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66
HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION FOR PUERPERAL FEVER.
In the last Annual Report an account was given of the action taken by your
Council in regard to hospital accommodation for Puerperal Fever.
On the 16th July, 1910, the Managers of the Metropolitan Asylums Board
adopted a recommendation of their General Purposes Committee "that the
Local Government Board be informed that the Managers are prepared to make
arrangements for the reception of certified cases of Puerperal Fever into their
hospitals." There the matter stands.
HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION FOR OPHTHALMIA
NEONATORUM.
Your Council, in March, 1911, received a communication from the London
County Council forwarding a copy of an Order made by them requiring the
notification in the Administrative County of London, of cases of Ophthalmia
Neonatorum, which had been approved by the Local Government Board.
Your Council also, on the 12th April, 1911, considered as to hospital
accommodation for this disease, and were informed that out of a total of
116,560 births in London in 1909 about 30,000 births were attended by
midwives. From these 30,000 births there were about 165 cases of infants
found to be suffering from inflammatory eyes, and of these about 16 cases, or
one-tenth, were such as might have to be sent to the hospital for treatment.
From these figures it was seen that there would probably be about 60 cases
of Ophthalmia Neonatorum a year in London which would need hospital
treatment.
The Metropolitan Asylums Board having already agreed to provide
accommodation in their hospitals for cases of Puerperal Fever, your Council
were of opinion that it would be possible for them to also provide for the
small number of cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum at the same time, and
recommended that the Metropolitan Asylums Board be asked to consider the
advisability for providing a ward on the north and a ward on the south side
of the Thames for urgent cases of Ophthalmia Neonatorum at the same time
as providing similar separate accommodation for Puerperal Fever cases.
M.A.B. HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION FOR CONSUMPTION.
The question of hospital accommodation has often been before the Managers
of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, and by them has been referred to the
Local Government Board. On the 16th July, 1910, the General Purposes
Committee reported as follows :—" Sir Arthur Downes says, ' My general
view would be, at present the Metropolitan Asvlums Board have no spare
accommodation which could, without serious difficulties and objections, be
turned over to this class of case, whether in the early or in the advanced stages,'
and in this opinion we concur."
HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION FOR MEASLES.
On the 16th July, 1910, the Metropolitan Asylums Board, on the recommendation
of their General Purposes Committee, resolved, "That the Local
Government Board be informed that the Managers are willing to arrange for
the reception tentatively of measles, and other approved diseases, in their fever
hospitals, provided the Board can empower them to admit selected cases from
the poorer classes for which no accommodation is now available."
The Local Government Board have approved of this course, and in April, 1911,
the Metropolitan Asylums Board commenced to receive Poor Law Cases of
Measles and Whooping Cough.