AN OPEN-AIR HOSPITAL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2597, 20 October 1915, Page 6

AN OPEN-AIR HOSPITAL

AT TRENTHAM CAMP THE OFFICIAL OPENING DESCRIPTION OF BUILDING

Tho new hospital at Trentliam Camp, which lias been erected ill the'remark--ably short period of sixteen days, was opened yesterday, afternoon by His Excellency the Governor. The. hospital is unlike any other institution of its, kind, in New Zealand, but it is-the first building of a kind which may yet. he in very general use, the forerunner, perhaps, of a revolution in hospital construction. It is designed to accommodate under, ordinary circumstances, some 60 beds, but a feature of tlie institution is tlia olastioity of its accommodation, and it will accommodate under extraordinary circumstancos as many as 160 patients. To all intents and purposes tlie patients will be in tho open air, and tho crowding in an emergency will for this reason not be attended with tlie usual had results. Tlie open-air treatment has been adopted with astoundinc success at the Soutli Eastern Hospital, at Cambridge, England, where some 10,000 soldier patients were treated, with a mortality rate of only .4 per cent. _ It is claimed for the TTenthani Hospital, however, tha.t it has all the advantages of the Cambridge building, and certain others also. Tho design is such us to make for ease and economy in supervision and administration; as well as for the comfort of tlie nursing staff. Tlie building is circular in shape, and the outer wall, most of which consists of windows, is so constructed that f>very section of it may be opened to admit sun and air. Insido the outer wall, right round -the building, will bo placod the .patients' beds. In the centra of the building will be a-room or "con-Jiing-tower," glazed all round, for nurses. 'Tlie floor of this room is above the level of tho patients' room, so that from • their • conning-tower the nurses on duty will bo able to see exactly how every patient is faring, and whether any of them need attention. Another advantage of ■ the central tower will be that it will enable tlie nurses, to watch their' patients in comfort and warmth, for it must be remembered that the open-air conditions, while causing no discomfort's to men snug-in bed, might be very uncomfortable indeed for nurses. Indeed, -at the Cambridge Hospital the nurses on duty complained bitterly of the cold, but' they had no conning-tower.

Colonel Valintine, who has had control of our military hospitals, spoke first at' tlie opening ceremony, yesterday. He said that the hospital ward was based on the benefit derived from the open-air treatment by patients when they were accommodated in the racecourse tea kiosk a.ud during the recent epidemic. The. improvement in th.e patients after they had been moved from-the more or less closed wards to tho tea kiosk decided those responsible to : erect new accommodation on the same lines, in order to give tho patients treatment under the best conditions possible. Tho Prime Minister', (the lit. Hon. W. F. Massey) congratulated Colonel Valint'ino and Major Andrews on the completion of the work, for ho understood that tho establishment of tho hospital'was very largely due to their energy and enthusiasm. He also congratulated those responsible for the speedy construction of the building. Hie hospital was another of the improvements for which Trentham was becoming famous. Only a few short months ago the name of Trentham was a by-word—,a military, camp with an ovil reputation. To-day Trentham Camp won the admiration of every visitor that came along. In view of this and the other many improvements it was easy to predict now that they would never again see an epidemic at Trentham such as was experienced last winter. Everything that skill and science, and experience could suggest) was being done, and this was right and proper, beaiuse they could not do too much for the men who would go to the other.side of the world to assist in the Empire's fight. He said it was only fitting that he should refer on such ail occasion to the generosity of tho Wellington Racing Club, the Golf Club, Messrs. Lovin and Company, and Mr. C. 11. Izard, in having placed at the disposal of the Defence authorities suitable buildings for use as hospitals. He believed their action had saved lives, perhaps many lives. He also took occasion to thank the people who had supplied the funds for the building of tho hospital, and especially the people of Wairarapa, who had shown very practical patriotism right through the present crisis.

In conclusion, Mr. Massey expressed a hope that the public would not be unduly depressed by the cable news which had appeared that morning with reference to the Gallipoli campaign and to the complications in the Balkans. Nearly always when Britain went to war her generals and statesmen were blamed for blunders and mistakes, but always Britain contrived to come through victorious. So he believed it would be with this war. Tho British people must stand fast, stand together, be tine to tho Empire, be true to one another, and there could be uo doubt of ultimate triumph. Sir Joseph Ward- joined with the Prime Minister in congratulating those who were responsible, as contributors or otherwise, for the building of the' hospital. He expressed admiration of the ward, and hoped that it would be found useful for the purpose for which it was built.

His Excellency the Governor spoko generally of the conduct of the war by tho British, and referred especially to tlie good work done by the Navy and tho Army. Owing to the untiring vigilance and energy of tho men on His Majesty's ships the submarine menace was no longer serious, and he happened to know that British destroyers had been remarkably successful in dealing Tyitli German underwater craft His Excellency declared tho hospital open, and named it the "Wairarapa Ward." The ceremony was not at all military, although it occurred at Trentham Camp. There ,wero no troops present exccpt the band, and they played while tho visitors took tea. Anionic the oflinprs iirespnt were Colonel Gibbon, Chief of tho General Staff, and Surgeon-General Henderson, Director of Medical Services.