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The report states that when all additions to and works in connection with the existing fever
hospitals shall have been completed, the accommodation in these hospitals will amount to 3,766 beds.
It was expected that these works, with the exception of those at the north-eastern and western hospitals,
would be completed in 1896. Beyond this, three new hospitals were to be added, the Brook hospital
with 488 beds to be ready in the middle of 1896, the Park hospital with 548 beds towards the end of
1897, and the Grove hospital with 520 beds to be ready somewhat later.
The managers approved plans for the erection on the Joyce-green estate at Dartford of a twostorey
brick hospital for the accommodation of 880 cases of small-pox and of 72 cases in special isolation
buildings.
During 1895 the managers removed from their houses to the hospitals of the Board 17,770 fever,
diphtheria and small-pox patients, and 326 private persons were removed on payment to other places than
the managers' hospitals; 724 patients were taken from the out-patient departments of general hospitals
to their homes, owing to there being no vacant beds in the managers' hospitals, and 241 enteric fever
patients were removed from their homes to general hospitals, where the managers had made arrangements
for the reception of this class of patient.
Mortuaries.
The reports of the medical officers of health of the following districts show the improve
ments and alterations which have been effected in mortuaries during the year as well as the extent of
their use—
Hammersmith.—The vestry after some correspondence with the County Council, decided to
abandon the site they had purchased for a mortuary at Shepherd's-bush, and to utilise part of the
estate purchased by them in Fulham-palace-road for the purposes of a coroner's court and a mortuary.
Westminster.—The mortuary was used during the year by the staff of the Grosvenor hospital
for making post-mortem examinations free of expense until the hospital mortuary is built, and, in
addition, a large number of bodies were removed to it from different parts of the parish.
Strand.—In future the Savoy dead-house will not be used for the reception of bodies, being
quite unsuited for the purpose. There will therefore be only two mortuaries in the district.
Holborn.—The medical officer of health who was temporarily appointed reports that, " It seems
to adequately fulfil its purpose, and to be freely made use of by the inhabitants of the district.
Clerkenwell.—" The excellent mortuary still continues to fulfil its most useful purpose."
St. George-in-the-East.—The public mortuary is situated in the parish churchyard, and contains
a separate chamber for the bodies of persons dying from infectious disease.
Limehouse.—The existing mortuary was temporarily repaired, and a new mortuary has sinci
been erected and opened.
Mile-end Old-town.—In April, 1895, the new mortuary, which has a specially-constructed
chamber for infectious cases, was finished and ready for use ; its central situation is a great boon both to
coroner and jurymen, as all inquests are held at the Vestry Hall which it adjoins; the opposition to its
location has subsided, it has been no nuisance to the neighbourhood, nor a danger to health, nor caused
property to deteriorate in value.
Poplar (Poplar).—As the Poplar hospital authorities have now built a new mortuary, bodies
from that institution are no longer taken to the district mortuary.
St. George, Southwark.—A separate chamber for the deposit of infectious bodies has been
provided, and the ventilation of the mortuary has been improved.
St. Olave.—The medical officer of health again this year reminds his authority, as he did in
1894, " that the accommodation at the mortuary is very inadequate, and that there is no satisfactory
provision for the holding of inquests." Provisional arrangements were recently made with the authorities
of Guy's hospital for the joint use of their mortuary, coroner's court, &c.
Rotherhithe.—By the end of 1895 the new mortuary, mentioned in the report for 1894, was
ready for use; it consists of two rooms for bodies, one for infectious and one for non-infectious cases,
and space is also provided for post-mortem examinations to be made.
Battersea.—The mort uary accommodation having become inadequate for the needs of the parish,
plans have been prepared for " a building far in advance of the majority of metropolitan mortuaries."
Lewisliam.—It was anticipated that the necessary buildings at Ladywell would be completed
by the end of the year.
Plumstead.—The medical officer of health reports that there is " urgent need for the new
mortuary, for which plans have already been prepared."
The London Equalisation of Rates Act, 1894.
The Equalisation of Rates Act provides that the London County Council shall in each year form
a fund equal to a rate of sixpence in the pound on the rateable value of London. The contribution
from each parish to the fund is to be in proportion to its rateable value. The fund thus formed is
to be distributed among the sanitary districts in proportion to their population. Where a sanitary
district comprises two or more parishes, and the aggregate of the contributions from such parishes
is less than the grant apportioned to the district, the difference shall be paid out of the fund to the
sanitary authority of the district, and no payment towards any equalisation charge shall be required
from any parish in the district.
Subject to the above, when the contribution from a parish is less than the grant due, the
difference shall be paid out of the fund to the sanitary authority of the district forming or comprising
the parish; and if it exceeds the grant due to the parish, the Council shall, for the special purpose of
meeting the excess, levy on the parish a county contribution as a separate item of the county rate.
Every sum paid to a sanitary authority must be applied in defraying the expenses of the
sanitary authority incurred under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and so far as not required