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117
THE NEEDS OF THE METROPOLIS IN RESPECT
OF HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION FOR
THE INFECTIOUS SICK.
It is an accepted axiom that provision for the isolation of
infectious disease should be at the rate of not less than one
bed for each thousand of the population. The subject, as
regards the Metropolis, was considered by the Royal Commission
in 1881-2 and the Commissioners stated in their
report (1882) that the then provision of Hospitals should be
extended so as to provide 5,100 beds at the least; viz.: 3,000
nominally, for "Fever," and 2,100 for Small-pox. Diphtheria
cases were not at that time admissible to the hospitals. The
population of London in 1882 was a little under 4,000,000.
Consequently, the recommendation of the Commissioners
went, to the extent of 1,100 beds, beyond the theoretical requirements
of the day. Naturally, however, the Commissioners
intended to make provision for a lengthened period in
advance.
As respects "Fever," nothing happened, prior to 1887, to
lead the Managers of the Asylums Board to think that they
would be likely to require so many as 3,000 beds, and the only
step taken by them towards giving effect to the recommendation
of the Commissioners, was the erection of the Northern
Convalescent Fever Hospital, at Winchmore Hill, for about
480 patients. In 1887, however, an epidemic of scarlet fever
tasked their resources to the utmost. Not only were all the
available beds filled, but a large and costly addition of
temporary huts had to be run up in the grounds at several of
the hospitals; and the "Poplar" hospital, at West Ham, was
also brought into requisition. And yet the deaths from scarlet
fever (1,443), were 381 below the decennial average. The
total number of "fever" patients received into the Managers'
Hospitals in that year, including 5,900 suffering from scarlet
fever, was 6,537, or nearly 4,000 more than in any previous
year: the maximum number under treatment at any one time