MEDICAL COMFORTS IN HOSPITALS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1613, 20 January 1886, Page 2

MEDICAL COMFORTS IN HOSPITALS.

It is estimated that the Wellington Hospital consumes more " medical comforts" than any other similar institution south of the Line. During the month of December the quantities- disposed of were as follow :-^-Brandy, 72350z ; gin, , 4640z; port, 15670z ; * sherry^ champagne, 5 bottles; stout, 208 pints;; ale, 168 J pints. .The total quantities of; liquor supplied to pptients during the' year 1885, comprised 600 pints of brandy, ! 271£ pints of whiskey,. 171£ pintsiof gin ; ! or a total of 1043 pints of spirits, costing f £245 ss. There were 870£ pints of i port consumed ; 28 pints of claret ; 14 pints of sherry ; 777 quarts of champagne ; or a total of 2466^ pints of wine, costing £284. There were 2039£ pints of ale costing £35, and 1589 pints of stout, costing £56. There were 45 indoor oatients, costing on an average 5s 3d per week, or £13 14s Id each for the year. The total spent m spirits (1048 pints), on wines (2466£ pints), and on malt liquors (3628£ pints) during the year was £619 13s Bd. The Chairman of the Hospital Committee to whom the above report was submitted said "he thought he could, to use a sporting term, back the Wellington Hospital m that re- 1 speot against any other institution that he knew of m the world In the Melbourne Hospital, with 268 indoor patients, the amount paid' in 1884 for wines, ,'&&., was £533 ; beer; &c, 480 ; total, £613 8s Id. In Westminster Hospital, with 2154 indoor patients, the amount paid for wines, &c, was £150 ; beer, &c, £66 ; total £216. In the Manchester Infirm ary the cost was 9£d par' head per annum ; m the Westminster Hospital, Is Id per anum ; and m the Middlesex 4s 2d per annum But he supposed they could do nothing. They were entirely m v the hands of the medical men." Surely it is possible to account for this extraordinary consumption of '* medical comforts" m an institution like the Wellington Hospital. '