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

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Kensington 1884

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]

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67
pox in Chelsea, Fulham, and Kensington. Fresh cases rose at a
bound to 62," including 47 in the special area: 56 houses were
newly invaded, the houses newly invaded in the special area being
41. Of the 62 cases, 42 were attacked on five days, January
26th—30th; 32 of them in the special area. In regard to 9 of these
32 cases, a reasonable explanation of their occurrence was forthcoming,
but of the other 23 cases, "there was scarcely a hint to
be got to account for their illness." The houses newly invaded in
the next fortnight, February 6—19, were 28 only, (21 in the
special area), or just half the number invaded in the antecedent
fortnight, and nothing like the "notable outburst" of January
26th—30th subsequently occurred.
Compare with the January, 1881, outburst the abovementioned
outburst in June, 1884—the facts of which I am not
able to give in all their completeness, but in due time, doubtless,
they will be published by Mr. Power. The hospital was opened
May 17th; two patients were admitted on that day. By the end of
May, 11 Borough of Chelsea cases had been received, but none of
these could have been infected by hospital cases, for at the dates
of infection there were no cases in the hospital. Seven of the
cases came from Kensington, 3 from Chelsea, (including 2 from
the Kensal Town district, situated to the north of Kensington),
and 1 only from Fulham. Prior to May 31st, the Kensington
recorded cases in 1884, were 23—13 in North and 10 in South
Kensington. Of the 13 cases in the North, 12, in 11 houses,
occurred in May. Of the 10 cases in the South 3, in one house,
occurred in May; the first of these 3 cases was not recognised,
and the patient went about as usual all through her nominal
"illness." But in the two weeks, June 1st—14th, a very unexpected
event took place—a great outburst of small-pox in Chelsea,
Fulham, and Kensington. Fresh cases rose at a bound to 52;
47 of them having been admitted into the hospital, and 5, in
Kensington, having been treated at home. Chelsea contributed 8
cases, Fulham 11, and Kensington 33. Of the 52 cases, 26
(10, 8, 3, and 5) were infected on the four days, May 19th—22nd,
and of these 26, 22, in 22 houses, were Kensington cases,