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57
Non-Notifiable Diseases.
Measles.—There were 45 deaths from measles in Kensington during the year. The women
health officers paid 1,310 visits to measles patients. Four hundred and eleven cases were removed
to the London county council hospitals.
In July last, the night sister at a local voluntary babies hospital was removed to a fever hospital
with measles. In view of the fact that the patient had, during the course of her duties, been in
every ward and probably spread infection throughout the hospital, it was decided that, with a
view to preventing an outbreak of measles, the remainder of the staff and all patients who had
not suffered from the disease should be injected with measles convalescent serum. This precautionary
measure was duly carried out and no further cases occurred. It was not necessary to put
the hospital into quarantine for 21 days as had been the practice in the past, and not one patient
showed any discomfort as a result of the injection. The same procedure was also adopted on another
occasion during the year at a nursery training school in the borough, with equally satisfactory
results.
In December, the borough council authorised the medical officer of health to incur expenditure
for a similar purpose on any subsequent occasion should the necessity arise.
Whooping Cough.—There were 36 deaths from this cause. The deaths in the three preceding
years were 10, 4, and 65. The women health officers paid 398 visits to cases of this disease during
the year. The number of cases admitted to hospitals from Kensington was 141.
In 1930, the council authorised the medical officer of health to open special whooping cough
clinics in the event of the disease appearing in epidemic form in the borough, and for this purpose
a sum of £150 has been provided annually for several years in the council's estimates. The arrangements
provided for the clinics to be opened at the Baby Clinic at No. 92, Tavistock Road, and at
the Kenley Street Minor Ailment Centre.
Up to last year, it had not been necessary to take any action in this respect, but during July
it seemed that whooping cough was appearing in epidemic form in the northern part of the borough,
for several of the women health officers reported an increasing number of cases in their districts.
After consulting the doctors and welfare workers at the infant welfare institutions, it was decided
to open a whooping cough clinic at the Baby Clinic. Fifty-four patients attended the clinic;
but by the middle of August it was clear that the epidemic was subsiding rapidly and the clinic
was closed on the 27th of that month.
Cleansing of Verminous Persons.

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 9,232 articles were so
dealt with and, in addition, 420 blankets and sheets, and 311 articles of night clothing.
Of the 3,799 school children cleansed at the medicinal baths in 1932, 318 only were compulsory
cases ; the remainder attended voluntarily.
Verminous Premises Cleansed.
Two hundred and seventy-one 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 60
Number of rooms sprayed 82