[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington].
- St. Mary Abbotts (Kensington, London, England). Parish Council.
- Date:
- 1882
Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Credit: [Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Kensington]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
60/159 page 54
![54 road. In 1878-9-80-1 the reverse obtains; and especially is this true of 1881, the cases south of Uxbridge Road having been far more numerous than those in the north of the parish—238, as against 128; whereas in 1871, the cases in the north were 303 as against 141 in the south. It is true, more over, that the cases have been most numerous in the south-west district, nearest the hospital, which is separated from Ifield Road by the Brompton Cemetery, a well-wooded space some 800 feet across. It does not follow from these facts that the hospital has been the cause of the spread of the disease: this, however, is a question well worthy of detailed inquiry, especially in respect of Ifield Road, which has furnished (in 1881) more cases than any other street. With the facts respecting the spread of the disease in this street I am well acquainted, but interesting as they are, they are too voluminous to admit of statement here. Many of the cases, it may be mentioned, can be explained independently of the hospital, and considering the dense population of the street (as compared with other streets and with the Ifield Road of 1871), and the altered character of this population, it is quite open to question whether the spread of the disease may not be capable of explanation without reference to the hospital. (2). Provision of Hospitals for Non-Paupers.—Action of Sanitary Authorities.—On the question of providing for hos pital treatment of the infectious sick, I adhere to the principles set out in my Report on 'Hospital Accommodation,' submitted herewith, page 2, and pages 9,10,11 and 12 [vide Annual Report for 1876, page 10]; and I approve the resolution passed by the first Conference of Metropolitan Sanitary Authorities, held July 16,1878, to the following effect:— 'That in the opinion of this Conference many almost insur mountable obstacles present themselves to the carrying out by the Vestries and District Boards of the Metro polis of the powers conferred upon them by the 37th Section of the Sanitary Act, 1866; and it is further of opinion that it is desirable that provision should be made by Act of Parliament for one Authority, acting for the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b19824233_0060.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
