London Fever Hospital.
The Times, 1824-02-14T00:00:00

Yesterday a S[eetingof ?hie overnorsof the London -Fever Hos- nital.ktook place at the Freemasons' Tavern, for the purpose of' re- cem,ing the 23d Annual aeportof the Cocnittee.. J. L. MALL.4T, ;;Treasurer, in the chair. TlheltDsAnltaIAN observed, that thc Coinm-.tte hatd conceived it ne~COS5ry, in presentint tbeir report, to remind the public. that, the Objectsof this jnstjtuljjion wereto Iiliniislh themortalityof contagious mnalignant fevers, by a speedy removal of the persons firstint'ected into theHosnital; andto prevent thespreadingof tbesefevorslypurifying theapaftmaenta of patientaby ineansof white.wasling.,fiutiidgation,&c. Two very important advantages were thus acquired which were unat- tainable by the ordinasry regulations of pubulic charities. First, the adtnission was not delayed by f'otmlitien of recoma endation, or stated and distant periodls for 'the reception of' patients; so that if' *early- application be madue, the disease might be taken in tbe'com- anencement, and easilv cired. And secondlv, the asistanee being extended beyond the t1aUe of the Hospital to the infected apart- nents of' thc sick, those wl'o had not already suffered were pre'srved to their families; and the patients once recovefedi escaped the'dan- ger of a fresh infectio-d on thteir rethrn home. * *:Dr.CLE VEnr.w presented the report of thie Committee, which was read. It stat-d, that in the year 1823, the admissions into the hospigal amounted to 336, of wvhich numnber 283 had heenv dismissed cured; 14 were disrissed as improper objectss and 46 died. There were remaining in the lsospital 23, and the total number of admis- -Sions since the opening in 1802, amounted to 4,871. For the four Years preceding 1822, tl1e cases of fever were graduaUy diminished, the advaissions being in the first year 608; in the seconds 539 in the third,477; and in thefourth, 328. An increase oF I0 took place in 1822, for the number rose to 42f. Last vear the number hadi declined to 339: so that the committee considered malignant infec- tious fever as stationary for the last three years. so far as they could judge fiomn the Hospital records. It was not difficult to determine a Pr"iri, and upon simple inspection, where the typhus fever originated and most abounded. The parishes, containing the greatest number of sick, were St Pancras, St. Andrew's, Holborn; St. Luke's; St. Janies's, Clerkenwell; St. Mlatthew, Bethnal-green; Christ ChurchQ Spitalfields St. Giles's. and Whitechapel. In no preceling year haQ the institution rendered such imnportant services as in tbe present. &eventy-five domestic servants had been admitted, and so many fa- nmiiies had been relieved from the anxiety and danger natu,ally at. tendant upon persons in contagious feiera. The progressive im- provements in the metroselis tended to mitigate. tise violence of fevers which were usually engendered in the filthy and confined habitations of the indigent. The benefits of light and air were in- creased, the paring and cleansing the streets, the construction and support of the common sewers, and the copious supplies of water, all formed an enemy to the typhus, not easy to be resisted; while in the close abodes of the poor, the disease ritred, and would rage until the miserable recesses were less crowded with inhabitants,and habits of cleanliness were adopted. Dr. SUErHiEtD rose to move a resolution to the meeting. He believed the putblic would be highly gratified at finding that the tonton Fever Hospital stood mongsr the bighest in the list of cha- Ritie, and he honed that the immense aavantages arising from it ivould stimulate them to exercise a sirit of liberality proportioned to the acknowledged merits of the Institution. He then moved, that the funds were inadequiate to the extensive objects of the Insti- tution, and that it should be referred to the General Committee to adopt measures for increasing the resources of the Institution. Somne conversation took place upon this resolution, which was 'Jnanimously aeead to. The Duke of Sonierset was then re-elected president for the year ensuing, and the name of Lord Bexley was added to the list of Vice-Presidents. The meetine then separated. - LONDO: ?TBVER H.sePIT4Ar.,.. .