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PLAISTOW FEVER HOSPITAL.
Report for the year ended
31st December, 1937.
by
Donald MacIntyre, m.d., d.p.h.,
Medical Superintendent.
This hospital has available 210 beds for the treatment of
eases of the common infectious diseases. It is built in seven twostorey
blocks. Six of these blocks comprise two large wards,
giving an average accommodation of 15 beds each, and each large
ward has a side-ward attached providing separate accommodation
for one or two patients. The seventh block has three wards on
each floor. Two of the ground-floor wards have accommodation
for two and four patients respectively, and the third is a singlebedded
ward. The upper floor is reserved for the treatment of
staff cases.
The diseases commonly treated are scarlet fever, diphtheria,
cnteric fever, measles, whooping cough, chicken-pox, erysipelas,
pneumonia, cerebro-spinal fever, influenza, and puerperal fever.
The number of beds allocated to any particular disease is varied
from time to time according to the prevalence of the different
infections. The "barrier" method of nursing is practised in the
main wards for the isolation of cases with infectious complications,
and one of the wards is equipped for the nursing of cases of
different infections by the "bed-isolation" method.
A receiving-room is available for the examination of cases
of suspected infectious disease which have been sent in by medical
practitioners, or brought along by relatives. This room is also
used for the swabbing of children who have been recommended for
admission to a convalescent home.
A disinfecting station, equipped with two large steam
disinfectors, is attached to the hospital, and a garage provides
accommodation for five motor vehicles.
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