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75
HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION FOR PUERPERAL FEVER.
On the loth December, 1909, your Council asked the Metropolitan Asylums
Board to consider the necessity for providing hospital accommodation for
puerperal septic diseases. On the 16th July, 1910, the Managers of the
Metropolitan Asylums Board resolved to inform the Local Government Board
that they were prepared to make arrangements for the reception of certified
cases of Puerperal Fever into their hospitals. On the 29th November, 1911,
your Council resolved to ask the St. Pancras Board of Guardians to press
upon their representatives at the Metropolitan Asylums Board the desirability
of urging the Local Government Board to give their consent to the provision
of accommodation for Puerperal Fever cases in the Asylum Board's hospitals.
On the 20th May, 1912, the Clerk of the Metropolitan Asylums Board stated
that the Board had not yet received the consent of the Local Government
Board. On the 5th June your Council made representations upon the subject
to the Local Government Board and the Members of Parliament representing
the Borough.

The reason for the apparent increase is due to the notification at an earlier
stage of the symptoms of the disease, and from the preventive point of view,
a great advance in the possibilities of early treatment and saving of life. In
London, of less than 300 cases a year, only a proportion would require hospital
treatment, but in these cases it would be urgent, and putting this proportion
as high as a half, say 150, each case lasting say a month to six weeks, then a
provision of two dozen beds would cover the requirements of the Metropolis.
It is the extreme urgency of this disease in small dwellings, and not the
magnitude of its prevalence that calls for hospital provision.
Questions were addressed to the President of the Local Government Board
by Captain H. M. Jessel, m.p., and Mr. Felix Cassel, k.c., m.p., to which
the following reply was given:—
" The question of further extending the functions of the Metropolitan
Asylums Board in various directions, including that referred to in
the question, has been and still is engaging my attention. Recently the
Managers have, under my authority, made arrangements for the reception
of cases of measles and whooping cough. Cases of this kind were not
previously received by the Managers. In addition 9,000 sick and weakly
children have been treated by the Managers at two hospitals formerly
used for infectious cases. The Hon. Member is, no doubt, aware that the
Departmental Committee on Tuberculosis have raised the question whether
the Managers should not be empowered to provide sanatorium beds for
London. I hope that satisfactory arrangements will shortly be carried
through for dealing with cases of puerperal fever."