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The report was sent also to the Public Health and Poor Law
Authorities, many of which endorsed the Council's views in communications
addressed to the Local Government Board and the Managers.
The National Association for the Prevention of Consumption did
likewise.*
The Hospital Saturday Fund † are understood to be favourable
to the principle of utilising the empty small-pox hospitals as proposed;
a principle which, moreover, has been commended, on more than
one ccasion, by the Secretary of the Hospital Sunday Fund, than
whom, probably, there is no one more competent to speak with
authority on the subject.
But nothing came of the effort; and the Asylums Board, on three
subsequent occasions, declined to re-open the matter, having rejected
motions by Managers desirous of promoting an earlier enquiry.
During the present month the matter will come up again,
automatically, for consideration by the General Purposes Committee,
which comprises the entire body of Managers, whose decision will be
awaited with keen interest.
Action of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. - The subject of
Prevention of Tuberculosis has for some time been engaging the
attention of the Incorporated Society of Medical Officers of Health,
the several Branches of which were invited, recently, to express their
views on certain points connected therewith, and especially on the
question "Whether it is desirable to utilise existing Isolation Hospital
accommodation, where practicable, for the isolation of phthisis ?"
This particular question was fully considered by the Metropolitan
Branch of the Society on the 23rd ult., and a resolution thereon was
adopted as follows: —
"The Metropolitan Branch of the Incorporated Society of
Medical Officers of Health, noting the intention of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board to give almost immediate consideration to the question
whether they should undertake the treatment of persons suffering
from consumption, desire to express their opinion that, by reason of
* The letters addressed by the Council to the Local Government Board, the
Asylums Board, and the National Association are printed in my annual report for
1902 (pages 51-53), as also the letter which the Association addressed to the two
Boards.
† It may be mentioned that this Fund decided, in May last, to make an
independent effort to increase the accommodation for persons suffering from tuberculosis,
in London and its vicinity, and a committee of representatives of organizations
of workers, &c., has been Formed with a view of considering the advisability
of providing Sanatoria within easy reach of the Metropolis, for the reception of
tuberculosis patients on terms that would be within the means of the working
classes.- (The Times Report.)