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57
and age of the patients. The system as nearly as
possible leaves it to the medical officer of health to say
who shall be removed from his district, a right
which is claimed by all medical officers. Some
amount of selection must rest with the Board's
Officers, as they have to decide between the claims of
the most urgent cases from, may be, several districts.
Speaking generally no really urgent case was kept at
home more than a day after the first application for
removal. Certain patients, for whom hospital isolation
was desired but not urgent, had to wait some days,
but none had to wait for the long periods which
occasionally prevailed in 1895. In times of pressure
removal to the Board's Hospitals has been effected on
the application of the Sanitary Officials only.
During 1896 the Board's accommodation was
increased by the opening of the Brook Hospital in
August, when, however, only a portion of the hospital
(built for 500 beds) was ready. A site for the
Southern Convalescent Hospital has been secured at
Carshalton, on which a hospital for 700 patients will
be erected. The building of a permanent small-pox
hospital at Joyce Green, Darenth, was commenced
during last year. It is expected that when this
hospital is completed, the Hospital Ships will be
abandoned.
The existing hospitals contain 3,462 beds for
acute cases of "fever" and diphtheria, and 955 beds-