The Hospital.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 102, 16 May 1885, Page 3

The Hospital.

There are matters in connection with the Hospital which, in the interest of the pick inmates should be ventilated, in order that a reform may be effected. (1) The necessity for immediate; enlargement. Although this building bears a pretentious structure, the accommodation is comparatively meagro. Caßes are now frequently refused^ admittance, and others in the building are insufficiently provided for. Preßaure should be brought to bear upon the Government to recognise the urgency of this matter. The city and provincial population have increased rapidly, but the Hospital accommodation remains the same. What has been done with the Costley beque&t? It surely was the intention of the testator that tho money should bo used for the purposes named in the will. Then why not at once vee half for a Costley wing to the building, invest the remainder, and use the interest for invalid extras or other charitablo com'orts ? Tho Government, we tako it, must at once take steps for tho erection of another wing, independently of tho Costley bequest, to meet the urgency of this want. A wooden building could be erected as quarters for the male attendants, who at present occupy rooms built specially for the use of such patients as desiro separate attendance by paying for ib. (2) The necessity of a convalescent ward. As at present arranged thero seems to he no distinction in the wards, between the patient suffering acutely and the patient who can leave his bod. Now, it does seem rather revolting and unhomelike to hear the levity, the incessant chatting, the lively gossip, and indiflVirent noises of the convalescent patients, whilst thorn are within a few feet of them poor suffering mangled creatures, to whom every noise is a painful jar on their nerves, and who by the very nature of their injuries are peculiarly sensitive. On Sunday, May 10, this was made particularly obvious during the time that poor Mr Macffarlane was drawing his lust breath, and struggling with the great destroyer ; and to add to all the indecorous discordance, a band (actuated no doubt with the best intentions) took up its position under the windows, and braved forth its brazen notes, rendering the din a horrid mockery of the peaceful deathbed. (3, This music question. Is it desirable, from a medical point of view, that the patients in an hospital should be saluted with the clang and bang of otherwise melodious music, nolens volens? To a mnjoiity it may be agreeable, especially to the convalescent, but why condemn the minority to even temporary anguieh ? In our opinion it is crue). Let a medical man try the experiment on himself when he is ill. In the uquares of London, the "hurdy gurdy grinder" is invariably bribed to "move on "and the street fora certain distance are covered with tan, if the sick person is wealthy enough to afford it, evidencing surely t^at' to most patients, in the early stages of illness, it is painful, if not injurious. These hints are not intended to reflect on the management, but to point out as forcibly as possible the duty of our very worthy Committee in regard to matters whichjjought to be remedied by the Government,'awaken ing to the fact that Auckland is going ahead, and the Hoppital accommodation is actually less than it was five years ago. As to the musical noisee, humanity aEouia diotato the remedy,