HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1818, 18 December 1879, Page 3

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The fortnightly meeting of the Board took place yesterday, at 4 p.m. Present—Messrs H. Thomson (chairman), J. E. Brown, G. Booth, and the Mayors of Christchurch and Lyttelton. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. HOSPITAL •OMUITTEE’S REPORT. The Hospital committee reported that during the past fortnight 21 patients had been admitted into the Hospital, and 22 discharged, leaving 74 patients at present in the institution. The number of deaths during the fortnight was four. The committee recommend that in future all valuables belonging to patients should be given up to the house steward on their entering the institution, the house steward to be instructed to prepare an inventory in duplicate of such valuables, one copy to be given to the patient, and the other retained in the office. The following letter from Dr. Townend was read: — Christchurch, December 15th, 1879. Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of letter 827—79, of sth inst., from the secretary of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, enclosing copy of a letter from the Hon. Minister of Justice, together with copy of the coroner’s explanation in reference to my complaint in Baldwin’s case. 1 regret that I cannot admit that the coroner’s explanation can be deemed a satisfactory one, as it does not appear to me that he deals with the question in as straightforward a manner as the importance of the subject demands. Allow me to point ont that this was not the first time that an unqualified practitioner has acted in the capacity of house surgeon. Why then should the coroner fix upon the first case in which I was connected with the Hospital when a post mortem was requisite, to exhibit his antipathy to the present Hospital staff ? But, sir, I would also call your attention to the fact that Mr Pridgeon has acted in this capacity before, in one instance for a prolonged period of ten months, and this is the first occasion upon which Mr Coward has thought proper to ignore the staff and deviate from the accustomed practice since tha Hospital has been in existence. So that you will see that there is much mors in this question than there appears to he. I do not for one moment suppose that Mr Coward will plead his ignorance of the fact that there is a Hospital staff. In my opinion, the explanation afforded by the coroner has only tended to make matters worse than they were at the outset, and for this reason—that, after having acted in a manner contrary to established usage, and shown a want of courtesy to the Hospital staff, with a characteristic partisanship, he has chosen to prevaricate and shuffle with the question in a manner unworthy of one holding an official position and the important position of coroner. I have not the slightest intention, nor do desire to prolong this correspondence, but the explanation given by the coroner is of such_ a lame description and so eminently unsatisfactory that I feel called upon to notice it, in order that such conduct may not be taken as a precedent. I have also thought proper to reply to the coroner’s explanation on account of the manner in which he ignored the Hospital staff, and because it is only right that he should be

instructed that any slight offered by him to the Hospital staff is at the same time an insult to the Hoard that elects them. Hoping there may he no recurrence of such conduct on the part of Mr Coward, I have the honor to be, sir. Your obedient eervant, J. H. Townind. To the Chairman of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. It was resolved that a copy of the letter should be forwarded to the Government. The Board proceeded to the consideration of tenders for Hospital supplies, and the following being the lowest, were accepted : Coals, W. Thomson ; funerals, H. Fuhrmann ; coals and wood, W. White. A number of tenders which involved the examination of samples were referred to the Hospital committee. The Board went into committee to consider the appointment of the Hospital staff for the ensuing year, with the following result : Dre. Prina, Townend, Campbell, Irving and Wilkins. The report of the committee of the Lyttelton Orphanage, detailing what had been done to check the progress of diphtheria in the institution, was read. An invitation was road from the committee of the Amalgamated Benefit Friendly Society’s Fete to the children at the Orphanage to attend the Fete on Boxing Day. The secretary was instructed to thank the committee, bub inform them that the invitation would have to bo declined, in consequence of the children being at Quail Island. The usual gratuity was sanctioned for the Orphanage children’s treat at Christmas, and after the transaction of some further routine business, the Board adjourned.