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8
NORTH MIDDLESEX HOSPITAL.
Formerly the Edmonton Mi'itary Hospital and old Infirmary.
The dissolution of the Military Hospital.—At the end of
October, 1920, the Military Authorities evacuated the buildings, i.e. the new
Infirmary and the Nurses' Home which had been a military hospital since
April, 1915, the temporary ward, and all others that had been made use of in
the interval, which then reverted to civilian use and the title of "North
Middlesex Hospital" was assumed. This title now extends to the buildings
formerly in use by the military with the addition of what was known as "the
old infirmary" with its mental and maternity wards. The workhouse proper
with its able-bodied, infirm and casual inmates remains as "The Edmonton
Workhouse" under the control of Mr. B, Andrews.
All army and naval cases not evacuated became pensioners and demobilised
from the services. Of these there were about 100 at the ead of 1920. After
discharge, these pensioners, if necessary, can attend as out-patients, or they
may be re-admitted on the request of Pension Committees in the neighbourhood.
Service men on leave, by the authority of the War Office, can be treated as
emergency cases, either as in or out-patients. There is a special orthopaedic
visiting surgeon who was appointed by the Guardians and approved by the
Ministry of Pensions. These services are paid for by the Government to the
Guardians on a capitation basis.
The temporary wards have not yet been removed, but are used partly for
military stores that have not yet been disposed of and partly for massage and
electricity cases. No patients have been housed there since November, 1920.
The Strand Workhouse was closed about the end of 1920 and handed back
to the Military Authorities.
The Special Military Surgical Hospital, Edmonton, ceased to
receive military cases on the 31st October, 1920, after having performed this
function during the war for a period of 5J years. 44,892 patients were passed
through and treated during that time, and it is noteworthy that the late Edmonton
Military Hospital was one of the very first to commence work in the military
capacity, and certainly the last to cease such duty, as other Units had been
ceasing to perform this public service about 12 months beforehand. The
special reason at Edmonton was that the Hospital was pre-war, built and
adapted for acute surgical cases and operative surgery; the War Office
thought it wise to utilise this as a special surgical unit, in view also of the
provision which had been made for auxiliary treatment of operative work,
namely, Massage, Electricity, Radiography, Curative Workshops, Plaster (of