Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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tion, 19; drowning, 1; and "otherwise," 5. Of the deaths from
suffocation 16 occurred in the first year of life. Thirty of the deaths
in this order were of children under five, and 10 of the deaths were
registered in the Brompton sub-district.
Order 3. Homicide.—One death of an infant, registered cause
(without explanation), "Murder."
Order 4. Suicide—Five deaths; 3 by Poison, and 2 by Wounds.
Two "sudden deaths" were registered, the causes of which were not
ascertained; and 5 deaths come under the heading " Causes not specified
or ill-defined."
DEATHS AT PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.
The only "large public institutions" in the parish at present, are
(1) the Parish Infirmary and Workhouse, situated in the Town
registration sub-district, (2) the Hospital for Consumption and Diseases
of the Chest, located in Brompton, and (3) St. Joseph's House, a
Roman Catholic home for the poor, situated in the Portobello Road.
This house contains about 250 aged persons of both sexes, and there
died therein last year 34 persons, viz., 16 males and 18 females, mostly
of very advanced age, and from the ordinary diseases of senility.
The Barracks, the various homes, nurseries, &c., do not furnish a
sufficient number of deaths in the aggregate to call for any special
reference in this place. The deaths registered at the three principal
public institutions named above were equal to 13.2 per cent. on total
deaths in the parish—the equivalent proportion in London generally
being 18.4' per cent.
The Parish Infirmary and Workhouse. I am indebted to
Dr. Whitmore, the Medical Superintendent of the Infirmary and the
Medical Officer to the Workhouse for the statistics of mortality at these
important institutions. The deaths registered last year were 284, viz.,
males 136, and females 148. The quarterly numbers of deaths were
56, 49, 73, and 106—162 in the winter and 122 in the summer quarters.
The deaths were 61 more than in 1877, a difference due to a
considerable increase in the numbers of the sick admitted into the
Infirmary, and to the severe winter of 1878, which proved very fatal
to aged people.
The ages at death were as follow:—Under one year 27; between
one year and sixty 139; sixty and upwards 118. Of the deaths in the