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 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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The following is a table of cases attended and visits paid by nurses of the association on behalf of the council from the 1st January to the 31st December, 1934:—
| Cases. | Visits. | |
|---|---|---|
| Maternity cases | 34 | 768 |
| Miscarriages | 38 | 409 |
| Pneumonia (5 years of age and over) | 39 | 758 |
| „ (under 5 years of age) | 69 | 1,216 |
| Ophthalmia neonatorum and other inflammations of the eyes of newly-born children | 16 | 247 |
| Influenza (5 years of age and over) | 27 | 296 |
| „ (under 5 years of age) | 5 | 36 |
| Enteritis and diarrhœa | 74 | 608 |
| Tuberculosis (5 years of age and over) | 32 | 1,319 |
| (under 5 years of age) | — | — |
| Measles (5 years of age and over) | 44 | 603 |
| (under 5 years of age) | 140 | 1,816 |
| Measles and pneumonia (5 years of age and over) | 11 | 260 |
| „ „ (under 5 years of age) | 56 | 1,180 |
| Whooping cough (5 years of age and over) | – | – |
| „ ,, (under 5 years of age) | 8 | 123 |
| Erysipelas | 2 | 36 |
| Acute rheumatism | 4 | 135 |
| Puerperal pyrexia | 1 | 5 |
| Scarlet fever | 2 | 16 |
| Totals | 631 | 10,287 |
For the splendid services rendered, the council paid to the association in 1934 a grant of £325.
Midwifery Arrangements.
The borough is well served in this respect. The Queen Charlotte's Hospital authorities
maintain a district nurses' home in Ladbroke Grove, North Kensington, and during the year
members of the staff thereat conducted 562 confinements, of which 525were in Kensington homes.
The borough council maintain a maternity home with ten beds, the London county council have
at St. Mary Abbots Hospital 48 beds for the confinement of poor women, and the Princess Beatrice
Hospital in South Kensington has a maternity ward.
The number of confinements dealt with by these three organisations, together with those
taking place in outlying hospitals, leaves but a comparatively small number to be attended by
private doctors and midwives in the homes.
Special Legislation in Force Locally.
Notification of Zymotic Enteritis.
The council resolved in 1924 to make zymotic enteritis or epidemic diarrhcea in infants up to
five years of age a notifiable infectious disease. The information thus obtained has made it possible
for the council's officers to take effective steps in regard to the prevention and treatment of this
disease.
This disease is also notifiable in the metropolitan boroughs of Paddington, Fulham, Finsbury,
Poplar, Southwark, Deptford, Greenwich and Woolwich.
Notification of Acute Rheumatism.
The Kensington (Acute Rheumatism) Regulations, 1927, came into force on the 1st October
of that year and operated for a period of three years. In 1930 and again in 1933 the Minister of
Health renewed the regulations for a further period of three years.
This disease is also notifiable in the metropolitan boroughs of Paddington and Holborn, but the
Kensington borough council is the only one with a municipal clinic for the supervision of notified
cases.
By-law Prohibiting the Fouling of Footpaths by Dogs.
In 1921 the council made a by-law, which was sanctioned by the Home Office, prohibiting
the fouling of footpaths by dogs.
Following a deputation from the council to the Home Office in 1933, the Home Secretary
modified the by-law by increasing the penalty to £5.
Three officers in the public health department make observations under the by-law and
during the year summonses were issued in respect of 14 breaches. Fines of 20s. in one case and
of 10s. in 12 were imposed; in one case the defendant was cautioned.
The number of convictions under this by-law during the past 13 years is 108.