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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The patients admitted from the several Districts in 1887 numbered 6536: in 1890 they were 8337, distributed as follows;—

Scarlet.Diphtheria.Typhus.EntericOther Diseases.Total.
In 18875900...354411606536
Ill 18906541941164973428337
Kensington Cases In 1887311......79327
In 189023051...1712310

In 1890, the patients taken to hospitals other than those
allotted to the several districts, because there was no room at the
nearest hospital, numbered 910: but none of them were Kensington
cases. The bulk of these cases (651) belonged to the Eastern
District, for the service of which the proposed new fever hospital
is intended.
The percentage mortality of the several diseases in 1890 was,
scarlet fever 7.86, diphtheria 33.17, enteric fever 20.10, and
typhus fever 25.64.
Small-pox.—Only 26 cases of Small-pox were received on
board the Hospital Ships at Long Reach, of whom 3 died. One
other case was admitted at the South-eastern Hospital and died
the next day.* The Gore Farm Brick-hut Hospital at Darenth,
for convalescing small-pox patients, was completed in May, at a
total cost of a little under £60,000, or nearly £4000 below the
original estimate. This Hospital, with the connected " Infirmary,"
provides accommodation for 800 patients, the Ships for 350 =
1150 beds. The total expenditure on the " original" account to
Lady-day, 1891, for these establishments was £158,000.
Expenditube.—The expenditure in 1890 exceeded that of the
previous year by £29,300, the increase being due to the greater
number of fever patients for whom the Managers were called upon
to provide. The total expenditure was £387,121 12s. 9d., including
£128,762 9s. 11d. on the six fever hospitals, the hospital ships,
the Darenth Camps, and the Gore Farm Hospital; viz., maintenance
account, £22,189 14s. 2d., and common charges account,
£106,572 15s. 9d. The liabilities of the Board on loans on the
28th March last, amounted to £1,013,701 1s. 4d., a decrease of
£37,958 17s. 4d., as compared with the amount at Lady-day, 1890.
* These were the only deaths from Smail-pox in London during the year.