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 1930
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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| Adults | 28 |
| School-children | 3,187 |
| Children under five years | 4 |
| Common Lodging House cases | 28 |
| Adults | 9 |
| School-children | 150 |
| Children under five years | 6 |
| Total | 4,055 |
The clothing worn by persons on their visit to the Medicinal Baths is disinfected, together
with such other articles of clothing as the patients may bring. Altogether 7,627 articles were so
dealt with and, in addition, 584 blankets and sheets, and 345 articles of night clothing.
Of the 3,187 school children cleansed at the Medicinal Baths in 1930, 214 only were compulsory
cases ; the remainder attended voluntarily.
VERMINOUS PREMISES CLEANSED.
Three hundred and forty-nine verminous houses were cleansed during the year by landlords in
response to notices served under the powers conferred by the London County Council (General
Powers) Act, 1922. The Council's rat officer, in addition to his duties under the Rats and Mice
(Destruction) Act, carries out disinfection of verminous premises in certain cases. The following
is a summary of his activities in this direction:—
Number of premises visited 71
Number of rooms sprayed 92
TUBERCULOSIS.
During the year 202 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and 58 cases of non-pulmonary
tuberculosis were notified.
The following table shows the number of cases of both forms of the disease notified in the borough and the several wards therein during each year since 1921.
| District. | Years. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921. | 1922. | 1923. | 1924. | 192s. | 1926. | 1927. | 1928. | 1929. | 1930. | |
| The Borough | 374 | 339 | 403 | 314 | 292 | 317 | 252 | 276 | 241 | 260 |
| North Kensington | 272 | 233 | 267 | 228 | 207 | 227 | 166 | 179 | 156 | 178 |
| South Kensington | 102 | 106 | 136 | 86 | 85 | 90 | 86 | 97 | 85 | 82 |
| Wards. | ||||||||||
| St. Charles | 66 | 48 | 61 | 45 | 52 | 50 | 39 | 48 | 39 | 56 |
| Golborne | 89 | 80 | 86 | 65 | 56 | 69 | 53 | 57 | 41 | 46 |
| Norland | 80 | 76 | 85 | 75 | 67 | 59 | 44 | 49 | 43 | 42 |
| Pembridge | 37 | 29 | 35 | 43 | 32 | 49 | 30 | 25 | 33 | 34 |
| Holland | 29 | 28 | 26 | 30 | 27 | 20 | 11 | 25 | 20 | 21 |
| Earl's Court | 24 | 24 | 28 | 13 | 18 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 21 | 19 |
| Queen's Gate | 15 | 20 | 22 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 8 |
| Redcliffe | 19 | 23 | 41 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 20 |
| Brompton | 15 | 11 | 19 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 14 |
It will be seen that the number of notifications in 1930 was higher than in the preceding
year. It is a little difficult to give a precise opinion as to how this may be accounted for. The
increase occurs mainly in the St. Charles ward in which it is known there was a considerable
increase in the population during the year owing to the erection of new dwellings; but it is also
probable that the outbreak of influenza in 1929, which caused a considerable rise in the number
of deaths from bronchitis and pneumonia during that year, may have had some influence on the
increased number of notifications of tuberculosis in 1930. In view of these two factors, which
would both operate to cause the increased number of notifications, there is no need for undue
concern at this slight interruption in the very steady decrease in the incidence of tuberculosis
which has been noted in the last twelve years.
Medical practitioners are reporting cases at an earlier stage of the disease than was the case
several years ago, but the following figures show that some improvement in this respect is still
desirable in order that the Council's machinery for the prevention of the spread of infection may
be put into operation at the earliest possible moment:—