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"The Council think it desirable that advantage should be taken of the opportunity afforded
by the surplus accommodation which is understood to exist, of making an experiment which
they believe would be fruitful of good, by using a portion of such surplus accommodation for
consumptives who at present are treated in the Infirmaries under conditions more or less
unfavourable, and inimical to the welfare of the other sick poor, with whom, in many instances,
they are unavoidably mingled in the wards.
"The Council desire to express their earnest hope that the Local Government Board will
see their way to advise the Metropolitan Asylums Board to make trial of the plan above
outlined, so that before a large expenditure be incurred in building special sanatoria for consumptives,
further experience of the benefits expected to accrue therefrom may be obtained."
A communication in similar terms was addressed to the Metropolitan Asylums Board;
the letter moreover was sent to the Borough Councils and Boards of Guardians, who were invited
to support the Council's proposal. And, lastly, a communication was addressed to the Council of
the National Association for the Prevention of Consumption as follows:—
"Sanatoria for Consumption.—In October, 1900, a Conference of Metropolitan Poor
Law Authorities was convened with the approval, if not at the instance of the Local Government
Board, to consider the question of establishing hospitals for the open-air treatment of
consumption.
"The Conference unanimously adopted a resolution to the effect—
That the time has come when provision should be made for the open-air treatment
of the sick poor of the Metropolis suffering from consumption, and the Conference
recommends the matter for the consideration of the Local Government Board, with
a view to the necessary steps being taken by that Board for the carrying out of the
proposal.'
"A deputation was appointed to present the resolution, and to bring the matter
generally to the attention of the President of the Board.
"In December, 1901, the Council, when informing the Local Government Board that
they had decided to make consumption a disease voluntarily notifiable within the Royal
Borough, took occasion to recall to the Board's attention the action of the Conference, and to
urge the desirability that, with the least practicable delay, provision should be made by some
central authority of sanatoria for the open-air treatment of consumptive persons chargeable
to the rates in the Metropolis.
"Hitherto, however, no steps have been taken to give effect to the views of the Conference;
that is to say, no accommodation without the Metropolis has been provided for the
purpose.
"The attention of the Council has recently been called, by their Medical Officer of
Health, in a report, a copy of which is enclosed herewith, to the extensive hospital accommodation
which has been provided by the Metropolitan Asylums Board for small-pox, and
the Council endorse the suggestion made by their Medical Officer that a portion of any surplus
accommodation might be utilised with advantage, during inter-epidemic times, for the treatment
of consumptives.
"In this connection it may be mentioned that several of the Borough Councils have, at
various times, invited the Asylums Board to assume the position of Hospital Authority for
Consumption, and the Managers have stated that the question of providing Sanatoria was
one which they would be prepared to consider should there be a general consensus of opinion
in its favour amongst the several Metropolitan Local Authorities.
"I am directed to invite consideration of the subject by the Council of the National
Association for the Prevention of Consumption, and to request them, if they agree with the
views above set out, to take such steps as they may deem advisable to promote a scheme for
the utilisation of the hospitals for the treatment of poor persons suffering from consumption.
"For the information of the Council of the Association I enclose a copy of a communication
which this Council have addressed to the Local Government Board on the subject, and
may add that a letter in almost identical terms has also been forwarded by them to the
Metropolitan Asylums Board."
The Council of the Association approved these views, and, after an interview I had with
them, and an inspection of the Gore Farm Hospitals by their expert representative, the Secretary
addressed a communication to the Local Government Board (and to the Asylums Board also)
in support of the Council's proposals as follows:—
"I am directed by the Council of the National Association for the Prevention of Consumption
to state, for the information of the Local Government Board, that they hav3
recently received a communication from the Council of the Royal Borough of Kensington,
urging the desirability of utilising as sanatoria for persons suffering from consumption, one
or both of the hospitals at Gore Farm now empty of small-pox patients.