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17
Hospital Accommodation.—If for no other reason, 1896, the
10th year of the incorporation of the Borough, was memorable as being
the first year in which West Ham commenced to treat infectious
disease other than small-pox by means of hospital isolation. How it
came about that a population of over 200,000 remained so long without
such isolation, and what were the difficulties the Council had to meet
before they were able to open the hospital, form an interesting chapter
in the sanitary history of the Corporation, which need not be further
considered in the present report, it is sufficient to notice the commencement
of what, I trust, when fully completed, will prove a
powerful arm of the Public Health service.
On January 1st two wards accommodating 36 cases of diphtheria
were opened, and during the first two months I sent in 35 cases.
With the opening of the wards, however, diphther ia cases fell markedly
in number, and after consultation with Dr. Biernacki, the Medical
Superintendent, it was decided to use the wards for scarlet fever instead
of diphtheria. Early in March, the wards having been cleaned and
prepared, this plan was adopted, and from that period till the end of
the year I sent in 168 cases of scarlet fever. In the mean time the
second pavilion of two wards were furnished to receive diphtheria
cases, which we were again able to isolate from the middle of July.
In all 126 cases of this disease were taken from their houses in the
Borough for treatment at the hospital.
The accommodation for diphtheria is at present ample, but the
scarlet fever wards have been full from the time they were opened, and
I have had almost daily to refuse to send in cases where the friends
were willing and anxious for their removal. Up to last year it was
easy to explain to one and all that there was no hospital and that,
therefore, cases must be treated at home, but now that the hospital is
opened, and the scarlet fever wards chronically full, it is becoming
increasingly difficult to discriminate which cases shall be sent in, and,
indeed, as very frequently happens eases particularly requiring
removal from home occur when there is no chance of their reception
at the hospital.