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

View report page

Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London

Kensington 1936

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

This page requires JavaScript

Table: Table showing the number of cases of infectious disease notified in the various age periods and wards; the number admitted to hospital; and the total deaths from these diseases in 1936.

Table showing the number of cases of infectious disease notified in the various age periods and wards; the number admitted to hospital; and the total deaths from these diseases in 1936.

Notifiable Disease.Number of cases notified.Total cases notified in each ward.Cases admitted to hospital.Total deaths.
At allagesAt ages.—Years.St. Charles.Golborne.Norland.:Pembridge.Holland.Earl's Court.Queen's Gate.Redcliffe.Brompton.
Under 1.1 to 2.2 to 3.3 to 4.4 to 5.5 to 10.10 to 15.15 to 20.20 to 35.35 to 45.45 to 65.65 and over.
Smallpox------------------------
Scarlet fever289321142626903619408428452503319181211102742
Diphtheria (including membranous croup)14241111181842131012-3-4728231367311414111
Enteric fever8——1——11-212—111—121-152
Puerperal fever13———-——-29-——24-4——12—111
Puerperal pyrexia21-------4152——43462—11—201
Primary pneumonia1431618911101075972813227112958310365160
Influenzal pneumonia341—2——4——9594214381-1411234
Dysentery7—11——2——111——1——12——37—
Erysipelas66——2——1371010231017116786353355
Encephalitis lethargica-----------------------2
Cerebro-spinal meningitis611————21——1—21——1——1162
Polio-myelitis and polio-encephalitis3-------2--1----2--1--2—
Pulmonary tuberculosis174-----236902433163923192791715169102105
Other forms of tuberculosis34—11—26241412196513424—2618
Ophthalmia neonatorum1212-----------1224————38-
Malaria2--------1-1-----11---1—
*Enteritis (diarrhoea)784022442-------202814581—2—4643
†Acute rheumatism48————120261————1311166—11——1610
Totals10808375455959178936121261108462632561551256567446738777396

Text

Copy text to clipboard

* Notifiable only in children under the age of 5 years.
† „ „ „ „ „ 16 „
Cases of mistaken diagnosis are excluded from the above table.
Smallpox.—During 1936 no case of smallpox occurred in London.
Nine persons who had been in contact with this disease on board ship came to live in Kensington
immediately after disembarkation. They were kept under daily observation by the department in
order that prompt isolation and treatment might be secured in the event of the development of
smallpox.
Scarlet Fever.—The number of cases notified was 309, but after observation in hospital 20 were
found not to be suffering from scarlet fever. The decline in the incidence of the disease noted in
the previous year was maintained in 1936. The character of the disease was generally mild, and the
mortality rate was low, there being only 2 deaths. Of the total number of cases notified, 294
were removed to hospital.
Eight of the notified cases were patients in the same house as persons who had within the
previous 28 days returned from hospital after having been treated for scarlet fever. In each of these
eight cases a careful investigation was made with a view to ascertaining the source of infection,
and necessary steps were taken to prevent any further spread.
As a preventive measure, the borough council have agreed to provide material for the Dick
test for medical practitioners attending poor residents and local voluntary hospitals. By means of
this test it can be ascertained which contacts are likely to develop the disease. If the test gives a
positive result, an injection of scarlet fever anti-toxin will give a passive immunity lasting sufficiently
long to tide the patient over the incubation period. No expenditure was incurred on this during the
year.
Diphtheria.—One hundred and seventy-seven cases of diphtheria were notified. One hundred
and seventy-six patients were removed to hospital, but 35 of these were subsequently found not to
be suffering from diphtheria and were returned home after the acute illness had subsided.