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hospital to be erected, a standard of something less than one bed per
thousand population was agreed upon, the initial accommodation proposed
being 120 beds. The experience of the last ten years indicates
that this figure is possibly too high.
It has been agreed for many years that the small isolation hospital
is not a very satisfactory institution, and it had been accepted that 100
beds was the minimum sized unit, this being the size of an institution
which would justify the appointment of a resident medical officer. More
recent views are in favour of a 200 bed hospital as the minimum administrative
unit, a hospital which would have a resident medical officer and
an assistant. This would then mean that a 100 or 120 bed unit which
would probably adequately meet Harrow's needs is less than the optimum
sized hospital. Consideration will, therefore, later have to be given to
the question of whether or not to continue with the proposal of the
construction of a new isolation hospital, or whether to revert to the
plans of the County Council in their review by which the needs of this
district would be served by the Hendon Isolation Hospital.
According to the proposals in the White Paper on the National
Health Service, the local sanitary authorities are in any event to lose
their isolation hospitals.
ADMINISTRATION.
The recommendations of the Report of the Nurses Salaries Committee
(Rushcliffe Report) were accepted, and later the recommendations of the
Hetherington Committee on the salaries and emoluments of female
domestic staffs in hospitals.
CLINICAL ASPECTS.
Scarlet Fever.
Admissions :
Number admitted with a diagnosis of scarlet fever 481
Number suffering from scarlet fever 443
Number in whom diagnosis not confirmed 38
Of these cases in which the diagnosis was not confirmed, 6 suffered
from pharyngitis and the same number from influenza, 5 from tonsillitis,
4 from erythema, and 3 each from urticaria and from measles.
Deaths:
Number of deaths from scarlet fever : Nil.
One child died in the hospital who had been discharged after a mild
uncomplicated attack of scarlet fever on the 13th January. Ear-ache
and otorrhœa started on the 20th and she was re-admitted on the 30th
owing to a possible mastoid involvement. Bilateral mastoid operation
was performed, but she died from meningitis.
Treatment:
Of the 443 patients admitted who were considered to be suffering
from scarlet fever, 230 received serum, most of them 3,000 units, only
16 receiving 6,000. Serum reactions occurred in only 5. Prontosil was
given to 194 patients.