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One unsuccessful case was attacked with small-pox, on the 12th
clay after entering, but passed through a mild illness. It having
been alleged that the boasted immunity from small-pox of hospital
nurses, was due to the fact that the nurses are chosen from former
patients who have had small-pox, Mr. Sweeting states, that "since
Fulham Hospital has been opened no nurses have been chosen from
former patients," and that "out of 94 nurses engaged, only 11 had
suffered from small-pox before they entered the service of the
Institution." Out of 22 nurses engaged in 1880, only 3 had ever
suffered from small-pox.
AMBULANCES.
Reference is made to an order of the Committee, under which
"all the ambulances are now disinfected by the hospital gate porter
before leaving the premises," instead of some of them being allowed
to be done by their own attendants as heretofore; but Mr. Sweeting
urges the desirability of the ambulance service being provided by
the Managers themselves, as recommended by Dr. Stevenson, the
Medical Officer of Health for Paddington.
It may be here mentioned that the 16th section of the PoorLaw
Act, 1879, confers on the Asylum Board power to provide
Ambulances for the conveyance of the infectious sick to the hospitals.
At present the Managers require ambulances only for the
conveyance of sick or convalescent cases from one hospital to
another.* In some parishes both the Vestry (Nuisance Authority)
and the Guardians (Poor-Law Authority) provide ambulances: in
others the Vestry or the Guardians alone. There being some 39
Nuisance Authorities and 30 Boards of Guardians it would appear
that a not inconsiderable saving might possibly be effected should
the Managers find it practicable to give effect to the section—replacing
the existing arrangements by a uniform system of ambulances
connected with the several hospitals, five in number. A
strong motive for the adoption of this plan is supplied by the complaints
that have been made by inhabitants on the route to the
* Since this was written the Board have provided an Ambulance Service for
the conveyance of patients to the hospital ship moored off Deptford, a step that
may be regarded as precursory to the adoption of Dr. Stevenson's recommendation.