HOSPITAL COSTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1732, 24 April 1913, Page 11

HOSPITAL COSTS.

TIIE pathological laboratory; Sir,—lt seems from tho remarks of 11m Mayor of llic. ILutt that the fxpcmlituru by the Hospital Board of a considerable Mini upon a puthclcgical labnt'afory is insufficiently understood by ttic public. At the present time medicine is advancing by leaps and bounds by tho use of science, and not empiricism, iu its methods. Surgery has made enormous strides in past years, and now it is tho tiiin of tile sister art; but she can do nothing without the aid of pathology. It is impossible for "a working doctor to carry out. .minute and accurate calculations;, which demand many hours of labour in a single case, whilst he is conducting a busy practice. In modern medicimj lie must turn to tho skilled pathologist as his i.liect anchor. One uf the great outcomes of Kir, Aimroth Wright's work is tho use of what we call "vaccines" ill the treatment of disease. Now, it is impossible for a busy practitioner to prepare such solutions even if he have tho skill. Only the inon who can give his whole time to 'lie work cnCi possibly da it. The particular brcillus has to be isolated from tilL> patient's sputum, blood, or discharges, cultivated, and the appropriate vaccine made ami standardised. L'llis is a work of jmic'h time and great 'iccunicy. and a misfako might easily endanger i.he patient's life; consequently it lias to be left iu the hands of tlioso who are constantly doing it, and w'ho do nothing else. The question of time alone puts the hospital staff, senior or junior, out of court. One skilled man is required to do it. Medicine,, tbimk Heaven, is ljo coming more and more scientific, and hero it is that the Hospital Board have shown;themselves so far-seeing in putting up this laboratory. I have 110 hesitation in saying tli.it without it, scientific medicine' cannot be carried oil in tho Wellington Hospital. We have always be?n fnnied for our surgery; here, but I venture to think that the medical side lias Ireen neglected. This is the first step in tho right direction, and it is as ncr.eskiry as is, say; a steriliser in the opcrntihg tiieiitrc. Jt is impossible for tho Government Laboratory to cope with both hospital and private work without i great, augmentation of their stall', eon•iequently if. follows that in certain cases hospital patients cannot get the same scientific treatment as private patients can; and this is no small matter, for vaccines are. being used *in an everincreasing numl/;r of dissases. >• I am honestly of the opinion that at tho present time, without the. pathokgi&il laboratory, we tire not giving our medical ,'patraits at tho hospital every advantage that science should offer them, and it is Oil that -account that I am quite sure my profession heartily endorses the action of the board and their adviser in such matters. Dr. Hardwick Smith, in ■snending so larno a sum of money for this purpose. It is because the public do'not understand that they grudge the 'money. If they knew how important a matter it is for die sick there would be liltle outcry, '

Surgery .achieved its tiinmphs through the scientific work of Pasteur and Lister. Medicine is now coining to her own on the same scicntific lines. It is not for Welliiieton to lag behind and cavil at the wist., which is -ultimately for the benefit of her own citizens. lis remember tlie city's motto, "Stipreriw a situ."—l am, etc., W. KINGTON FYPPIi, M.D.