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 1933
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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52
A table, showing the number of cases of infectious disease notified in the various age periods,
notified in the various wards, and admitted to hospital, and the deaths from these diseases during
the year, will be found in Appendix II on page 69 of this report.
Smallpox.—During 1933 there was a large decrease in the number of smallpox cases notified
in London. Five hundred and thirty.four cases occurred in the metropolitan area, as compared
with 1,133 in the previous year. There was only one death from this disease in London during
the year. Nineteen of the 29 metropolitan boroughs were affected.
No case of smallpox was notified in the borough during the year 1933. Many Kensington
residents had been in contact with cases in other districts, and 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 developing.
The total number of contacts kept under observation during the year was 66.
Scarlet Fever.—The number of cases notified during the year was 638, of which 628 were
removed to hospital.
Twenty.one patients notified as suffering from scarlet fever were found, after admission to
hospital, not to be suffering from any infectious illness, with the result that they were returned
home.
The following table shows the number of cases notified in the various wards in each four-weekly period during 1933:-
| District. | Period No. 1 | Period No. 2 | PeriodNo. 3 | PeriodNo. 4 | Period No. 5 | Period No. (5 | Period No. 7 | Period No. 8 | PeriodNo. 9 | PeriodNo. 10 | Period No. 11 | Period No. 12 | Period No. 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 1,091 | 1,118 | 1,324 | 1,300 | 1,269 | 1,469 | 1,746 | 1,593 | 1,228 | 2,168 | 2,827 | 2,648 | 2,146 |
| The Borough | 38 | 46 | 45 | 43 | 38 | 63 | 54 | 47 | 34 | 33 | 83 | 43 | 50 |
| North Kensington | 26 | 28 | 28 | 32 | 32 | 52 | 39 | 38 | 27 | 29 | 61 | 34 | 42 |
| South Kensington | 12 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 22 | 9 | 8 |
| Wards. | |||||||||||||
| St. Charles | 14 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 17 | 14 | 20 |
| Golborne | 7 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 17 | 9 | 2 |
| Norland | 3 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 21 | 6 | 12 |
| Pembridge | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 |
| Holland | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | — | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Earl's Court | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Queen's Gate | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Redcliffe | 2 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — |
| Brompton | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — |
Cases of mistaken diagnosis are excluded from the above table.
Although there was a considerable increase in the number of cases notified throughout the
year, scarlet fever was mild in type, as is reflected in the fact that there was only one fatal case.
The deaths in the preceding years were three, one and three.
There were 49 instances where more than one case occurred in the same house.
Ten of the 617 definite cases of scarlet fever were patients in the same houses as persons who
had within the previous 28 days returned from hospital after having been treated for this disease.
Cases of this kind are called " return " cases, and a very careful investigation was made in each of
the ten, with a view to ascertaining the source of infection.
As a preventive measure, the Kensington borough council have agreed to provide material
for the Dick test for medical practitioners attending poor residents and local voluntary hospitals,
and during the year an expenditure of 3s. was incurred in respect of this service.
Diphtheria.—Three hundred and twenty.six cases of diphtheria were notified during the year,
325 of which were removed to hospital.
Thirty.one patients notified as suffering from diphtheria were found after admission to hospital
not to be suffering from any infectious disease at all, with the result that they were returned home.