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better prepared to cope with the outbreak, than at the time of any
previous epidemic." The postponement for so long a time of another
epidemic, is reasonably attributed to the action of the Managers, in
removing sporadic cases, as they have occurred since the last epidemic,
to the Hospital Ship-, and it is suggested that the Managers might not
unreasonably hope to indefinitely postpone another epidemic, were they
endowed with additional powers—beyond those of removal and isolation
of infected persons,—viz., powers to disinfect infected houses, and
to vaccinate or re-vaccinate the inmates of infected houses.
Fever Hospital Accommodation.—The Chairman refers to the
hitherto futile efforts of the Managers to procure a site for the erection
of a hospital for the relief of the Eastern Hospital (the necessity for
which was emphasized by the Royal Commission in 1882), and to the
refusal of the Local Government Board to sanction the purchase of
what appeared to be a suitable freehold site at Tottenham—under
circumstances set out in my sixth monthly report (June 30th, page 69).
" That the provision of additional accommodation for fever patients is
imperative, both by reason of the growth of the population of London,
and of the greater use which, year by year, is being made of the Board's
Hi spitals, was sufficiently demonstrated in the last report" (of the
Chairman); " and it is a matter for regret that the efforts of the
Managers to make proper provision for the requirements of the
Metropolis, in this respect, should not have been supported by the
Local Government Board. The justice of this observation is
emphasized by the state of unpreparedness of the Board to meet
the requirements entailed by a current epidemic of scarlet fever,
an unpreparedness for which they can scarcely be held responsible.
Fever and Diphtheria Statistics.— During the year 5,262
Scarlet Fever patients were admitted to the Hospitals, of whom 357
died, a mortality of only 611 per cent., "a death-rate lower than that of
any previous year since the opening of the Board's Hospitals in 1870."
Of the 1,312 Diphtheria patients admitted, 397 died, a mortality of
30'61 per cent. Enteric Fever admissions were 755 in number, and
the deaths were 106, a mortality of 14-19 per cent. Only one of the
18 typhus fever cases admitted proved fatal. The uniformly high
level which the numbers of patients under treatment in the Board's
Hospitals has maintained during the past year is," it is observed "the
only matter which calls for remark in connection with these figures,"