Annual report of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, 1898 : (in two volumes). Vol. 1.

  • Metropolitan Asylums Board (London, England)
Date:
1899
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Metropolitan Asylums Board, 1898 : (in two volumes). Vol. 1. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/118 (page 15)
    The immunity from smallpox which the Metropolis continues Smallpox. . . . . r , , ,. to enjoy is a matter for sincere congratulation. Of the 36* (121)t smallpox patients sent for admission to hospital during the year, the diagnosis of smallpox was confirmed in 5 (70) only, the remaining 31 (51) patients being (with 3 (1) exceptions) returned to their homes as not suffering from the disease. The percentage of errors of diagnosis was 83*3J of the total cases certified. The observations of the Statistical Committee upon the notifi- Infectious Diseases cations of cases of infectious disease in 1898 and on the hospital Statistics. statistics, together with the reports of the medical super¬ intendents of the Board’s fever and smallpox hospitals, will he found in volume II. of this report. Medical During the past twelve “months 425 (390) students (of whom 19 instruction. (j[%) were women) attended classes at the Board’s fever hospitals. The total number of imbeciles, adults and children, under the Imbeciles. care of the Managers during 1898 was 6,548 (6,628), Of that number 139 (ISO) were discharged, 44 (57) were transferred from the Darenth Schools to the adult asylum, and 418 (399) died. The mortality was at the rate of 7*5 (7'1) per cent, on the average number resident in the adult asylum and 4‘3 (4'1) at the schools. imbecility rePor^s °f fhe medical superintendents of the three asylums statistics. ap Leavesden, Caterham, and Darenth, and the schools at Darenth, together with full statistical tables, are contained in volume II. of this report. tpendi- The total expenditure of the Board during the financial year ture. ended on October 1st, 1898, wffs £719,128 (£665,393), showing an increase of £53,735 over that of the preceding year. The chief items of increase are as follow:—- j* (1) Maintenance of patients .. . . . . . . 2,012 (2) Maintenance of officers . . . . . . . . 14,526 (3) Building and repairs . . . . . . . . 3,936 (4) Warming, cleansing, and lighting. . .. .. 5,389 (5) Bent, rates, taxes, and insurance .. . . . . 1,896 (6) Furniture .. .. .. . . . . .. 5,358 (7) Loans—Principal and interest .. . . .. 20,556 * Only 32 cases were notified ; medical certificates in respect of the four other cases do not appear to have reached the medical officers of health. f The italic figures in brackets throughout are the corresponding figures for 1897. t In the case of smallpox, the patients are examined by a medical officer of the Board at the London wharves, and only those passed by him enter the smallpox hospitals.