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would be necessary to make provision at two or three of the
London hospitals for the reception of such occasional cases,
thereby diminishing the accommodation available for fever, diphtheria,
&c. It has to be remembered, moreover, that on every
occasion when small-pox has been treated in the town hospitals, the
disease has prevailed around those hospitals, with the effect that
during many years, and until patients were taken direct to the
Ships, small-pox was rarely, if ever, absent from the Metropolis.
The existence of the disease entailed heavy expenditure—to say
nothing of the money value of precious lives sacrificed to the loathsome
disease. Since it has been the practice to take the sick out
of London altogether, as recommended by me in 1881—small-pox,
which was almost continuously prevalent previously, has practically
ceased. If this result be due to the fact of removal, which has
been made possible by the existence of the Ships, no better
investment of public money was ever made. The Managers, by a
large majority, rejected the proposal to close the Ships, and they
have kept steadily to their resolution to remove every case down
the River, when removal is not likely to prove prejudicial to the
patient's prospect of recovery.
Extravagant outlay, properly so described, is to be condemned,
but it is true economy to be prepared for every emergency;
and, in my opinion, the Local Government Board did wisely in
making the suggestion, a few years ago, that the Managers
should endeavour to obtain a further site to the west or southwest
of the Metropolis, which should be available for an additional
hospital for convalescent patients—having in view the possible
exigencies of an epidemic, and taking into account the requirements
of London as a whole. Such an additional hospital could
be utilized for Fever and Diphtheria Convalescents, when not
required for Small-pox.
FEVER HOSPITAL ACCOMMODATION.
The Royal Commission (1882) recommended provision of sites
and buildings capable of accommodating 3000 fever patients. " Of