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Sanatoria.—The Bermondsey Borough Council, some time ago,
addressed a letter to the Asylums Board, requesting them to provide
sanatoria, for the open-air treatment of persons suffering from consumption,
and, later, set out an epitome of the replies they had received
to letters sent to the other Metropolitan Borough Councils, informing
those bodies of their action in the matter, and requesting them to make
similar representations to the Asylums Board and the Local Government
Board. The Managers indicated that they would take action in the
desired direction should it become manifest that the sanitary authorities
are practically unanimous in desiring their aid.
In December, 1901, the Council of Kensington made representations
to the Local Government Board in regard to the provision of means for
securing open-air treatment for the sick poor suffering from consumption.
In this connection reference is made by Dr. T. Orme Dudfield, Medical
Officer of Health of Kensington, in his report on the subject, to the
unanimous opinion of the London Poor Law Authorities in support of the
course suggested, as expressed in 1900 at a Conference, which had been
convened at the suggestion of the Local Government Board, "to consider
the general question of establishing hospitals for the open-air treatment
of consumption." The Board were of opinion that such provision, if
made at all, should be for the metropolis as a whole, and be under the
management and control of a Metropolitan Authority. One of their
Medical Inspectors, present at the Conference unofficially, stated that
on July 7th, 1900, there were 1,562 consumptive patients in "Metropolitan
institutions," of whom 1,000 could be removed to a sanatorium
within fifty miles of London; and of the total number 400 were in the
initial (and curable) stages of the disease. The number stated was, of
course, irrespective of the persons living at consumptive homes. The
suggestion that the Local Government Board should be asked to give to
the Asylums Board the requisite powers to carry the proposals into
effect was favourably received by the Conference, and a deputation was
appointed to bring the matter before the President of that Board.
It has been suggested that some of the extensive buildings at Gore
Farm or Joyce Green, prepared for small-pox patients, and which are
now empty, should be utilised for the reception of persons suffering from
consumption, thus avoiding the outlay that would otherwise be necessary
if the Managers had to provide special hospitals for the purpose. Most
of the Borough Councils have approved of this course.
An enquiry was instituted during 1902 by the editor of the "British
Medical Journal" among the leading hospitals and infirmaries of London
and the provinces, with the intention of bringing prominently forward
the present position of these institutions towards this question of
phthisis treatment, and the following statements are made in respect of