“In regard to some infectious cases, notably those of scarlet fever and diphtheria, there are no means at all to be compared to isolation in hospital for preventing the spread of a limited number of cases into a formidable epidemic.
“And the wonderful and repeated checks to small outbreaks of smallpox in the metropolis in the course of the past seven years bears overwhelming evidence to the truth of this dictum.”
As the population of the metropolis increased in density it became more and more necessary in the interests of the people as a whole to make proper and sufficient provision for the prompt isolation of those of its inhabitants who might be smitten with infectious disorders.
Home isolation in London was difficult even under the best circumstances, but in the smaller tenements it was impossible.
“The removal to hospital of so many of the cases (of scarlet fever) is a vast blessing to this neighbourhood,” wrote the Medical Officer for St. Mary, Newington, in 1897.
For some time a growing tendency on the part of the public to accept hospital treatment for infectious cases had been evinced.
“The ‘depauperisation’ of the Hospitals had led to a great increase in the admissions, so that the public are on the whole very willing to take advantage of the facilities offered for having their infectious sick cared for in hospital, whereby the other members of the patient’s family can follow their avocations without hindrance and without risk to the public generally.”
The Chief Sanitary Inspector for Bethnal Green gives information as to the numbers who from his parish availed themselves of the hospitals.
“A satisfactory feature, and of the greatest assistance in dealing with infectious disease, is the large number of patients now sent to hospital. This year nearly two-thirds of the cases notified were removed. The importance of this either to the patients themselves or to the public can hardly be overestimated.”
By the Public Health London Act, 1891, every inhabitant of London suffering from any dangerous infectious disease was entitled to free treatment at one of these hospitals.[181] On receipt of notice an ambulance was at once sent for his removal.