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such institutions in Westminster and in the adjoining boroughs to
which citizens go:—
Charing Cross Hospital.—Hopeless consumptives are not, as a rule,
admitted, and, so far as can be ascertained, there are no arrangements
for any special form of management.
St. George's Hospital.—No arrangements have been made for openair
treatment. Though, by a rule of the hospital, chronic cases of
phthisis are ineligible for admission, the regulation has been tacitly
allowed to become disregarded, and tuberculous cases are taken in at
the discretion of the physicians. They are treated in the general
wards, due precaution being taken for the proper disinfection of sputa.
Middlesex Hospital.—The regulations of the hospital exclude from
admission cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, but patients are frequently
taken in on account of acute complications. They are received in the
general wards, and no special provision is made for them or their
treatment. (A few patients are treated at the Convalescent Home.)
Italian Hospital.—Being a foreign hospital, the management is
obliged to receive patients in all stages of phthisis, but those who speak
English, and in whom the disease is far advanced, are referred to the
local infirmary. Treatment is carried on in the general wards with
suitable precautions to prevent infection. Open-air methods are adopted
as far as practicable, but there are no special rooms for the purpose.
King's College Hospital.—Patients suffering from tuberculosis are
received into the general wards in all stages of the disease if they are
likely to be benefited by ward treatment. There are no facilities for
open-air management.
Westminster Hospital.—Only cases which offer a hope of cure are
taken in; they are not separated from other patients, but occupy the
general wards of the hospital. The open-air method is not practised.
Central London Sick Asylum.—Patients are admitted in all stages
of the disease, and are treated in the general wards. No system of
open-air management has so far been inaugurated.
St. George's Infirmary.—All classes of patients are received and
distributed throughout the general wards. The open-air treatment
has not been adopted, and the general question of providing sanatoria
has not yet been considered by the guardians.
In many poor law infirmaries arrangements have been made for
affording special treatment to consumptive patients, and if only they
will avail themselves of such assistance sufficiently early, excellent
results may be obtained.
The general hospitals do not care to take phthisical cases, with the
result " that they must either drift into poor law infirmaries, in most of
which they are no better provided for and are no more acceptable than