London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Heston and Isleworth 1919
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Heston and Isleworth]
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ISOLATION HOSPITALS.
Isolation Hospital Accommodation.
This district, with the Borough of Richmond (Surrey), maintains
two Isolation Hospitals
(1) Mogden Hospital, situate in the southern portion of
the district, for Scarlet Fever, Diphtheria, Enteric Fever, etc.
It has 61 beds, allowing 1,500 cubic feet of air space to each
bed.
(2) Dockwell Hospital, situate on the western confines of
the district, for Small-Pox. It has 13 beds, allowing 1,500
cubic feet of air space per bed.
No definite number of beds is assigned to either Authority,
but on the basis of the amount of money contributed by each for
upkeep, it may be said there are 45 beds (37 at Mogden and 8 at
Dockwell) for Richmond, and 29 beds (24 at Mogden and 5 at
Dockwell) for Heston and Isleworth.
The following table shews the number of cases admitted to Mogden Hospital from this district during the year 1919
| Scarlet Fever | 136 cases. |
| Diphtheria | 101 cases. |
| Enteric Fever | 1 case. |
| Cerebro-Spinal Fever | 1 case. |
| Tuberculous Meningitis | 1 case. |
| Acute Poliomyelitis | 1 case. |
| Total | 241 cases. |
I am informed that on 45 days the number of Scarlet Fever
patients did not permit of 2,000 cubic feet of air space per patient,
whilst Diphtheria cases were in excess on 54 days.
Taking the limit as 1,500 cubic feet of air space per patient,
there was found to be overcrowding in respect of Scarlet Fever
and Diphtheria on 14 and 11 days respectively.
It has usually happened that outbreaks of infectious disease
have not synchronised in the two districts and consequently the