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established at the Fountain (temporary) Hospital, Tooting,
and it is intended to provide a fourth permanent station at
Hampstead in the North-Western District. Kensington
patients are removed by the ambulance staff at the western
Station, Seagrave Road, Fulham. Between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m., on week-days, cases for removal are reported at the
Managers' Central Offices, Norfolk House, Norfolk Street,
Strand, w.C., these being in telephonic communication with
the Station.* During the night, and on Sunday, application
for a patient's removal is forwarded direct to the Ambulance
Station.
River Service.—The Managers possess three Ambulance
Steamers, Red Cross, Maltese Cross, and Albert
Victor, and a steam pinnace, Swallow. A fourth Ambulance
Steamer is in course of building, at a cost of nearly .£10,000.
This fleet will, I doubt not, be equal to all demands of smallpox
should the disease become epidemic again. The patients
embark at wharves which the Managers were authorised to
provide, by Section 6 of the now repealed Diseases Prevention
(Metropolis) Act, 1883, the provisions of which
are incorporated in the Public Health (London) Act,
1891. These Wharves are three in number, respectively
named North, South, and West. The North-Wharf
is at Blackwall, the south-wharf at Rotherhithe, the
West-Wharf near Wandsworth Bridge. Here, in the
event of a wide-spread epidemic of small-pox, Kensington
patients, and patients from other parishes, etc., in the West
District, would embark for the voyage to the Hospital Ships.
Hitherto, however, this long-completed Wharf has never been
brought into use.
Annual Report of the Ambulance Committee.—The
Committee deal with a variety of matters of general interest in their
annual report, in addition to those subjects which usually find a
* Telegraphic Address—" Asylums Board, London." Telephone number, 2587.