HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2114, 2 December 1880, Page 3

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of this Board was . held on Wednesday, at 4 p.m. Present—The 1 Mayor of Christchurch (acting chairman), y Mr Hawkes and Mr Montgomery. 0 The hospital committee reported that dur- jr ing the past fortnight 26 patients had been *' admitted and 21 discharged, leaving 60 v patients in the institution. During the same £ period two deaths had occurred. As the term of office for which the medical staff , were appointed terminated on December 31st, the committee recommended that applications 11 be invited from duly qualified medical men r willing to accept office for the ensuing year. * A return was laid on the table from the 1? charitable aid committee showing the various cases relieved in Christchurch, the various 0 boroughs and counties. It showed that there 1? were 68 cases in Christchurch, at a weekly £ cost of £2l 5s Bid. The total number of cases was stated as being 171, at a weekly cost ® of £62 6s 2d. “ It was resolved to call for applications as 6 recommended by the committee. ® A letter was read from the chairman of the Oust Boad Board forwarding an applica- ° tion on behalf of a patient for remission of E hospital fees, who had been since burnt out n at Oxford, losing all his property. ■ On the motion of Mr Hawkes, it was agreed •* to remit the fees. 1 It was resolved to call for applications for T the post of medical officer for the Charitable ® Aid Department. ° Mr Hawkes explained, with reference to 0 the statements of Peter Hill regarding the 1 alleged treatment of paralytic patients at the Armagh street Depot, that they were from " first to last utter falsehoods and fabrications. 1 The patients received the utmost cate and 1 attention, and he (Mr Hawkes) had gone to a the Armagh street Depot, where he made i enquiries and found that not a single complaint existed, and that the statements made jy Hill had not the slightest foundation in truth. The whole responsibility of these patients was thrown upon the Hospital com- j mittee by the callousness of their relatives. j Mr Montgomery, in moving that the action j of the committee be approved, spoke strongly of the necessity that existed for the establishment of a Benevolent Home for persons past work. Mr Hawkes said that the rooms in which ( the men were placed in the depot were well ventilated, and far better than they would have been placed in at their own homes. The committee reported as follows on the subject:— Since the last meeting of the Board several articles have appeared in the local papers respecting the action of the committee with regard to two patients who had been in the Hospital for sometime. The committee desire to lay before the Board the true facts of the case, which are as follows On August the 26th Frederick Dowdall was admitted into the Hospital suffering from paralysis, and on September 6th Donald Hill was sent in suffering also from the same disease. The Hospital staff, finding that the eases were incurable, and the accommodation they occupied in the Hospital being required for more urgent cases, the house surgeon was requested to write the relatives of these patients—namely, their brothers, to remove them, but no notice whatever was taken of his communications. On October 10th the committee authorised the secretary to write officially to the brothers of the patients, asking them to make arrangements for their removal. To these letters no reply of any kind was received, and on November 15th, when the matter was again brought up before the committee, they consulted the of the staff, and actincr on his recommendation authorised their removal to the depot in Armagh street. With regard to this depot the committee wish to offer the following remarks:—The building was formerly used as a depot for immigrants during the period when large numbers were being introduced into this district. It has always been kept scrupulously clean, and the best proof of this is shown by the fact that at no time has sickness broken out there. On the committee taking office they found that this building was used for charitable aid cases, and they desire to point out that several cases which could not be received into the Hospital, and also cases which have been in the Hospital but could not be allowed to remain there, have been most successfully treated and dealt with in this building. Further, the committee have taken special pains to enquire of the inmates the treatment they received. They have visited the 1 depot when they were not expected, and on each * occasion they found all the compartments clean > and tidy, and no complaints of any kind have 5 been made. On the contrary all the inmates, s without any exception, express great gratitude 1 for the kind consideration shown them. _ The committee are well aware that the building

known as the Armagh street depot is very unsuitable, either for charitable aid or chronic cases, and they found on taking office that representations had been made to the Government on the subject prior to the formation of a Board. The committee also find that the Board have fully represented to the Govern* ment the great difficulty they labor under in not having a suitable building for charitable aid oases generally. Correspondence on this subject is attached to this report. To return, however, to the two special cases sent from the hospital, the committee gave full instructions that every arrangement should be made for their comfort so far as the depot would admit. New bedding was purchased, a special nurse was engaged, and instructions were given that the patients should have everything they required until such time as their relatives could be communicated with._ In the case of Frederick Dowdall. the committee find that his brother made application to Mr March for him to remain in the depot, and expressed his willingness to contribute as much as he was able, and appeared perfectly satisfied with the treatment his brother was receiving. Mr Hill, on the contrary, complained generally and very fully. He was abusive, and refused to listen to reason. Ho stated that it was not his wish that his brother wont to the hospital in the first instance. On being requested to remove him he did so. The Government having telegraphed down on this subject, a full report has been forwarded, which is also attached hereto. To the report was appended a great deal of correspondence which had passed between the Government and the secretary to the Board on the subject. A return was read as to tbe number of wives and children deserted by their husbands and fathers, which gave a total of 37 women and 116 children, Mr Montgomery moved—“ That the return be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary, calling his attention to the necessity which existed for legislation, so as to enable the Board not only to bring back the deserters from other colonies, but to punish them by imprisonment.” He considered that the desertion of wives and children was far worse than the commission of crimes of petty larceny, &0., for which a man was liable to six months’ imprisonment. It was not only a crime against the individual wives and children, but also against the State, and should he punished by imprisonment. Mr Hawkes seconded the motion, which was agreed to. A letter was read from the Secretary of the Amalgamated Benefit Societies Fete Committee inviting the children of the Orphanage to attend the fete, and partake of refreshment, &o. The offer was accepted with thanks, the Government to be asked to frank the children on the railway. Mr Hawkes said if the Government would not frank the children he would guarantee to raise tbe amount. Mr Sopp was authorised to request contributions for the Christmas tree at the Orphanage. Tenders for lime-washing and painting Old Men’s Home at Ashburton were opened, and that for £ll 10s, of Mr W. 0. Davis, Ashburton, accepted. Tbe Board agreed to meet specially on December Btb, at 4 p.m. to consider tenders for supplies to charitable institutions. The Board then adjourned.