View report page

56
horse-drawn ambulance bodies fitted to a second-hand motor chassis, it is
certainly an improvement and a step in the right direction. But if we are
to continue the motor ambulance service, it will be necessary to have another
motor ambulance, as it often happens that something goes wrong when the
vehicle is most needed. Better still would it be for the Joint Hospital Board
to take over the ambulance work entirely, as far as the removal of patients
to hospital is concerned. The Council might then adopt a motor brougham
for conveying the patients from the hospital to their homes after convalescence,
and also adopt motor bedding vans, and so do away entirely with the present
horse-drawn vehicles.
The motor ambulance was delivered on September 18th, 1918, and the
first case was removed to hospital, in this ambulance two days later, 20th
September; compared with the horse-drawn vehicle it is certainly more
expeditious.
I herewith append a statement of the work carried out in connection with
infectious disease:—
No. of journeys of motor ambulance to remove patients to
Hospital, Winchmore Hill 38
No. of journeys by horse-drawn ambulance to hospital 138
No. of journeys of bedding van to remove infected bedding 298
No. of journeys of bedding van to return bedding 280
No. of journeys of brougham to fetch patients from hospital 1,109
No. of patients returned to their homes from hospital by
brougham 127
No. of rooms disinfected after infectious disea.se 216
No. of articles of bedding, etc., disinfected 3,404
No. of books disinfected 30
No. of articles of bedding destroyed 37
No. of rooms disinfected after phthisis 185
No. of articles of bedding, etc., disinfected after phthisis 928
No. of articles of bedding, etc., destroyed after phthisis 58
No. of rooms disinfected for venninous bedding and vermin 12
No. of blankets, etc., disinfected at the request of the military
authorities 1,101
The library, all day schools, and Sunday schools were disinfected.
ERYSIPELAS.
Isolation and Nursing of Patients.
During the year nine cases were treated at their homes by a qualified nurse,
the Council not having a hospital for the treatment of such cases. The cost
of nursing was £30 4s. 10d.