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

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Kensington 1935

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

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Premises. Rooms.
No. of houses treated with orthodichlorbenzene and other
chemicals 238 437
No. of houses treated with sulphur 505 744
Bedding and clothing removed to Wood Lane and disinfested by
steam in connection with the sulphur treatment of rooms Disinfestations 183
Articles 2,489

Disinfection after Infectious Diseases, etc. SUMMARY OF WORK CARRIED OUT BY THE DISINFECTING STAFF DURING 1935.

Nature of infection.Premises disinfected.Rooms disinfected.Disinfections at Wood Lane.No. of articles disinfected.
Smallpox
Scarlet fever3353823956,326
Diphtheria3243353273,924
Enteric fever8847718
Measles525412159
Consumption1842291961,791
Cancer52571061,010
Other diseases372402-3193,357
Totals1,3271,4671,40217,285
This table does not include the work carried out at Wood Lane on behalf of the Paddington borough council.

The total weight of the bedding, clothing, etc., of Kensington residents disinfected was 45 tons
19 cwt. 2 qr. 10 lb. The number of articles disinfected only was 18,969 and the number disinfected
and washed, 805.
The laundry work for the medicinal baths is performed at the disinfecting station and this
work involved the washing of 11,547 towels, 357 sheets and 169 other articles.
The Paddington authority have entered into an agreement with the council for the disinfection
of all articles removed from Paddington homes to be performed at the Kensington disinfecting
station. As the Paddington council require certain of the articles to be washed after disinfection
the charge was fixed at 20s. per cwt. of articles dealt with, but there is a proviso in the agreement
that the minimum payment per annum is to be £600.
The weight of Paddington articles disinfected was 17 tons 15 cwt. 3 qr. 12 lb. The number of
articles disinfected only was 6,304 and the number disinfected and washed was 1,564.
Disinfection of Library Books.
In view of the difficulty of securing efficient disinfection of books, the libraries committee
authorise the medical officer of health to destroy all public library volumes removed from infected
houses ; this gives Kensington borrowers protection from infection from the council's books.
The number of books from the Kensington public libraries destroyed by the officers of the public
health department was 131. The number of private subscribing library books destroyed was 32, and
the number disinfected by formalin and returned to the householders was 25.
Diphtheria Immunisation.
The council's diphtheria immunisation scheme, under which doctors practising in the borough
carry out immunisation of children on behalf of the council, worked successfully during
1935. It was found necessary during the year to make a slight modification in the
scheme, for it came to notice that cases occurred where doctors had given one or two
injections but were unable to give the third, as a result of the removal of the patient to
another district, or for some other reason. In order that doctors should not be out of pocket to the
extent of the cost of the injections given, the council authorised payment for the material used in
partially immunised cases, provided that the doctors had used their best efforts to give the three
doses.
During 1935, 1,476 children were immunised. From the beginning of the cheme on the 1st May,
1934, to the 31st December, 1935, 2,318 children have been immunised.
Under the scheme, a schick testing clinic is conducted by Dr. Guy W. J. Bousfield at No. 28b,
Archer Street on Friday mornings. A Schick test to ascertain whether the child is susceptible to
diphtheria or not is performed when desired on children prior to immunisation and during the year
the total number of children attending for pre-immunisation schick tests was 149. Seventy-nine gave
positive reactions, 66 were negative, and 4 failed tojreattend for the reading.
Every effort is made to schick test all children who have been immunised, and 1,442 children
attended for this purpose. A negative test was obtained in 1,373 children, 11 remained positive,
and 58 failed to reattend for the reading. These results are satisfactory as less than one per cent,
were found positive after receiving one course of immunising injections.