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 1884
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]
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65
than any other street in the parish; in 1881 there were 41
known cases in this street. Six cases (four in one house) occurred
in three houses in as many streets in the St. Mark's (Fulham
Road) cul de sac, a district well remembered in connection with
the January, 1881, outbreak, (to be subsequently referred to), the
three houses becoming invaded in June, October, and December
respectively. In one street only in the special area were two
houses invaded at the same time.*
The year, for the purpose in hand, may be conveniently
divided into two periods—(1) January 1st to May 31st, and (2)
June 1st to December 31st. The hospital was reopened on May
17th, so that any influence it may have had on the surrounding
district could not have come into operation until the beginning of
June. Prior to June 1st, the hospital being closed, there had
been 23 known cases of small-pox in the parish, of which two
were in the special area. In the second period (June—December),
the hospital being open, there were 154 cases, of which 58 were
in the special area. Some particulars with regard to the cases
have already been given in a previous section. (Vide page 30).
The cases occurred as follows, North Kensington lying to the north of the Uxbridge Road :—
| Period. | North Kensington. | South Kensington. | Total Cases. |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1st to May 31st | 13 | 10 | 23 |
| June 1st to 14th (2 weeks) | 26 | 41 | |
| June 15th to July 12th (4 weeks) | 18 | 17 | 35 |
| July 13th to August 9th (4 weeks) | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| August 10th to September 6th (4 weeks) | 2 | - | 2 |
| September 7th to October 4th (4 weeks) | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| October 5th to November 1st (4 weeks) | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| November 2nd to 29th (4 weeks) | 11 | 9 | 20 |
| November 30th to January 3rd (5 weeks) | 5 | 32 | 37 |
| 76 | 101 | 177 |
* I am indebted to my colleague, Mr. Collier, Medical Officer of Health for
the Fulham District, for information in regard to small-pox in that district in
1884, as follows :—Cases recorded 105; of these 23 lived within half-a-mile (nine
within a quarter mile) of the hospital, viz., 0, 6, 9, and 8 in the four quarters of
the year, out of 1, 23, 33, and 48 cases recorded in the four quarters. Between
May 17th and 31st nine persons were infected, of whom three lived more than a mile
from the hospital, the others at 300, 400, 400, 440, 1,100, and 1,100 yards distant.
There were a few cases in Chelsea in May—about seven—and about 13 in July,
but the information forthcoming is not very precise, owing to the lamented
decease of the late Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Barclay.