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(3) The Grange Convalescent Home consists of a residential
mansion and 7 acres of grounds, together with 61 acres of land,
situate at Harold Wood, being about 9 miles from the Borough.
It was opened on 22nd February, 1909, for the reception of
scarlet fever convalescents, and is capable of accommodating
60 patients. Owing to the fall in the number of scarlet fever
cases the institution has during the last 2 years been used for
the reception of diphtheria convalescents.
Ambulance Service.
The Council has two Motor Ambulances for the removal
of infectious patients to hospital, and two ambulances for
removing infected bedding, clothing, etc., to the disinfecting
station.
There are also two motor ambulances for transference of
non-infectious and accident cases to or from institutions. The
latter ambulances made 861 journeys during the year. In 280
eases persons were removed from one address to another
within the Borough. In 581 cases from an address within the
Borough to an institution outside or vice versa.
Mutual arrangements are in existence between West Ham,
the County Borough of East Ham, and the District of Barking
for reciprocal use of ambulances on call in case of emergency
should the ambulance of one or other authority be unavailable.
Laboratory Work.
In addition to the Bacteriological work carried out at the
Plaistow Hospital and at the Tuberculosis Dispensary, 540
swabs for suspected cases of diphtheria, 172 specimens of
sputum and 5 specimens of blood from suspected cases of
typhoid fever were examined at Seamen's Hospital, Greenwich,
on behalf of the Public Health Department, most of the
specimens having been submitted by private practitioners in the
Borough.
Diphtheria antitoxin can be obtained free from the
Isolation Hospital or from the Public Health Department,
Town Hall.
Arrangements have recently been made whereby all swabs
from cases of suspected diphtheria are to be sent by private
practitioners direct to the Plaistow Fever Hospital for bacteriological
examination and report instead of to the Seamen s
Hospital, Greenwich, as formerly. This method (besides being
more economical) will enable the result of the examination of
the swab to be communicated to the doctor concerned with a
minimum of delay.