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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The following Table shews the distribution of deaths in Kensington from the principal diseases of the zymotic class, registered in thirteen four-weekly periods, corresponding with ny monthly reports:—
| Report for Four Weeks ended. | Small-pox. | Measles. | Scarlet Fever. | Diphtheria. | Whooping-cough. | Typhus Fever. | Enteric Fever. | Simple Continued Fever. | Diarrhoea. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 28, 1888 | ... | 7 | 4 | 5 | 18 | ... | 3 | ... | ... | 37 |
| Feb. 25, „ | ... | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | ... | 1 | ... | i | 20 |
| Mar. 24, | ... | 3 | 4 | 14 | ... | 2 | ... | 2 | 25 | |
| April 21, ,, | ... | 6 | 3 | 21 | ... | 1 | ... | 3 | 36 | |
| May 19, „ | ... | 15 | 3 | 5 | 16 | ... | 1 | ... | 40 | |
| June 16, ., | ... | 8 | 1 | 3 | 7 | ... | 2 | ... | 3 | 24 |
| July 14, „ | ... | 8 | 1 | 8 | 2 | ... | 1 | ... | 6 | 26 |
| Aug. 11, „ | ... | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | ... | 1 | ... | 6 | 16 |
| Sept. 8. „ | ... | 2 | 10 | 1 | ... | ... | 19 | 32 | ||
| Oct. 6, , | ... | 4 | 1 | 12 | 4 | ... | 1 | ... | 7 | 29 |
| Nov. 3, | ... | 17 | 14 | ... | 1 | 1 | 4 | 37 | ||
| Dec. 1, | ... | 33 | 2 | 11 | 2 | ... | 3 | 1 | 3 | 55 |
| Dec. 29, „ | ... | 18 | 1 | 14 | 2 | ... | 4 | ... | 4 | 43 |
| Totals | ... | 124 | 26 | 89 | 100 | ... | 21 | 2 | 53 | 420 |
I now proceed to make a few observations with regard to
each of the above-mentioned diseases.
SMALL-POX.
No case of small-pox was recorded during the year. The
recorded cases in the three previous years were 180, 8, and 1
respectively.
Small-pox was almost entirely absent from the Metropolis
in 1888. The deaths were 9 only (tho same as in 1887),
shewing a diminution of 857 deaths, compared with annual
deaths in 1878-87 corrected for increase of population. These
deaths, in both years were fewer—not merely relatively to
population, but absolutely—than in any year since the present
system of civil registration began ; the years which most nearly
approached this minimum being 1875 (46 deaths), 1874 (57