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21
I am told that the crowded condition of the waiting
rooms precludes the possibility of any enquiry as to the
suitability of the applicants for treatment, either on
medical or financial grounds. Surely some system of
selection could be devised whereby such applicants as
are not urgently ill could be required to produce either
a medical certificate, or a letter from a householder, to
the effect that their condition or circumstances are such
as to require hospital treatment. Some check of this
kind is required for another reason: the numbers at
present attending are so enormous that it is physically
impossible for the Physicians to deal personally with
the whole of the applicants, and they are compelled to
delegate a large portion of their duties to the Clinical
Assistants—these gentlemen, though legally qualified,
have so recently passed their examinations that they
cannot have had much experience, and are merely
advanced students. I will conclude my remarks on
this subject by relating the following case:—On July
5th, I received a communication from H.M. Chief
Inspector of Factories desiring me, in my capacity as
Certifying Factory Surgeon, to investigate a case of
lead poisoning at 46, Meadow's Dwellings, reported
from the London Hospital. Upon visiting at the
address given, I found J. J., a stereotyper at Waterlow's
(the person named in the Report), with no symptom of
lead poisoning beyond the blue line at the edge of the
gums, which is not uncommon amongst workers in
lead; he was, however, suffering from well marked
small pox with the eruption (6th day) out over face,
arms and legs. The man informed me that he had
applied for treatment at the London Hospital a week