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12
and the removal of patients for proper isolation. It is
perfectly obvious to all but the prejudiced that if the
information obtainable under the Act bad been withheld or
had only tardily reached the Authorities, the outbreak at
St. Mark's Schools would have assumed much larger
dimensions and possibly have spread throughout the
district.
Isolation
Hospital.
The number of cases admitted to the Isolation
Hospital last year is not particularly large, only 17
indeed, and they were mostly during the last six weeks of
the year, being the scarlet fever cases already referred to.
Owing to the disestablishment of the Kingston Rural
Sanitary Authority, and a new disposition of many of the
constituent districts, there is at present no settled governing
board. To re-arrange this matter a Local Government
Board Enquiry is shortly to be held, when the various
districts interested will be heard as to their claims, and
a permanent settlement arrived at; consequently under
these circumstances I cannot with propriety say much.
However, I may be permitted to say that the privilege to
Surbiton of being able to send a large number of the
infectious sick into thorough and effective isolation has
been of the utmost advantage to the community, and of
inestimable benefit to the patients themselves. Having
been admitted to a certain proportionate use of the hospital
upon agreed terms, but without any voice in the management,
we were merely tenants, and it was of no use I
found to suggest any alterations or improvements ; but
whatever our footing may be in the future it will be necessay
to have a different system of disinfection. The present
method is that of dry heat obtained by gas, and known as
Dr. Schollick's. In the light of experience that system has
been long since condemned as unreliable, and super-heated