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a very important bearing upon its ultimate fate. After prolonged
discussions and conferences an agreement was drawn up between
the Southgate and Tottenham Urban District Councils whereby
Tottenham patients will be admitted to the Isolation Hospital at a
specified charge for a period of ten years, or until the Middlesex
County Council or the Ministry of Health make other arrangements.
The question of further extensions to the Hospital was left over until
the County policy is finally stabilised, but the matter was fully
discussed and an agreement in principle arrived at on both sides.
The agreement referred to above was ratified by the Southgate
Borough Council and is now in operation.
The sequel to the arrangement has shown itself in the vast
increase in the number of patients treated. As will be seen from
the Table set out on page 64, the lowest number of patients in
hospital on any one day was 30, as against 9' the previous year,
whereas on many occasions the number was 60 or over. In spite of
this, it has only been necessary to refuse admittance to Tottenham
patients on a few occasions, and then only when it was understood
that accommodation could be obtained elsewhere.
As hitherto, the bulk of the patients admitted consisted of
scarlet fever cases, with diphtheria showing a considerable increase
over the previous few years. Apart from these two complaints,
107 patients suffering from other infectious or apparently infectious
diseases were admitted. The Isolation Block known as Wards 2
and 2A was utilised on several occasions as an overflow from the
cubicles, as we wished to ensure that adequate accommodation was
available for serious diseases such as complicated measles and
whooping cough, rather than that such accommodation should be
filled up with comparatively mild cases of scarlet fever. In this
connection, it is of some importance to note that in no instance was a
case suffering from an infectious disease other than scarlet fever or
diphtheria refused admission from any of the three Authorities
which the Hospital serves.
With the increase in Hospital work it was considered advisable
to carry out two further and very necessary innovations, namely,
to build a house for the Medical Superintendent in the Hospital
grounds, and to construct a laboratory. The first of these is now
an accomplished fact, while the second is well on the way to completion.
I took up residence in my new quarters in Wolves Lane
on December 6th, 1933, and intend, under the new regime, to pay
a minimum of two visits to the Hospital per day, and more if
required. Residence so near the Hospital will undoubtedly mean
closer and more intimate contact—a contact which is now absolutely
essential.
Details concerning the laboratory will be found under the
appropriate heading.
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