TRENTHAM HOSPITAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3094, 26 May 1917, Page 7

TRENTHAM HOSPITAL

OPENING OF RACING CLUB'S •':■■■'.'■•■; WARD T COPING WITH CAMP SICKNESS. That the Wellington Racing Club has dono good service to the Shite and Empire since the war broke out few will dispute. Its fine property adjacent to tho Trentham Camp was practically placed at the disposal of tho military authorities as soim as tho need arose, and V,ace meetings woro abandoned whilst tho chili's buildings were in- occupation by the military. Now tho club has added to its credit a splendid hospital ward, contiguous to and part of the hospital, system of-Trentham, at a-cost of ..£IOOO. Whilst it is to bo hoped that it will not be needed to any great,-extent,, it lias fortunately been completed in tune Kir the winter season, now upon us, thus rendering tho accommodation for ailing soldiers more efficient than it would otherwise have been. The now ward was formally opened yesterday, - when .the president and stewards of tho Wellington Racing Club extended an invitation to the heads of the -military, branches concerned to partake of luncheon in tho stewards' room iiv the Trentham racecourso grandstand. Tho gathering was an exceedingly happy and interesting one, and, thanks to the excellent arrangements made by the secretary (Mr'. A. h. Whyte), the little function was ono which all concerned, will look back upon with pleasant-memories. . . The presidont of tho Wellington Racing Club (Mr. J. B. Harcourt) presided, and the club was further represented by JJr. Gilmer, Messrs. Lan Duncan, J.;. W. Abbott, C. W. Chilman, W- G. Johnston, ftnd-'C. Tringhaim.. The president was supported by General; Henderson (Director of Medical Services),.the. Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), and Captain. Hall-Thompson (Naval Adviser to'the Government), lhe Headquarters Staff was. represented by Colonel Gibbon (Chief of Staff) 'and the Camp Staff by Colonel-Potter, Colonel Andrew (P.M.0.), Major. Lampen (Camp Adjutant), and others officers. ■■■'■' , , After the toast of "Tho King' had been honoured, the president rose, and expressed the great pleasure the stewards of the Wellington Racing Club had m meeting all present and in handing over -to -the proper military, authorities the newly-built Racing Club's ward of the Trentham' -Military Hospital.' , ■ „ . "The winter of 1915," said Mr Harcourt, "had, been a very, severe one, and it was quickly found-that the accommodation,for .the sick in cjmp'was insufficient. - That therß wos much sickness in the camp was evidenced by the fact that ■ 6ome 1500 patients were accommodated ■in the-club .buildings',-' which had been converted into a-temporary military ios-. The unsuitability of the buildings; must have .'caused much suffering, • but-since, then much has been, accom- ■ plished- by.'.the. military''authorities in the way of hospital'accommodation, and it=was with great/pleasure that tihe stewards:'.and member's of 'the' Wellington Racing-Club decided to'prbvide-tho ward which .'tb-day' they hand over to you. "Racing people, fully realise the enor.mous sacrifice demanded of the men who are going to the..front,' and they realise that-it is their duty'.in'every way to make tho path' of these men as easy as •possible, and the. vicinity of the'racecourse, to the' camp has,' I' am sure, been the'means of affording those in. camp soma pleasure and relaxation. Our •race meetings have given- them much -amusement, and I am'confident they ■ would regret 'losing that source of. entertainment, should it be decided to abolish race meetings or even to reduce the. number of meetings. Ido hot know at .present what.' the figures are, but I" do know that racing clubs throughout New . Zealand have subscribed' very., handsome-, ly to patriotic funds. . Ohce'aagin I have very much pleasure over to the military authorities tho ward which has been financed by the Wellington Racing Club." (Applause.)

General. Henderson's Remarks, • Genera Henderson said'.that he was fortuanto in being- supported- by two '"staunch-friends, of the. medical -.service,

