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

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Kensington 1890

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]

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129
perature 26.9). July and September were the hottest months
(mean temperature 59.5), December was the coldest month,
(mean temperature 29.8). May exhibited the greatest range in
temperature, viz., 21.9—from 66.3 to 44.4; and December the
smallest range, viz., 8.1—from 33.3 to 25.2. Rain fell on 162
days, the total amount registered in the year being 21.88 inches,
and 2.99 inches less than the average of 75 years. Most rain fell
in July (4.50 inches) and least in December (0.77). The means
of the readings of the barometer were 29.790 inches; the means
of February, 30*016, and of April, 26.644, being the highest and
the lowest, respectively. The relative proportion of wind was
North, 92; East, 72; South, 103; and West, 98.
VACCINATION.
Table X. (Appendix) is a return respecting vaccination in
1889, compiled by Mr. Shattock, the Vaccination Officer, whose
energetic discharge of the duties of his appointment it is always
a pleasing duty to recognise. The return shews a loss of 6.5 per
cent. in the cases, against 5.4, 5.9 and 6.0 respectively, in 1886-7-8/
"from removal of children to places out of Parish unknown, or
which cannot be reached, and cases not having been found." In
the Metropolis as a whole, the loss is somewhat greater than in
Kensington. In England and Wales, as we learn on the authority
of Dr. George Buchanan, Medical Officer to the Local Government
Board, "the returns give evidence of about 95 per cent. of the infantile
population having received the benefits of vaccination within
the first year" after their birth: it follows that the infant population
is made up of "19 vaccinated to each unvaccinated individual."
With regard to the protection against small-pox afforded
by vaccination—differing in degree as this does according as the
vaccination is more or less "successful"—it should be unnecessary
to say anything; but the pertinacity with which some
misguided persons still decry the most beneficient of medical
discoveries, shews no sign of abatement; and as their teaching
F