The Evening Star FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1872.

Evening Star, Issue 2890, 24 May 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1872.

Recurring to the subject of the constitution and management of the Dunedin Hospital, we invite serious atten-

tiori to the following extract from the last Annual Repol't from the Head of that department S—“ The number discharged cured during the year Was 466 ; discharged benefited, 108 ; not benefited, 20 * one expelled foi‘ misconduct, and 89 died.” Thus it is plain that while 466 left the Hospital » cured,” 267—considerably more than one-half of that number—also jefb it, but not cured. That of these, 89 left it for that “ Bourne from whence there is no return and the remaining 178 either to seek the coveted cure they had failed to obtain in the Hospital from a kindred institution in a sister colony, or at the hands of some local practitioner j or failing, the means to do either, to reconcile themselves as best they may be able to die of their maladies. We have no reliable data at hand enabling us to arrive at a trustworthy conclusion as to the proportions of cures, deaths, <fcc., thus shown relative to those exhibited in the published statistics of other institutions of a similar character. But that so large a proportion of the whole should stand as the official representative of the number of those discharged uncured, is matter for very grave reflection, not only on the part of those with whom the responsibility more immediately rests, but also on the part of the public at large. And, moreover, as it is but fair to assume that the 466 cures embraced —or was largely composed of —the majority of the cases requiring the least amount of skilled treatment, while the remaining 267 included the whole, or at least a large proportion, of the more serious and difficult ones, additional emphasis is thereby given to the question we now submit for consideration —Why should the whole weight of responsibility of so large a number of uncured or incurable patients—embracing no less than 89 cases terminating in death—be allowed to rest from year to year upon the shoulders of a single responsible medical officer? In this respect the Dunedin Hospital is perfectly unique, as there is | nothing analogous to it to be found in the Hospital records of Christendom.

And, without reflecting for a single moment upon the professional skill of the gentleman who has so long occupied the position of Provincial Surgeon, we cannot get rid of the thought that had the Hospital been conducted upon the universally-recognised principle in regard to its medical staff, some at least of eighty-nine poor creatures carried from its gates to the grave might have been restored to the active bustle, duties, and enjoyments of life. It may be that these particular cases—as indeed those of the living also—received all the treatment, appropriately in kind, and timely rendered, which they required or were susceptible of; but of this fact the public would have had a far safer guarantee had they baffled the united skill and concerted efforts of a medical stall at all commensurate with the requirements of the institution. But it is no use ignoring the fact that it is perfectly preposterous for anyone to attempt to maintain for a single moment that 850 patients, the number said by the report to have been treated during the past year, and embracing “ 5‘28 medical and 322 surgickl cases,” can receive all the attention their several cases require at the hands of a single medical officer, and that officer having also in charge the Gaol and Lunatic Asylum, besides attending to a large private practice of his own. We are not unmindful of the fact that the Hospital has also the services of a most painstaking and efficient Resident, or House Surgeon. But remembering that in addition tc the 850 in-door patients, there was a daily average during the year of 31 out-patients, making in the whole a total of 9,880 visits, all of whom are either wholly or nearly so under this particular officer’s charge in addition to his other duties, the wonder is not that under the circumstances the general results are not more satisfactory, but that they have been nearly so much so as they really have. The system alone is worthy of blame. We are glad to obsei-ve that Dr W eb stek, notwithstanding his recent defeat, has returned to the charge by putting another notice on the Order Paper in reference to this subject. We sincerely hope the present session will not be allowed to close till some definite resolution has been arrived at, and the Government has at least pledged itself to take the whole matter into serious consideration during the recess. Prom the recently published statistics of more than one hundred hospitals of the Home country, we gather that from thirty to forty is generally considered to be the maximum number of patients that can be safely allotted for successful treatment to one medical officer, exclusive of the general services rendered by the house or resident surgeons of each institution. In Dunedin, as shown by the last report, we hud or the first of April last no less thar 139, and at one period of the yeai even 156, with a capacity of accommo dating some 170 or 180, all placet under charge of .one officer, and ht

in charge also of two other institutions, and engaged in private practice is well! In view of these facts we ire constrained so far to concur with Dr Webster in the belief that the services of three or tour medical oihceis at least should be engaged, move especially as, according to the plan proposed by him, the total annual expenditure need not be at all augmented thereby. The many advantages of such an arrangement will be self-evident, and need not therefore be insisted upon at any length. As regards the patients themselves, they would have the advantage, in all critical cases, ot a consultation of a number of practitioners, who, it may fairly be assumed, would be selected from the foremost ranks of the profession ; while the members of the profession themselves would have an opportunity of enlarging their knowledge and perfecting their practice, and in this way a general good would be conferred upon the community at large.

