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108
place in their review of the work of the year. Thus they refer, first,
to the insufficiency of Fever Hospital Accommodation, stating that
"owing to a deficiency of beds (especially for scarlet fever cases)
which lasted for several months, the removal of a large number of
patients was deferred, from day to day, for so many days that,
ultimately, many remained at home until the termination of their
illness "—with, I may add, the result of extending the spread of the
disease. The Committee further observe that it is" certain that
when this state of things became known, in many cases it was considered
futile to make any applications at all," and they state that
"had sufficient accommodation existed, it is estimated that as many
as 6 000 scarlet fever cases would have been under treatment at one
time—a number nearly double that which was actually attained."
They also say that " the introduction of compulsory notification, and
the growing popularity of the Board's hospitals, have increased the
demands for admissions to such an extent, that whereas in 1890 the
Managers admitted 42 per cent, of the total cases notified in London,
in 1892 the percentage had risen to 48, and in the first four months
of 1893—when the Managers were able to admit all applicants—to
54 per cent." The notifications of scarlet fever cases in 1893, numbered
36,901, the admission to hospitals being 14,548, or, in round
figures, 40 per cent.; but, as already stated, large numbers of patients
were refused admission owing to want of room. After referring to
the difficulties of obtaining sites for hospitals, the Committee state
what has been done to increase accommodation, to the extent of
900 beds, viz., by the establishment of a hospital at Tottenham for
about 500 beds, in 1892 ; and of one, at Tooting Graveney, for about
400 beds, in 1893 ; the Board, moreover, at the end of the year, being
in possession of vacant land at Tooting, Lewisham, and Shooter's
Hill, on which hospitals for about 1,500 patients can be provided.
"When hospitals shall have been erected on the sites already purchased,
and on the land which must be obtained for one or more
Convalescent Hospitals for the Southern Districts," the Committee
hope "that sufficient accommodation may exist for all ordinary
requirements of the metropolis." For "ordinary requirements" the
proposed accommodation will probably suffice; but surely the Managers
should recognise the duty of providing for the probable