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The proportion of scarlet fever admissions to notifications has risen from 42.82 to 78.89
per cent.; of diphtheria cases from 17.87 to 74.85 per cent., and of enteric cases from 22.49 to
45.34 per cent.—a satisfactory state of affairs from the public health point of view.
Increase of Accommodation.—The Managers have more than doubled their accommodation
for fever cases since 1891, but the Committee state that it may still become necessary
to make further provision, as the present accommodation would prove inadequate should scarlet
fever and diphtheria again become as prevalent as they were in the year 1893.
Spot Maps.—As usual, the Committee furnish illuminative maps spotted to show the
distribution of the principal fevers throughout the Metropolis.
Age and Sex of Notified Cases.—Tables are given exhibiting the age and sex of notified
cases. Of scarlet fever and diphtheria, over two-thirds of the cases are children under ten
years of age; scarlet fever being most prevalent amongst children from five to ten, diphtheria
most so amongst children under five years.
Protective Influence of Vaccination.—Owing to the protection afforded by vaccination in
infancy, comparatively few cases of small-pox were notified amongst children under ten years
of age.
Ambulance Work.—During the year (1901) 27,380 (21,524) * fever, diphtheria and smallpox
cases were conveyed to the hospitals; 5,223 (5,394) convalescent patients were transferred
to the Northern and Gore Farm hospitals, and 5,539 (5,416) recovered patients were brought
back from those hospitals to London.
Removals to other Hospitals.—Some 388 (327) private persons were removed, on payment,
to other places than the Managers' hospitals; of whom 159 (20) were taken from the outpatient
departments of general hospitals to their homes owing to there being no suitable beds
immediately available in the Managers' hospitals, to which the cases were admitted the following
day, none of them being small-pox; 98 (201) enteric patients were removed from their
homes to the general hospitals, where arrangements for their reception had been made by
the Managers.
Land Service.—Alogether 39,966 (33,791) removals were effected by the land ambulance
service during 1901, and the various vehicles made 30,587 (24,808) journeys, and ran 317,278
(232,848) miles.
River Service.—The steamers conveyed 5,453 (1,635) passengers to and from the hospital
ships at Long Reach. Of that number, 1,614 (64) were patients taken to the hospital ships,
633 (69) were recovered patients brought back to London, and 3,206 (1,502) were visitors, staff,
workmen, etc.
Hospital Accommodation.—The Table at page 82 in the present report shows the accommodation
at the several hospitals at the early part of the current year, including the additional
accommodation provided to meet the demand created by the epidemic of small-pox.
Hospital Statistics.—The year 1901 commenced with 4,142 (4,895) patients in the fever
hospitals then open : by 25th April (May 5th, 1900) the number under treatment had fallen to
the minimum 2,563 (2,948). The number rose to 4,708 by the 12th August, when it began to
decline, and on the 24th of that month it was reduced to 4,508. It then began to rise again,
and on November 3rd (November 27th) attained the maximum 5,165 (4,779) for the year, and
then declined until the end of the year when 4,588 (4,142) patients remained under treatment.
Tables.—The distribution of patients amongst the various hospitals on November 3rd is
shown in the Committee's report in a Table at page 18 ; and other Tables (i. to rut.), and an
accompanying chart, summarise the particulars relating to the individual hospitals.
Fever Patients.—The number of patients under treatment in the fever hospitals was 29,810 ;
3,206 higher than in 1900, and the highest on record. The maximum monthly death-rate was :
for scarlet fever in May; for diphtheria in November ; and for enteric fever in August.
The minimum rate was: for scarlet fever in November; for diphtheria in April; and for
enteric fever in June.
Duration of Stay in Hospital.—The average duration of residence of scarlet fever cases was :
at the town hospitals 59.72 (66.1) days, including deaths, and 62.48 (68.6) days if the fatal cases
be excluded. At the convalescent hospitals the averages were 74.68 and 74.69 (80.0) days
respectively —including residence in the town hospitals, so that the total residence of cases completing
their recovery at the country hospitals was 12.21 days longer than that of oases at the
town hospitals. As regards the residence of the recovered patients in the town hospitals, there
were considerable variations, the shortest residence was 50.95 (58 5) at the Eastern Hospital
(North-Western Hospital in 1900), or 11.53 (101) below the average, and the longest was 69.00
(74.4), or 6.52 (5.8) days above the average, at the Western Hospital (Western Hospital in
1900 also).
* Note that the italic figures in brackets are the corresponding totals for 1900.