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 1960
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington Borough]
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80
Incidence of tuberculosis amongst Kensington residents who
originated from areas outside England, Scotland and Wales.
In my Annual Report for 1951, attention was drawn to what appeared to be a disturbing trend in the incidence of tuberculosis amongst immigrants. Since 1952, a more detailed investigation of this problem has taken place and the following table sets out the information found in 1960:-
| Country of origin | Period (in years) between entry to United Kingdom and notification of disease | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
| British Guiana | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| British W. Indies | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| Egypt | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Prance | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Germany | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Ghana | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| Hong Kong | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Hungary | - | 2 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| India | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| Iraq | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Ireland | 13 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | - | 2 | - | - | 25 |
| Italy | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 4 |
| Latvia | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Nigeria | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| Pakistan | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| Portugal | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Somaliland | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| South Africa | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Spain | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 2 |
| TOTALS | 23 | 16 | 4 | 9 | 4 | - | 2 | 1 | - | 59 |
Residential Particulars of other cases notified during the year:-
| Residential Particulars of other cases notified during the year:- | |
| Patients who had resided in London all their lives or for at least 10 years | 56 |
| Patients who had resided in other parts of the country all their lives prior to coming to Kensington | 38 |
| Patients from whom information concerning origin was not obtained but where it is believed to be this country | 10 |
| Patients notified abroad before coming to this country (Ireland?) | 5 |
| Patients who resided here at least 10 years prior to notification | 15 |
| Patients from whom information concerning origin could not be obtained | 116 |
| TOTAL | 240 |
The investigations only covered patients newly notified or
transferring into the borough from other areas, The total of 299
cases surveyed differs from the total of tuberculous patients visited
in the year. The difference consisted of old cases changing
residence within the borough.
In 1951, a full survey was not made, but it was estimated
that 20 per cento of the tuberculous patients visited for the first
time in that year were immigrants who contracted the disease within
ten years of arrival in this country.