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6
the various hospitals under the care of the Managers were
occupied, and that cases could only be admitted as vacancies
occurred. From correspondence with the Clerk, and from other
sources, I became aware that the officials at Norfolk House decided
which cases should have priority in removal. It thus frequently
happened that cases which I deemed to require immediate
attention, were passed over for other less urgent cases. This is a
matter for the consideration of the Managers, should a block ever
again take place. I would suggest that the Medical Officer should
be allowed to know in what order the cases ought to be removed
from his District, if any departure has to be made from the plan
of removing cases in the order in which the notifications arrive at
the Office of the Metropolitan Asylums' Board. I sincerely hope
that never again will so grievous a dead lock occur. I have no
doubt that many will be surprised to learn that our copies of the
telegrams and letters, which were sent by the Inspectors to
the Metropolitan Asylums' Board, asking for the removal of cases,
show that the application was repeated, in three instances, 21 times ;
in one case, 18 times; in three cases, 15, 16, and 17 times,
respectively; and for a less number of applications the following list
will prove the loss of time to the Inspectors, and the anxiety to the
friends of the patients from the delay which so frequently took
place in the removal of the cases:—
In 5 cases, 13 applications were made.
2 ,, 12 ,, ,,
4 11 1* ,, ,,
6 ,, 9 ,, ,,
5 ,, 8 ,,
9 ,, 7 ,, ,,
8 ,, 6 „ „
5 ,, 5 ,, ,,
14 ,, 4 ,, ,,
12 ,, 3 ,, ,,
8 ,, 2 ,, ,,
As a result, many parents declined at last to have their
children removed at all, and I am not certain that the disease
would have attacked more persons in this District, had all cases
been treated at home. If good is expected to be the outcome of
the Metropolitan Asylums' Board system of removal, such can only
be expected when removal is promptly effected.