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The total number of patients admitted was 35. It should be
noted, however, that during the nine months under consideration
several heavy items of expenditure occurred. Thus £792 was
spent on redecorating, £595 for furniture and bedding, and £202
for ironmongery and repairs.
The nature of the cases admitted is given in the last column
of the table, page 15. The excessive prevalence of Diphtheria has been
commented on previously.
The fall in the number of Tuberculosis cases admitted is consequent
on the admission of maternity cases. The first maternity
case was admitted in March, and 37 were dealt with by the end
of the year. One mother died from Phthisis, and 30 babies were
born. No case of infectious disease developed in any of these
cases, nor was any variation in temperature noted which might
lead to the belief that they were undergoing any undue risk. It
is to be noted that in February of the present year a rather suspicious
looking throat occurred, which caused some anxiety.
Subsequent events, however, showed that the precautions taken
were unnecessary.
Certain experiments were tried, with the object of warming
the bed for open-air treatment. An electrically warmed blanket
was purchased, and proved eminently successful, the cost per day
at present rates for current being about Is. 2d., though this could
be reduced, owing to wastage through resistance to about 11d.
Two beds were also fitted with hot water pipes supplied from an
independent gas-heated boiler ; the cost per day for gas worked
out to about 6d. The cost of warming the Diphtheria Ward is
about 4d. per day per occupied bed. In spite of the higher cost,
the many advantages in such a method of treatment would justify
p further extension. It is hoped to have ten shelters in use where
one or other of these methods of warming is adopted.