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"may be taken as an approximate indication of the work likely
to be required, unier present conditions, in any year when
small-pox is not prevalent in the Metropolis." The Committee's
third report, for 1887, as they say, "presents a marked
contrast to that of the preceding year, and, so far as the number
of fever patients removed to hospital, is unprecedented in the
history of the Board." The cases removed were 6,394 in
number; but, as usual, the work was unevenly distributed : the
average daily removals during the first six months were only
6.7, against a daily average of 29.1 in the second half of the
year. "The number of removals" is "heaviest in the late
hours of the day—indeed many having been effected between
12 p.m. and 3 a.m.," the result being " much extra expense
and inconvenience to the Ambulance service and disturbance
of the sleep of the patients in the hospital wards by the
entrance of fresh cases during the night." In addition to the
first removal of acute cases of fever (6,394) from
homes to hospitals, there were 3,093 removals of
convalescents, viz., 1,793 to the Northern and other Hospitals,
1,088 of recovered cases from the Northern Hospital
to Town Hospitals for discharge, and 212 from Hospitals
to homes, making a total of 9,487 Fever patients removed
by the Ambulances of the Board. By judicious measures for the
removal of patients to the Convalescent Hospital at Winchmore
Hill, the work was effected with great economy; the cost of
each patient's removal averaging only one shilling and sevenpence
for horse hire and driver's wages, although the distance
to be traversed is considerable, the hospital being about nine
miles from Charing Cross. The lowest number of patients
removed in any one month was 165, in March; the highest
number of Fever patients removed was 1,361, in October.
Scarlet fever was the prevalent disease of the year, and beds for
2,700 patients were provided, the maximum number occupied
at one time being 2,611. The position of affairs was often
"critical" owing to the "rapid influx of patients," but all