A LONDON HOSPITAL SCANDAL

Dunstan Times, Issue 1231, 2 October 1885, Page 3

A LONDON HOSPITAL SCANDAL

Colonial hospi a s arc nut alone in the line viable reputation they have gained, in New Zialan I at all ev- n s, as ihe son-ce of scandals. Some exti aor tin .ry disclosures f die m tuner in which m tropditau boards discharge their dot es have been in i le at a no il goveriiiiicnt inquiry imo the manage m-mt of the Homer on hosoitals. The ex travaganee and, corruption whxch were shown io prevail are simp y -.can talons. It. ap iea'S that the Managem-nt Committee were in the habit of di iinq on tin ir fortnightly day of meeting. whi‘e she suh committee also followed the same agreeable pac ice. Tb it they‘line 1 wis ly, seeing the expense di-I not come out of their own nocke's, an I well may b ■ inferro • from the fact of their bill for deso t alone during a fortnight in April having a noun'cl to the goo-l routnl sum of J. 5 Ms. Even this liberal on'lay, however, s ••■ms eco-ibn'cil win n compare 1 with the wine nill, which, for the last Michaelmas ijn irter, when the average number of patients was 2 J9, ran as follows; —1455 ho tins of chunpame L2OS ; 9'o tiotdes of Bianne, LI 72 ; 2571 Im tics of port (to which th comniite seem to be pariicnlarly partial), .L 192 ; other wines L2t; beer, LSS ; an l aera ed wa'ers, HI2; the total amount being L73S. In addition to this account the ‘ officer* of the institn i m. 181 in number, consumed L 750 worth of strong drink. The drink ivhich was consume I by the patients must ha ve been almost a negative q lan ity, for in one ward, tided *• most y widi chi * dren,” 89 otil- sof Beau .e were nut away Even admitting that tins was in Ju y, the allowance appears to he somewhat excessive. Tr.e system on which goods >re e supplied weie tqually sen lamis Th • tradesmen sent in pros y much any quantities of articles they liked, and charged for them at their own prices The stale on which th' s- worthies frame 1 their charg-s was, to siy the least, li teral, for cashmere die se.s which were supplied hole for LI 19s 6 I were furnished to another hospital a' I9i 6d. A goo I deal has been written of the gnzz'ing of London vestries at the expense i f the rateoayeis, hut for downright j ihhe y and wastefulness the* managem-ot •if the Homo-ton hospitals cm hold La own with anybody.