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provides accommodation for nearly 1,000 patients. In addition
to all this new accommodation on new sites, the Managers
are increasing to some extent the existing accommodation,
by reconstruction of the original hospitals at Fulham
(Western Hospital), Hampstead (North-Western Hospital),
Homerton (Eastern Hospital), Deptford (South - Eastern
Hospital), and Stockwell (South-Western Hospital). The net
result of what has been done, or is in contemplation, will be,
within the next two or three years, to raise the normal
accommodation to about 5,000* beds for " fever" and
diphtheria, or, 2,000 in excess of the number recommended
for fever by the Royal Commission in 1882. which, as already
stated, was largely in excess of the requirements of the time,
but has since proved to be much below the present needs
of London.
As regards accommodation for small-pox, the Managers
have not at present provided much more than half of the
amount recommended by the Commissioners in 1882, viz.,
2,700 beds. The present number of beds is, in round numbers,
1,500, a number which, however, could be greatly increased, in
case of emergency, by the erection of temporary huts and tents
at the Gore Farm Estate; and also at the Marsh Street and
Joyce Green Farms site, of three hundred acres, which (with
considerable additions of intervening land, connecting the new
estate with the Hospital Ships), the Managers have acquired,
and on which they intend to build a hospital for 900 cases.
It is no doubt desirable that effect should be given to this
intention, but there are grounds for hope that the present
accommodation may suffice for the needs of the Metropolis,
seeing how much more effectually the disease has been controlled
since the practice of removing the sick out of London,
for isolation and treatment, done upon my recommendation in
* This number, moreover, is irrespective of the Gore Farm hospital,
which has accommodation for about 1.200 patients, and may be used as
a convalescent fever hospital,