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 1940
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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4
GENERAL PROVISION OF HEALTH SERVICES IN THE AREA.
Bacteriological Work The work perfornad during the yers was as fpllows-
| Disease suspected | Examinations. | Positive. |
|---|---|---|
| Diphtheria | 741 | 12 |
| Tuberculosis | 761 | 53 |
| Typhoid fever (blood) | 5 | 1 |
| (faeces) | 34 | 1 |
| Paratyphoid fever (blood) | 2 | 1 |
| (faeces) | 5 | 1 |
| Dysentery (Sonne) (faeces) | 22 | 4 |
| Gonorrhoea | 1 | — |
The following examinations were also carried out:-
| The following examinations were also carried out:- | |
| Milk, general test | 140 |
| Milk, for tubercle bacilli | 6 |
| Virulence tests | 5 |
| Water from public swimming baths | 2 |
| Water from wells, etc. | 27 |
| Miscellaneous | 14 |
Professional Nursing in the Home
On "behalf of the borough council, the Kensington
district nursing association visited 334 cases, paying 3933 visits.
The total number of cases nursed during the year was 1,039, and the
total number of visits paid was 34,019.
Vaccination
There were 2,074 births reported in 1939 to the
vaccination officer by the Kensington registrars. By the 31st
December, 1940, 52.84 per cent of th se had been vaccinated or were
insusceptible to vaccination. The other 47.16 per cent are accounted
for as follows:-
Statutory declarations of objection 13.79%
Died before vaccination 4.87%
Referred to other districts 16.64%
Removed, leaving no trace 10.17%
Postponed, or unaccounted for 1.69%
(In addition by the 31st December, 1940, 228 certificates
of successful vaccination had been received in respect of children
living in Kensingtoh who were born outside the borough during 1939)
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE SERVICES
Health visiting staff.The work performed by the health visiting staff during 1940 in regard to maternity and child welfare is summarised in the following table:-
| First visits to infants (0-1 year) | 1,224 | |
| Re-visits to infants (0-1 year) | 6,751 | |
| Visits to children between 1 and 5 years | 9,119 | |
| Stillbirth enquiries | 56 | |
| Visits to ophthalmia neonatorum cases | 25 | |
| Visits to measleg cases | 186 | |
| Visits to whooping-cough cases | 30 | |
| Visits to puerperal fever cases | 7 | |
| Visits to puerperal pyrexia cases | 19 | |
| Visits to enteritis cases | 21 | |