The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1888. THE ASHBURTON HOSPITAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1906, 31 July 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, JULY 31, 1888. THE ASHBURTON HOSPITAL.

The Inspector of Hospitals, Dr Macgregor, is very brief m bis remarks on our local hospital, but what he says is satisfactory m greater proportion than the length of the report. The Doctor aays : — "Notwithstanding the unsuitable structure and arrangement of the Ashburton Hospital, which I commented on m my last report, it is so comfortably furnished, and so well managed, that patients are evidently attracted to it. At my visit they numbered fourteen,' ten being males and four females. There were 127 m patients during the year, who paid £82 7s 9d for maintenance ; while the subscriptions and donations amounted to £1."

Out of thirty-seven hospitals m New Zealand Ashburton shows the smallest amount against subscriptions, donations, and bequests, viz., £1. Whence this sum came it might be curious to know, but when vre compare Ashburton with some other hospitals m this respect the result is not very flattering to our institution. Patea and Picfcon were only three and fourpence better ; but take Greymouth where £6G7 7s 2d was received, and the £1 from the Aehburton public looks very small indeed. Waimate with its smaller district, with Timaru on one hand and Oamarn ou the other, has £82 14a 2d to its credit as subscriptions, donations, etc., and though Ashburlon has £82 7s 9d as receir.-'d from patients, many hospitals of smaller pretensions have a comparatively larger sum from tbis source. Ashburton received £GOl 4s from Government and £310 from the Hospital .Board and local bodies, and this with 5s for rents, etc., made the total receipts £994 16s 9d. The total receipts of the whole of the hospitals was £77,668 14s 9d, of which Auckland has £9650 5s 7d to its credit and Dunedin not far behind. The total expenditure for the year on Ashburton Hospital was £1319 4s Id, made up as follows .'—Provisions, £316 2s Id ; wine ale, etc., £26 14s 6d ; drugs and instruments, £102 16s 7d ; fuel and light, £42 18s 6d; bedding and clothing, £42 9s 8d ; Furniture and crockery, £57 9s 3d ; washing, £23 5s ; salaries and wages, £359 18s 4d ; water supply, nil ; funerals, £5 13s 6d ; repairs, £310 13s 5d ; printing, advertising, stationery, etc., £13 Is 8d ; interest, 15s 6d ; insurance, £12 Is 6d ; commission, nil ; additions, nil • other expenses, £5 5s 7d ; total, £1819 4s Id. The expenditure m the Ashburton Hospital out of the Public Works fund 1877-78 to 1887-88, shows that m 1880-81, £818 was drawn and m 1886-87, £1410 or a total of £2228 direct from the Public Works fund out of a total of £32,651 4s 2d devoted to hospitals m New Zealand.

A study of the tables showing amount paid m each provincial district on account of Hospitals and Charitable Aid since the abolition of the provinces is interesting as showing the sums devoted to Hospitals, Benevolent and out-door Relief, Orphangee, Industrial Schools, and Female Refuges, for the last 10 or 11 years. The magnitude of these sums show what interest has been devoted to suffering and charity by our Legislators. Of the diseases treated during the year at Ashburfccm there were—dipheria, 2 cases ; enteric fever, typhoid, 2 ; diarrhoea, 2 ; dysentry, 1 ; syphilis, 1 ; starvation, 1 ; intemperance, chronic, alcholism, dolerium tremens, 3 ; cancer, 3 ; (1 death), phthisis, 4 ; anosmia, chlorosis, lencocythcomia, 2 ; congenital defect, 1 j apoplexy, 1 ; hemiplegia, brain paralysis, 1 f epilipsy, 1 ; paraplegia, diseases of spinal chord, 1 : other diseases of nervous system, 0 \ ophthalmia and diseases of the eye, 2 ; endocarditis, valvular disease, 4 ; vari cose " viens, piles, 1 ; laryngitis, 3 ; croup, 1 ; (1 death), emphysema, asthma, 1 ; bronchitis, 7 ; pneumonia, 3 ; sore throat, quinsy, 2 ; ulceration, perforation cf the intestine, 1; (death 1), Ileus, obstruction of intestine, 1 • peritonitis, I } gallstones, 1, Other diseases of liver, hepaftfcis, jaundice, G ; other diseases of the digestive system, 1 ; disease of lymphatic system, 2 ; diseases of bladder and prostate, 1. Diseases reproductive system, 1 ; diseases of organs of locomotion, 4 ; ulcer, bedsore, 1 ; fractures contusions, 10 ; gunshot wounds, 1 ; cut, stab, 3 ; scald, burn, 1 ; poison, 1 ; cut, stab, suicide, 1 j debility, .atrophy, inanition, 6 ; abscess, 11. General tpjbal ; 133 cases, 3 deaths.

The general treatment of the patients seems to have been very .successful, and though the hospital is not all it might be, it seems to be fulfilling its function very satisfactorily, and as far as funds permit m a comfortable, qaaiJUer,^^