731214
Wards.
St. Charles13674489436639
Golborne14141171099523432
Norland2485847676779
Pembridge6715333313222
Holland142631---1138
Earl's Court3283332--3-21
Queen's Gate4---1-11-3-44
Redcliffe2644412---23-
Brompton112---2-----1

Cases of mistaken diagnosis are excluded from the above Table.
Twenty-nine patients notified as suffering from scarlet fever were found, after admission to
hospital, not to be suffering from any infectious illness at all, with the result that they were returned
home.
Although the number of cases in 1930 was 72 fewer than in the previous year, it is
slightly higher than the average in recent years; it cannot be said that the disease existed in
what might be termed epidemic form. Throughout the year, scarlet fever was mild in type, as is
reflected in the fact that there were only three fatal cases. The deaths in the preceding years were
none, two and one.
There were 29 instances where more than one case occurred in the same house.