View report page

65
Metropolitan Asylums Board Hospitals, and later, when they
were unable to help owing to their own difficulties, to the Staines
Rural District Hospital. 62 cases were sent to the M.A.B. Hospitals
and 18 to the Staines Isolation Hospital. Ultimately, in December,
when one's borrowing powers had been exhausted, I was compelled
to seek other means. I got such information as could be
obtained with regard to large empty houses in the district. The
only one which appeared suitable being one in the Brentford Area.
The Chairman and I had an interview with the Chiswick and
Brentford Council, but were unable to obtain their permission to
utilise the building, as it would mean taking cases of infectious
disease into their area.
The old Dockwell Smallpox Hospital had been closed since
October, 1928, when we agreed to go into the County Scheme for
treatment of smallpox, and attempts had been made to sell the site.
As there appeared no possible accommodation elsewhere, I
went to inspect, and found the place more or less derelict, the
grounds having been turned by the caretaker into a pig farm.
I took the Chairman down to inspect the place, and he agreed
that it must be utilized as the only solution of the difficulty. The
matter was reported to the Public Health Committee which met
two days later. The account of subsequent happenings is embodied
in the accompanying report, which was presented to the
Committee at their January meeting.
" Re-opening of Dockwell Isolation Hospital
for Diphtheria Cases.
Anticipating the possibility of the sanction for opening
Dockwell Hospital, I had made arrangements previous to the
meeting on the 9th December, for a Disinfector to be in attendance.
Directly the motion was passed the word was sent out
and two Sanitary Inspectors were picked up, and before the
termination of the meeting the Hospital was disinfected.