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General Provision of Health Services.
HOSPITALS.
Infectious Diseases.
(1) The Plaistow Fever Hospital (opened as two wards in
1896 and as to the computed Hospital designed by the late Edwin
T. Hall in 1901) now contains 210 beds, originally allocated for
the reception of scarlet fever, diphtheria and enteric fever cases,
with 15 isolation beds for mixed or staff cases. The variable
incidence of these diseases in recent years has enabled the Med:cal
Superintendent to receive and treat various other infectious cases
as well as to admit special cases for teaching purposes, including
severe Measles, Tubercular peritonitis, Encephalitis Lethargica,
Puerperal Pyrexia and Puerperal Fever.
Convalescence.
(2) The Grange Convalescent Home consists of a residential
Institution with 7 acres of grounds, together with til acres of
land situated 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
GO patients.
Smallpox.
(3) Dagenham Smallpox Hospital, situated about 9 miles
from the Borough, occupies a site of 6½ acres, enclosed within
the Rookery farm of 119 acres, owned and cultivated by the
Council. It consists of permanent buildings, capable of accommodating
50 patients with the administrative staff required for
their care, together with temporary iron buildings sufficient for a
further 300 cases. The permanent buildings were opened in 1899,
arid the Hospital is a safeguard in epidemic periods of smallpox
to the greater part of London-over-the-Border, as by agreement
thirteen other Authorities contribute to the maintenance of the
Hospital in consideration of West Ham undertaking to receive
and treat all the smallpox patients sent to the Hospital by those
authorities, viz., Barking, East Ham, Romford Joint Hospital
Board, Ilford, Wanstead, Waltham Joint Hospital Board, Brentwood,
Billericay, Loughton, Epping Rural, Epping Urban, Ongar
Rural, Leyton.
When it is considered that the combined population of these
thirteen authorities is over three quarters of a million people the
vast responsibility of West Ham regarding the ever present
menace of smallpox is such as to need constant surveillance on
the part of this authority.
Tuberculosis.
(4) Under the Tuberculosis Scheme formulated after the passing
of the National Health Insurance Act, the Council were permitted
to use Dagenham Hospital as a Temporary Sanatorium
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