The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-05-21 00:00:00

CONTAGIOUS FEVER.

Mr. nENNETT brought op the Report of tlits
Committee upon the state of the Fever in the Me-
tropolis. Ist moving that it be printed, lie had to
communicate to the House the very unpleasant in.
telligetice, that the Committer had ascertained that
contagions fevers had increased in frequency in the
proportion of seven to one. The hospitals which
admitted fever patients were by no means calico-
Sated to receive or accommodate patients suf
fering under that class of contagious dtsease. A
more extraordinary sod alarisinig instance could itot
be adduced, than by simply stating the fact, that
into general hospitals they Imritated trot to octant
patients labouring under the most contagious symp.
t of fever. The natural conseqttence was. that
fever often became disseminated through the se-
veral wards in its most malignant *llene, and that riot
unfrequently the wounded. consumptive, or maim-
ed, suffered from its ravages, but that the utten.
daub,. nurses, and even 'indents walking the hospi-
tals, fell victims to its ravages. The Committer more
particularly recommended the subject of ample
ventilation. to the notice of the House, as extremely
necessary to be entorced. It had formed always a
part of what might be termed a sort of medical
police in all hospitals peculiarly set apart for the
reception of patients in fever, but was too little at-
tended to. or rather not sufficiently strictly enforced
in hospitals receiving general patients. The great
desiderata,* in the opinion of the Committee was.
the appropriation of one or more hospitals, on 1116
extensive and peculiarly well ventilated plan. to the
reception of fever patients exclusively. if there
should be started an objection to this piopri-
sition on the score of increased expense, it
was also to be taken into consideration, that by the
removal of those patients into a separate hospital,
the remaining hospitals would be lightened of a
very considerable expense. It was gratefully aekuow.
!edged by the Report of the Committee, thud Cn-
veniment had already successfully revomnietided
to Parliament last year n grant of 1,000/. for the
endowment of n fever hospital. conforievible to
the new principles. The vote, however gratefully
received, was altogether incompetent to the great
objects and expectations of the Committer. In
fu.t, the expenditure iu the last year kid exceeded
1.700/. iu coils' quence of the increased number of
iritirots, and It hail hero determilied on the liart
of the Committee to revoininend a grant of ,0001.
by Parlianielit, so as to enable the nurroigers of
this institutionto increase the itinisher of 1,. d.
tl4s Fever Hospital front sixty-nine to one lini,drert.
With these observe:iims, he should cl.t.e all It, bin.i
to address to the House, hoping the applicatiou al
the Committee would obtain the coidail saiict )))))
awl support of his Nlajets.y'a Nliiiisters, as calcula-
ted to tfrret the most frenetic...tit results. stud stop
the wide-Noe:tiling contagion of a disease. %Overt,
althoueli it originated most frequeotly in the dwell-
ings or the pour, MA 111116*(1,16.11tly 110164116161 i Itatit
tar all its malignity into the palaces of the great.
The Report was then read, mid ordered to he
primed.
On the motion of Mr. Lusurtirreno. the further
isroceeditigs in the Customs Consoludattou Ifill was
postpirtied to this day three month..
Lord LA5CF1.1.1,1 wished 10 hear from atith.rily.
whether, as the Cosi/tins Consolidation Bill aright
HOW hr cootioderril in he set fur this Sc•bl“,, of
P., liament, it W4l 1116. Intention of (411/Yr 1111 l rut to
giant to the agriculturists engaged in the Kruvrtli of
mime trrerl, Ploy and whet roger' ognuirt the im-
port of ...Lis attirit ? It had beenmentioned as