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23—Recent experience has convinced me of the importance of
having a small ward in connection with the discharging rooms, in
which after the bath of final disinfection, children can remain in
bed for an hour or two pending the arrival of their parents with
their home clothes.
24—The subjoined table shows the total number of beds
provided and the bed rate per 1,000 population.
25—Although one bed per thousand of the population is
generally considered as the average ratio required in nonepidemic
times it is obvious that such a standard will not apply
to all towns. Much will depend upon the character of the
population and the number of diseases that are eligible for
admission.
26—Croydon is essentially a residential town and possesses 110
manufactures of any magnitude. There is practically no
crowding of buildings on area, and the average density of the
population is only 11 persons per acre. Thus the liability to the
spread of infectious air-borne organisms is considerably diminished,
and as it is proposed to limit the Hospital admissions to cases
of scarlet fever, diphtheria, and enteric fever, the provision of
slightly under one bed per 1,000 population appears in our case
to be quite adequate for all requirements.