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47
sent through the telephone to the adjoining hospital that a nurse, and if
necessary, a second attendant is to get ready, and a ticket has been made
out for the delivery to the driver. Seventy-five seconds after the message
has been received the station gates swing open and the ambulance trots round
the hospital; the nurse gets in taking with her brandy, and if the journey
is at all a long one, beef tea and milk as well, and a moment later is on
her way to fetch her patient. Arrived at the patient's house, the nurse
must first obtain an order signed by a doctor or relieving officer, and then
persuade the patient to leave behind everything, money, outside clothing,
and belongings of all kinds Dressed only in underclothing, but wrapped
in blankets that have come in the ambulance, he is placed in the ambulance
and conveyed to the hospital receiving ward."
The following will also be read with interest in reference
to visits of friends to patients.
" Now-a-days, and in ordinary cases no visits whatever are allowed, if a patient
is seriously ill information of his condition is sent every day to his friends,
only if the case is dangerous are the nearest relatives permitted to enter the
hospital. They are wrapped from head to foot iu a linen wrapper provided
for the purpose, so that their clothes may not be exposed to infection, and
they are not allowed to come into personal contact with the patient. When
they leave the wards they must wash their face and hands with carbolic soap,
they are urged for their own sakes not to increase their own risk by entering
the hospital on an empty stomach, and for the sake of others not to enter any
omnibus or other public conveyance immediately after leaving the hospital."
From the above extracts it will be seen how extremely
careful of communicating infection the managers are.
The report in full can be seen in the October number of
Murray's Magazine.
Other diseases of the Zymotic class which have been
more prevalent than usual were Whooping Cough, Diphtheria,
and Quinsy, the latter more so than I have ever
before known it.
Population. The population estimated on the Registrar
General's method for the middle of the year would be
70,213. This I think is too low, as it gives a birth rate
of 38.4 per 1,000, being 6'7 more than that of London,
which was 31.7 per 1,000.