The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, MAY 15, 1871.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 113, 15 May 1871, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, MAY 15, 1871.

The late Dr. Abernethy used to say that a poultice was either a great blessing or a great curse according to the way iv which it was made. Our own* experience leads us to the conclusion that there are other things besides poultices which, although they may contain in themselves all the elements that are requisite to permit of their being classified among the blessings of this life, are, by the management that is brought to bear upon them, so arranged, that, while from their very nature they can never be converted into a positive curse, they prove to be blessings purchase'! at so extravagant a price that their advantages are apt to be lost sight of when the crucial test, that in these practical days is so frequently made use of, is applied to them in the shape of the question " What do they cost ? " And among such instances the Nelson Hosipal stands prominently forward. Not tttatwe wish in the smallest degree to decry Ibis benevolent and most useful iostitunon, the establishment of which is a real credit to the Province, but we cannot but share in the opinion so generally prevalent that "the expenses at present attendant upon Its ' management are capable of very perceptible curtailment. In movjng the other evening for a Select Committee to take iuto consideration tbe best means of reducing the present expenditure, the Provincial Secretary made a somewhat startling statement with regard to the cost of maintaining our Provincial Hospital as compared with that incurred by similar institutions in other paris of the colony. He told us that, while at Dunedin the daily cost per head was 2s. 3£d.; at the Grey 3s. 5J.; and at Canterbury 3s. 10d.; in Nelson it was 4s. 6d.! In the provinces of Otago and Canterbury the number of patients is probably much larger than in Nelson, and consequently the expenses per head would naturally be less, but not, we should imagine, so much so as to account for the difference of cost displayed by the foregoing figures, while at the G-rey we doubt very much whether the iv mates of the hospital exceed in number those of the Nelson institution, whereas the daily cost of each individual is there ls. Id. less than with us. The total sum set down on the Estimates for the ensuing year is £2090, the details of which are as follows: —Consulting Physician, £100 ; House Surgeon, £200; Attendants and Servants, £290; Contingeucies, £1500; and the remarks we now propose to make refer principally to the two former of these two items, both of which, we believe, may be dispensed with. In London, the hospitals have a resident House surgeon and visiting surgeons, each of the latter of whom has his week, during which time any patients that may be brought in are consigned to his care, and are attended by him during the whole of their illness, no matter how long it may last, the duty of the House Surgeon being meVely to see that the instructions of \the visiting surgeons are carried out. Now, we believe that the Nelson Hospital might, at a considerable saving to the Province, be conducted on a similar principle. We may be mistaken, but our impression is that the medical men resident in the town would, each of them, be perfectly willing to attend tbe hospital gratutiously in their regular turn in tbe same manner as that adopted by the London . surgeons, and that although in the extensive hospitals in that city, it is necessary to have a House surgeon as well, such an officer might be dispensed with here where, instead of 600 there are only; about ,50 beds, and that his duties might be satisfactorily undertaken by some trustworthy person who should act in the same capacity as the present warden, or whatever may be the title of the officer holding the position now occupied by Mr. Barton. The expensive system at present in vogue at our Hospital is so frequently the theme of conversation that we have thought it but. right, to revert to it at the present time when the matter is about to; be brought before the Council, and. to offer euch remarks as have suggested themselves to ua as worthy of the consideration of those who have to ' decide iipon the future course of action; ••The saving that might be effected by adopting some such plan as that at which we have hinted is so considerable;, that, iirit be deemed .practicable ,(|bjr.^the.Cpminittee,^^ ittimigljit.be ,^i weil|to invite the medical men to meet (for the A\OH ;& i'th'JiKL AJ. '■ i

purpose of faking it into coapißeration and to report whether or nottfiey would be willing to undertuke the duties. At all events, it iii quite cleai^that the present systjem; is not ;a satisbictory one, necessitating-- as it 1d,Q68, a' constant change ''''of House surgeong^for it is not to be supposed that auy pfofessioual man of ordinary ability will accept of a situation to which is attached a salary of only £200 a year, exclusive of board aud lodging, unless with a view to making it a stepping stone to something better. Twice it has been tried, and both times has it been attended with precisely the same results. With regard to the "contingencies" that have been found; necessary far the hospital liepartment, rumor .has it that this item might be considerably reduced with advantage to tbe public purse, and without materially affecting the health of the patients, but this is not a subject on which we propose to touch just now, but prefer to wait until the Committee has concluded its researches, in the course of which, facts may be elicited that will probably form the theme of a future article.