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112
3.—children's hospitals.
Accommodation for patients.
In the report for 1933 it was mentioned that, owing to the incidence of infectious
disease, it was necessary in October of that year, to remove the non-infectious convalescent
children from the lower Southern hospital, and to obtain special authority
for expenditure for placing children in convalescent homes not under the control of
the Council. It became possible, in May, 1934, to resume the use of the lower
hospital for non-infectious patients, and greater use has been made of the accommodation
than in former years. The highest number under treatment in the lower
hospital during the year was 313.
Since the enlargement of Queen Mary's hospital for children in 1931, when the
nominal accommodation for patients was increased from 900 to 1,274 beds, certain
minor improvements have been effected with a result that, at the beginning of
1934, the accommodation was still further increased to 1,284 beds.
Ringworm.
At the beginning of 1934 there were 44 cases of ringworm in the Goldie Leigh
hospital, Abbey Wood ; during the year 369 were admitted, 381 discharged and 32
remained under treatment on 31st December.
The assistant physician for X-ray work (Dr. Cochrane Shanks) has reported
the following:—
Total Cases X-rayed 208
Cases of incomplete defluvium requiring re-raying 13
Cases re-rayed because of re-infection 1
Endothrix cases 15
Cases from other institutions :—
Fountain mental hospital16
Exmouth training ship 10
West Sussex County Council 1
Case of marked hydrocephalus 1
It will be noted that there were 15 endothrix cases, the largest number which
has occurred in one year in the hospital during the last ten years. Another feature
of his report is the 13 cases of incomplete defluvium. These are balanced by the
absence in the report of any case of X-ray dermatitis or injury from the rays.
The X-ray treatment of ringworm still remains the most delicate and difficult
of X-ray operations. With our present knowledge and methods, and in spite of
the most up-to-date X-ray apparatus kept in perfect working order and used almost
entirely for the one purpose, the margin of error between an underdose and an
overdose is so narrow that it is advisable to err on the safe side, even though an
under-exposure may occur with incomplete defluvium, rather than to take the risk
of an excessive dosage.
Skin diseases.
At the beginning of 1934 there were 82 cases of skin diseases other than ringworm
in Goldie Leigh hospital; during the year 146 were admitted and 138 discharged,
leaving 90 cases under treatment on 31st December.
The consulting physician for skin diseases (Dr. J. M. H. MacLeod) has reported
that the majority of the cases of skin diseases treated in the hospital during 1934
were either some form of eczema or septic dermatitis. As many of the cases of
eczema have their origin in a simple septic dermatitis which has become eczematised
through scratching or rubbing, it is difficult to make a hard and fast distinction
between these two groups. Cases in which the eczematous changes affect the scalp
pro ve most intractable, and it may be years before the scalp resistance has sufficiently
improved for healing to take place.
During the year the following skin affections have been treated: alopecia
areata, dermatitis (seborrhœic and septic), eczema, folliculitis (septic), ichthyosis,
ichthyosis bullosa, impetigo, molluscum contagiosum, moniliasis, pemphigus perleche,
pityriasis rosea, psoriasis, scabies, warts (verruca vulgaria and plana), xeroderma.