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the 31st of May, for a period of 3 months, in order that extensive
repairs and improvements may be carried out in the
basement and throughout the hospital," I wrote to the
Secretary to inquire what were the alterations proposed, and
especially how far the sewerage was to be disturbed; and
on his informing me that it was "proposed to put the
hospital in a complete state of repair, and to substitute
pipe drains for the present old brick drains," I wrote to inquire
what reasons, apart from the convenience of the
Medical School, " induced the Committee to determine on
having such alterations carried out during the hot weather,
and at the very time when London, and more particularly
the quarter in which the hospital stands, is crowded with
visitors." In the meantime much alarm had arisen, and an
article had appeared in the Lancet, and been quoted in the
Times, pointing out that the worst time of the year had
" been selected for exposing the old and rotten drains, and
for stirring up the foul gases and poisons with which the
foundations of the hospital are impregnated." So the
weekly Board of Governors of the hospital sent the following
letter to the Times, and forwarded me a copy of it, in answer
to my inquiry:—
"to the editor of the 'times.'
"Sir,—The weekly Board of Governors of St. George's
Hospital have learnt, with great regret, that considerable
alarm is felt by some persons in consequence of the necessity
which has arisen of closing this hospital for extensive repairs,
and they consider the best mode of allaying this
alarm is by stating exactly what are the facts.
"The hospital is to be thoroughly repaired and painted,
and this will occupy the time until the month of August,
after which glazed drain pipes are to be substituted for the
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