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River Service.—The distance run collectively by the three Ambulance
Steamers," Red Cross," "Maltese Cross," and "Albert Victor,"
was 28,341 miles : 10,652 patients and other passengers were conveyed,
besides stores, to and from the hospital ships at Long Reach.
Cost of the Ambulance Services. —The total payments made during
the year on account of the Land Service, were £15,176 19s. 5d.,
including ,£5,032 for the Western Station at Fulham. The enlargement
of this Station has cost ,£1,129 l1s. 3d. additional. The Fountain
(temporary) Station cost (on account) ,£500. The payments on
account of the River Service were ,£8,505 7s. 10d., viz. :—Ordinary
expenditure ,£7,483 17s. 1d, to which must be added payments
amounting to ,£1,021 10s. 9d. for overhauling machinery, and repairs
of the steamers and repairs to the Wharves. For purposes of account
and comparison, the cost of the services of the nurses in charge of the
ambulances, who are drawn from the Fever Hospitals or the Hospital
Ships, is assumed to be fairly represented by a fixed charge of half-acrown
per journey, and in the aggregate these charges amount to
,£2,630 for the past year.
WESTERN HOSPITAL: ANNUAL REPORT OF
THE MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT.
The Annual Report of the Medical Superintendent of the
Western Hospital has a very special interest for us, inasmuch
as the bulk of Kensington cases are taken to that institution.
It appears that the cases treated during the year 1893 numbered
3,069, including 309 which remained in the hospital at
the close of 1892. There were 2,749 admissions; 2,486 discharges,
of which 1,511, or 60 per cent., were transferred to
Convalescent Hospitals; and 276 deaths leaving 307 cases under
treatment at the end of the year. The , total mortality was
9.99 per cent. Of scarlet fever, 2,295 cases were admitted:
2,161 of these were discharged, and 166 died. The deaths
include 28 which were due to intercurrent infectious diseases,
viz., 26 to diphtheria and 2 to measles. Twenty-one cases
died within 48 hours after admission. The diphtheria
admissions numbered 256, the discharges 143, and the deaths
H