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The average length of residence of diphtheria patients at tne town hospitals was 51.21
(52.3)* days including deaths, and 56.94 (58.9) if the fatal cases be excluded. At the convalescent
hospitals, where there was no death, the average residence (iucluding residence in the town
hospitals) was 80.78 (76.1) days, or 23.84 days longer than in the town hospitals.
The Committee observe that the variations in length of residence at different hospitals were
again very remarkable, ranging from 42.86 (47.3) days at the North-Eastern Hospital (Southwestern
Hospital), 14.08 (11.6) days below the average, to 67.43 (67.9) days at the South-Eastern
Hospital (Grove Hospital), or 10.49 (9.0) days above the average.
The average residence of enteric fever patients was 55.90 (52.7) days iucluding deaths, and
62.41 (59.1) days if the fatal cases be excluded. shortest residence of recovered cases was
48.89 (48.8) days, or 13.52 (10.3) days below the average, at the North-Western Hospital (same
hospital in 1900), and the longest 77.18 ( 75.4) days, or 14.77 (16.3) days above the average, at the
Western Hospital (same hospital in 1900).
The Committee stated in their report for 1900 that the length of residence of patients in the
hospitals is of the utmost importance from an economical point of view; for not only would any
shortening of the period of residence effect a saving in the cost of maintenance; but it would
also enable the Managers to treat a larger number of patients without increasing the number of
beds, which is of very much greater importance.
Small-pox.—Of small-pox patients 1,743 were treated, compared with 66 and 18 in the two
preceding years. The average residence of the patients was 24.10 days, or, excluding deaths,
29.94 days. Fifteen cases were admitted from Kensington, 12 of vaccinated persons, 2 of unvaccinated
persons (one of whom died), and one case in which the question of vaccination was
doubtful. Table II. pp. 113-17, shows the ages, and condition as regards vaccination,
of the patients admitted during 1901.
Mistaken Diagnosis.—In the course of the year 1901, no fewer than 2,865 (1,706) patients
or 9.2 (7.8) per cent. of admissions were found, after admission to the fever hospitals, not to be
suffering from the diseases mentioned in the medical certificates upon which they were removed
to hospital.† The largest number of cases thus admitted to any one hospital, was at the Park
Hospital (same hospital in 1900) where the proportion was 436 (322), out of 3,643 (2,999)
admissions, or 11.9 (10.7) per cent. of the total. The percentage on the total scarlet fever
cases was 5.6 (5.5); diphtheria cases 12.8 (8.3), and enteric fever cases 25.5 (182).
Amongst the 857 (608) cases wrongly certified as scarlet fever, there were 91 (63) of measles,
108 (106) of influenza, 173 (129) of tonsillitis, and 162 (104) of erythema ; 168 (60) had no obvious
disease.
Amongst the 1,118 (709) cases wrongly certified as diphtheria, were 47 (40) of measles, and
880 (498) of tonsillitis; 21 had no obvious disease.
Amongst the 384 (386) cases wrongly certified as enteric fever, were 13 (21) of influenza,
22 (24) of febricula, 86 (89) of pneumonia, and 9 (14) of bronchitis ; 12 had no obvious disease.
The cases of mistaken diagnosis in cases removed to the Wharves, as small pox, were 245
(30 in 1900, when the disease was not epidemic), out of 1,845 (94) or 13.3 (32.0) per cent. The
medical certificate is revised by one of the Board's Medical Officers at the Wharves.
Statistics since the Establishment of the Hospitals in 1870.—At page 33 is a table showing the
admissions and deaths of patients and mortality per cent at the fever hospitals, together with
the annual mortality per 1,000 persons living of the population of the Metropolis, from scarlet,
typhus, and enteric fevers, and diphtheria, extracted from the Registrar-General's Annual
Summaries. The total admissions were :—Scarlet fever 176,185; diphtheria (since 1888)
56,151 ; typhus 2,364 ; enteric 15,761 ; other diseases 18,418 ; total 269,874. Of small pox
cases the admissions (1871-1901) were 63,888, including 13,139 between February 4th, 1871, and
January 31st, 1872.
Decreased percentage of case-mortality amongst scarlet fever cases is a noticeable feature * but
more noticeable is the decline amongst diphtheria patients—from 40.74 in 1899 to 22.85
in 1895 (when the antitoxic serum treatment was adopted); to 15.88 in 1888 and to 11.14 in 1901
the lowest on record.
Staff Illness.—There were 4,162 (4,333) persons employed at the fever hospitals during the
course of the year 1901, of whom 197 (216), or 4.7 (4.9) per cent., fell ill with fever or diphtheria,
and 1 (3) died ; while 1.216 (1397), or 29.2 (32.2) per cent., suffered from other forms of illness.
One ambulance driver contracted small-pox, but of 575 (118) persons employed at the smallpox
hospitals none contracted small-pox. The Committee have " many times in (their) annual
reports drawn attention to the absolute impunity with which a hospital staff can be brought into
* Note that the italic figures in brackets are the corresponding totals for 1900.
† The percentage of mistakes to total cases in Kensington was 6 8