Telegraphic. —The Gazette contains a list of the reduced rates of commission on telegraph money orders issued and payable in the Colony, which will come into force on June Ist, in addition to the telegraph fee of Is: - For sums not exceeding LI. 4d ; L2, 8d ; L 3, Is ; L 4, la 4d ; L 5, Is 8d ; L 6, 2s ; L 7, 2s 4d ; LB, 2s 8d ; L 9, 3s ; LlO, 3s 4d. Maori Progress.—An Auckland paper of a recent date says:—“ Maoris are sending their children to schools where the English language is taught, both at the Thames and in Hawke’s Bay. Mr Commissioner Locke states that in the latter province, as Maketu, he saw a Maori girl acting as tutoress, and teaching i uropeau and half caste children in the English language, and that great progress was being made.” The Stamp Act.—Mr Fereday, of Christchurch, in order lowest whether a receipt given for a cheque is liable to duty under tbe Stamp Act, has given an unstamped receipt iu a ease of the kind to a person with the request that he would report ft to the Government, This was done and as the Attorney-General’s opinion was obtained, an action has been commenced against Mr Fereday for a breach of the Act. Mr Fereday (remarks tbe Lyttelton Times), is confident of being able to show that the Act does not render it compulsory to stamp receipts for cheques To-night’s Amusements.— -There is a plentitude of amusements for this evening. There will be a special peifortoauce at the Princess Theatre, Professor Haselmayer will give his entertainment at the Masonic Hall, and Murray’s World < 'ircus will open at the new circus building, in Filleul street. The annual soiree of the hirst Church \oulig Men’s Christian Association will be held in the hall below the church at 6.30 ; and the anniversary tea meeting of the Dunedin Band of Hope -will commence at the same hour in the Wesleyan Hall, Stnart street. The anniversary soiree and concert of the Loyal Dunedin Lodge, MU.1.0.0. F., will be held in the Oddfellows’ Hall, George street, the hour for commencing in this case also being half-past six. Colonial Finance. —The New Zealand Gazelle of the 10th inst. shews that the receipts of revenue under the consolidated fund for the quarter ending 31st March amounted to L 248.373, to which is to be added recoveries from provinces and other sources L 190 0; advances by Bank of New Zealand, L 60,000 ; temporary advances iu London from public works account, L 73,919 ; total, L 384.192, Total colonial charges, L 293,208, Expenditure:—Provincial charges 1,2,225; payments to provinces, L 5.278. Receipts, special fund. L 84.140 ; expendiL 72.710. Receipts, under immigration and public works account, L 125,487 ; expenditure, 177,327. Land Fund Receipts, L 88.550 ; expenditure, L 76.921, Trust Fund Account—Receipts, L 47,050; expenditure, L 21.796.

Drowned. —The Grey River Argm gives a few particulars concerning the lamentable accident by which Mr E. l)e Carle lost his life at the Buller It appears that he was going on board one of the steamers lying there—the Kennedy, it is stated—when by some means be lost his footing and fell overboard. A pretty heavy fresh was on at the time, and he was swept rapidly down the liver, though we hear he struck out manfully to save his life. How it was, if he kept himself afloat for any time, there were no boats to rescue him does not appear, more especially as the accident happened in daylight. Despite his exertions he was carried over the bar and drowned, and the body was washed up on the north beach. Deceased was a most enterprising business man. He carried on a large business in Melbourne for a number of years, and subsequently conducted a large carrying agency in Punedin, and had just started in the same line between Reefton and Westport, and had also taken out an auctioneer’s license, intending to conduct that business in conjunction with it. We regret to hear that he leaves a family behind him, who are in Victoria, and to whom the sad news will, we presume, be conveyed by the Albion. Acclimatisation. One must go from home to hear news; but then one is sometimes enabled te get useful information. Mr Carrick, formerly of Dunedin, recently read the following extracts from a letter received by him from a correspondent in Otago to the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society ; and as they give in a condensed form the results of the operations of our Society, we republish them:—“ Pheasants abound, especially at Shag Valley and Tokomairiro. W. A. Young tells me that a farmer at the former place calculates that he has as many as 300 on his farm. On the same fam Young raised three distinct coveys of partridges this season, containing 16, 14, and IS birds respectively. The partridges have bred and increased fast everywhere they have been turned out—a proof of the soundness of the plan we adopted of liberating them in large lots. The hares are now very numerous at Waihola. Deans was there the other day and caught some. We sent a jack and three does to the Clutha, and a jaok and two does to the Oamaru district. This is better than sending home for them at great expense and trouble. Rich has now upwards of twenty hares on his property. The deer—red and fallow—are all doing remarkably well. At the Clutha the Californian quail arc almost a nuisance.

Boys told me that from those you took to the LaV n s there are now three or four hundred. tfie trout are everywhere successful. In the Sh g River the first two lots have bred,.and this winter we mean to hatch out in boxes for distribution. The song birds introduced may bo said to be thoroughly acclimatised. Altogether, looking at practical results, I am certain that there is no society in the Southern hemisphere that has been more successful.”

The number of notices given by Mr Reid alone at yesterday afternoon’s silting of tbe Provincial Council was 37. instead of 17, as printed last night. To-night Murray’s World Circus opens in Filleul street. The entertainment being of a novel and varied character, we have little doubt that pleasure seekers will largely patronise this place of amusement We notice that the Amateur Performance iu behalf of the Rowing Club, which was postponed iu consequence of the non-arrival of Mr Morton Travers and Miss Surtees from Invercargill, is announced to take place in the Masonic Hall on Tuesday evening next.