: Mr. hand- and His /.;'.Worship'the-:Mayor- on the other,-aiid' / '• two staunche'r" he 'could not w'ish"- , -to have. ■ And- it was.' good to havo '■ friends.-' Many would remember and • appreciate the did Latin proverb, which says that-he who gives • quickly give's - twice, which applied to the ready response'of both the'gentleman njentioned. .The racing club ■ had been staunch friends ofv theirs from the outset, and any wishes of theirs had always been •■". promptly and cheerfully acceded to, and the granting of the use of the racing '■ club's grounds and buildings had been 'of immeasurable value. He did not ■agree with Mr.'Harcoiirt that the men might have suffered some discomfort through the unsuitahility of the buildings. Indeed they had been found to bo highly suitable, alid for tho treatment of cerebrospinal meningitis cases the tea kiosk had. proved ideal.. But they had realised the need of a more permanent and up-to-date structure continguous .to tho' other buildings bey.ond the camp, and that the stewards of the Wellington Racing Club had '"been kind enough'-to provide them with. He wondered if the public realised the difficulties to be contended'with in a camp into which an average of 2200 camo every month, making the continual strength up to 4500. men 1 at Trentham— men who'were brought from- every part ' of New Zealand, from the wilds of the country and from" the streets .of the city. They had to bring them'into camp in a moment as it were, fit them with garments and boots', suoh as they had not been accustomed -to wearing, and teaching them the rudiments .of a life they had not been used. to. Was it not natural that under such conditions many " should feel the strain, and that it should affect constitutions unused to it all? They had had to bring in huge numbers of " men and pack them in closo contiguity as they packed them in a picture show, and was if not reasonable to suppose that those, say,- with influenza were apt to convey it to others, particularly those from the country, and had been free of contamination, who would all the sooner contract measles, chickenpox, and mumps, which they ought >jx> have had long ago. (Laughter.) He did not think that the public fully realised the .work of the .. medical officers in camp. They had not only to attend to their patients in the hospital, but had to examine all the . men carefully when' they cameynto camp, prepare doses for them, inoculate them against enteric, nnd make bacteriological and microscopical examinations of their throats to' guard against meningitis. Ail men in camp who suffered froni . sore . throats had to bo examined in that manner. So that when people read in tho paper a. report of 34 cases in the camp hospital, instead of saying, "What aro tho doctors thinking about?" they ought to say what splendid work .they were doing. (Applause.) Diminution in Sickness". The. figures, General .Henderson said, of admission to the hospital had shown . a diminution of more than a third. That . was to say, that whilst 3000 cases wero treated last year, only 1000 cases wero treated this year. (Applause.) The figures up to date'for this month wero also good. Last year there were 71 cases, but there had been only 31 this year. (Applause.) Ho. hoped that tho satisfactory state of . things would continue. The sick soldiers in camp now got as good attention - as.they, would anywhere, oThey now had * their thanks for tho up-to-date extension of tho cottage hospitals, in . which tho .wife of the Mayor was so iii--terestcd.. The latest ward, provided by - tho Racing Club, was really a model ward, and for its design lie expressed thanks" first, to Colonel Andrews, and also to Colonels Prengley and Gill, tho , contractors, and finally the Racing Club which had presented it. He hoped that tho.improved methods now possible would 1 make . the coming winter season belter , than.the last. '.Trcntham's Record. General Henderson mentioned that 42,000 men had passed through Trenlha.ni Camp, 35 per 1000 had been sick, and •the-deaths had been two per thousand. •Jt-was. the same in all the camps. Tho • fSCyortion of sickness at Trentham was ■ slightly higher - than- at .Narrow Neck, .. and that- at Narrow- Neck, was slightly higher than that at •Peatherstdn, but

I figures could bo made to prove anything and work any way. It must bo considerled that 315 was the daily average 'strength, of tho Narrow Nock Camp, whilst it was over 1000 at Trentham and 4700 at Fe'atherston. Tho death and disease Tate'did not attach to tho camps themselves, but were bom of conditions common to all camps—it aroso out of bringing large numbors of men together from all parts ( as recruits and turning thorn into soldiors. It 'was tho 6amo nt Home, whero there was always a certain percentage of disease and deaths. Onco again he thanked the club for what it. had done to assist tho Medical Services; (Applause.) Colonel Andrew proposed tho health of tho presidont and stewards of tho Wellington Racing Club, which was drunk with musical honours. Mr. Harcourt briefly acknowledged tho compliment. During tho luncheon the Trentham Baud played selections in an adjoiriing apartment. . THE NEW HOSPITAL i_ Tho old idea. of. a hospital boing a big gloomy stone or brick building, dull and dignified, with an array of small windows, has been dispollcd by the sholl-firo of modern hygiene. There could bo no greater contrast, for example, in building construction than that offered in tho Wellington General Hospital and tho new ward at. Trentham, and of the latter one medical. authority stated yesterday, that "it should be an inspiration to the hospital authorities to the country." Yet it is a simple, one story wooden rectangular building, divided generally into three rooms, having a vorandan. (with glazed section) on the northern side, in order to make the most of the sunshine. Within overything is white, cheerful, and openairish. The windows are spacious, and tho beds (tnero are eight in each of. the three divisions) are arranged so that there shall bo. a window on'each side of every bed, whilst a patent ventilator, with an upward draught, pierces the wall about four feet above the head of every bed. In'addition to this, the eaves on the south side aro quite open for tho full extent of the ward, and tho result is a. free play of fresh air all the time. But the patients are not to be ichilled. They have their, warm bed-clothes, and at .both ends, of each division there are great red. brick open fireplaces for the cheeriest log-fires, and .yesterday the crackle and plow of these fires conduced to make tho ward "a home away from home." The lavatories are thrown out from the level of the building on the-south" Bide, and are arranged sc as to be of the greatest convenience to the patients. The whole tone of the interior of the ward.is light and cheerful, and if all hospital wards were.like it, th© periods of illness would, ohe imagines, be considerably. curtailed. ■■• During the afternoon. Colonel Andrew and other officers, showed a large number, of visitors over the new ward, and all were\. delighted with the building, and its interior, arrangements.