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53
Folkestone's typhoid cases during the past eight years appeared
to put a somewhat greater strain upon common sense than could
conveniently be borne.
Infectious Hospitals.
Infectious hospitals came in for some hard remarks against
their usefulness, and a resolution was passed, during an afternoon
sitting (poorly attended) of the Preventive Medicine and Vital
Statistics section, to the following effect:—
"That, as the hospital isolation of scarlet fever has been
tried on a large scale for many years, and as some doubt
exists as to whether the results obtained are commensurate
with the cost, it is desirable, in the public interest, that a
full and authoritative inquiry into the subject should be
made."
This, however, is but a pious opinion, and must not be taken
to represent that of your delegates.
Personal Hygiene.
A popular lecture was given at the Pleasure Gardens Theatre,
on Sunday night, on "The Personal Health of the Citizen in
relation to National Efficiency"; whilst Dr. Hueppe (of Prague)
gave an address on Monday morning on "Tuberculosis."
Sanatoria for Consumptives.
One of the results of the Congress was an important discussion
upon the management, or mis-management, of what are known
as the Jones's Homes for Tuberculosis Patients, at Sandgate, a
suburb of Folkestone. These Homes consist of houses that form
part of the main street of Sandgate, and have no grounds of
their own. Further, they are not under constant medical supervision.
The result of the discussion was that a resolution was
finally passed to the effect that "Sanatoria for consumptives
should stand in their own grounds in an isolated position, away
from the general population, and that such Sanatoria should be
placed under the absolute control of fully-qualified medical
practitioners." It was stated in the discussion that the Homes
were run for private profit—an unsatisfactory state of affairs,
and one calculated to cause trouble sooner or later.