HOSPITAL BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 158, 21 November 1912, Page 6

HOSPITAL BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Taranaki Hospital Charitub'.' Aid Board met yesterd;.}'. .Members pr • sent were: The chairman (Mr. F. C. -1. Bellringer) and Messrs G. W. Browno W. Outfield, E. Maxwell, M. J. Mcßev nolds, 1). McAllum, J. R. Hill, J. Jin, ,vn, A. 11. Halcombe and D. H. McDonald, i PLUNKET NURSES. A circular was read from the. In-spector-Geiier.il of Hospitals (Dr. Vulintine) regarding hospital boards and thj Society for the Promotion of the Health of Women and Children. Having regard to the influence that the Society was exercising in the direction of reducing the infantile mortality rate of the Dominion, the Minister of the Department had, noted Dr. Yalintine, decided that contributions collected by the Society, with a .view to the establishment of Phmket nurses, sh.mld receive the 24§ subsidy (allowable on donations, etc.), provided they were paid and collected through the hospital boards concerned, the subsidy noi to exceed £IOO for every nurse appointed. The Inspect-or-General added that he would be glad if the Board "would give effect to the wishes of the Minister in this respect, and generally extend all assistance to the establishment of a local branch of the Society in its district-, if such branch had not already been formed. The Society readily concurred with the suggestion of the Department ui the effect that the services of the Pliuikct nurses should also ;be utilised in connection with the forthcoming campaign against tuberculosis.

According to the chairman, it would I beltane enough to deal with the letter] when the Society itself approached the Board to put the maehin.'t-y contained in the Act into operation The \va.-, accordingly received. i THE SEW HOSPITAL. Traversing the Board's letter, the ar-' chijfcects for the new hospital (Messrs i Atkins and Bacon) wrote pointing out that the Board had misconstrued the purport of their letter read at the last mejeting. They 1 did not contest, they ' stated, that it was part of their duties under the agreement, to provide for an ■ efficient method of warming those parts of'the buildings designed by them, requiring warmth, and in deference to the Board's wishes they would effect tb'* '"■ introducing a system of radiation and include the cost in their estimate. The secretary explained the architects proposed hot-water radiation, upon which Mr. G. W. Browne remarked that if would be an expensive system. Electric radiation would be much more preferable. The Board ought to have some : idea of the cost of the different systems of radiation. The chairman explained that the. In-spector-General thought otherwise. The general system of heating hospitals' throughout the Dominion was the hotwater apparatus. ... Aifter considerable discussion, it was. decided, on the motion of Mr. McAllum, ) to ajpprove of the hot : water system and to instruct the .architects, to embody it \ in the plans of the buildings. iEDUCATIOX OF DEFECTIVE CHILDBEN. In ; forwarding a copy of a report of a .discussion by the Southland Hospital | Board on the education of defective children, the secretary (Mr. T. Pryde) asked the Board's assistance and cooperation in having the different clauses in the Education Act of 10J0 amended, so that the whole of the cost of educating defective childr.en should be borne. by the Government. The chairman remarked that according to Dr. Valintine matters were going to be remedied, and that the Education Department was going to make itself responsible for the education of defective children. He presumed, however, that like most Departmental matters, it would be kept "steadily in view."

The resolution was unanimously endorsed, and the Board decided to cooperate with the Southland' Board. AN UNAPPRECIATED OFFER. Attention was drawnby the InspectorGeneral to certain matters in connection with_ section 61 of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act. concerning which he would be glad to have the assistance and co-operation of the Board. Under the section referred to, it was necessary for a board to submit for the approval of the Minister in charge of the Department plans or details connect-ed-with any alterations or additions to buildings, or any outlay on other purposes involving an expenditure of £250 and over. In order that the Department might have an opportunity, in a purely advisory capacity, of making suggestions that might result in the money being expended with more advantage,' Dr. Valintine asked the Board to also acquaint the Department of any proposed alter- ;,)■;,-.■ p( ;( , M UlU if. r the,stipulated amount of £250. Tli:" li'tter was.received, the chairman remarking that the Board's experience was that it did not "get many brains" from- the 'Department: : GENERAL, In reply to a request of the Board, the manager of the Bank of New South Wales wrote agreeing to increase its overdraft limit from £IOOO to £2500.' Tn the course of a letter addressed to the chairman, Mr. T. Knowles (proprietor of the Opunake Hotel ) wrote refuting the alhged reflection at the last mort'njr of the Board regarding the quality of the Opunake Ihjmot. Donations of papers and periodicals were acknowledged with thanks from the Taranaki Club and Mr. W. Smith. Owing to the Christmas holidays, it was (1 oided to hold the next meeting of the Board on Thursday, December 12.

Til I? HOSPITAL. Durug r),.in),or, reported the medical superintendent (Dr. E. A. Walker), 36 patients had been admitted to the New riyiiiouth Hospital, and 33 discharged. There had been four deaths, leaving 42 v , :TK n-.: remaining in the institution. Twer! -two operations had been performed. OLD PEOPLE'S HOME. The matron (Mrs. A. Bayly) reported that during the past month everything had hen very satisfactory at the Old People's Home. The discipline had been very good, and '<.-. supplies all that could be desired. During 'the month ill. t- !ud beci four admissions, one departure .and two deaths, leaving 29 males and seven females remaining in the Home. INSPECTOR'S REPORT. In his monthly report, the Board's interim- (Mr. A. IT. Kendall) stated that two cases of scarlatina were notified from Ingle wood, one case of typhoid fever near Eahotii, and one case from the Korito road. Tie had enquired into these cases and reported to the Public Health Department, and had also carefully disinfeetn-.l those premises requiring attention. During the month he had visited Opnnake, Rahotu, Pungarehu, Parihaku, oka to, Waitara, Kaimata, Korito, and other places. He had also inspected alleged nuisances at Inglewood. "Waitara and other places. THE PARTHAKA PA. The inspector added that he again visited Parih.ika in connection with the matter of alb'ged deaths from typhoid, and had repeated his previous enquiries. Constable Kelly, from Rahotu, acce*.

panied him and assisted him very greatly in his investigations. He made the fullest enquiries and also made a very careful inspection of all the premises in the township, hut could find no case of disease at any place or whare in Parilinka. In fact, they found the place very clean. They visited the slaughterhouse and stables and all places most likely to need inspection, and found that •Ike whole place had a very wellkept appearance. With the exception of a boy who died of typhoid fever in the New Plymouth Hospital, and one case (deceased) of tuberculosis, which had been treated in the New Plymouth Hospital, the other deaths were,' so far as he could learn on both visits, from natural causes. He could find no cause for the alarm that the ten deaths referred to in the telegram were from typhoid fever. Satisfaction was expressed by members at the state of affairs at Parihaka, ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £G9B 9s 3d were passed for payment.