Thames Goldfields Hospital.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2572, 5 April 1877, Page 2

Thames Goldfields Hospital.

The usual monthly meeting of the members of the Committee of this institution was held at the balutation Hotel yesterday afternoon. There were present—Mr J. Renshaw, president, in the chair, the Revs. V. Lush, J. T. Hinton, Father Chastagnon, Messrs Brown, Davies, Mullipan, Macnab, Souter, Hudson, Aitken, Bagnall and McCullough.

MINUTES,

The minutes of the previous meeting were read over and confirmed., >.

; ..HOXTSE COMMITTEE'S BEPOBT.----i The report of the House Committee was then .read as follow^ :—'J As reconv. mended, the committee investigated the subject of application for ; increase of, salary by Wardsman Menary, and found' ithat no promise had been held out to the wardsman that his .salary would be increased after ;a-certain.time ; neither can they recommend any increase at present. The Cbmniittee also wish tb-direct the attention of the General Committee to the fact that letters appeared in the newspaper signed by the wardsman, and con- < sider that such reflections as were contained therein upon a member of- the subcommittee call for attention at the hands of the General Committee. With reference to tlie beds in the accident ward, it has been found that by altering one of the ordinary beds all the-' require-. mants of the doctor hare been met." - Mr Macnab moved that the report be reoeired. Carried. --„., , The President said ,that he thought that the wardsman had .been very indiscreet in writing the letters to the papers. Mr McCullough said that he thought that the man ought to be censured. Mrßagnall said" he had no wish that the man be censured on his own account, though he disapproved of his conduct. j Mr Brown said that he thought no servant of the institution had a right to Write letters to the-papers-on a matter under consideration- „ .. Mr McCullough-moved that the Committee express its disapproval of the course taken by wardsman Menary on a subject which was then under consideration, and also in making false - statements in the papers. Mr Macnab seconded the motion which was then carried. Mr McCullough-then-moved that the report be adopted. teeasubbb's bepobt. Mr J. Hudson thenjread the Treasurer's report as follows :—Balance-sheet for the month ending- 31st-March, 1877. Receipts.—Dr. To balance, £234 15s 3d; subscriptions, £9 2& 8d; aioaations, 10s; Hospital Sunday, .£7 6s 7d; patients' charges,-£4 13s 6d—£256 Bs., Expenditure. —Cr. By salaries, £52 15s 4d ; maintenance, £26 16s 2d;, drugs and appliances, £4 Is ; funeral expenses, £2; medical- comforts^ 19s, ,6d; furniture, 12s 6d; insurance, £5; interest, 3s Sd; balance, £163 19s, 10d—£256-8s v Liabi. lities.—Salaries, £53 0s 4d; general accounts,^ 5s lid—£9B 6s 3d. Assets. Bank balance, £155 11s 8d; cash balance, £8 8s 2d; Government grant due, £250 —-£413 19s lOd. Less liabilities, £98 6s 3d. • Nett'issets, £316 13s 7d. - Mr Bagnall moved aadthe Rev J. T. Hiaton seconded" that the report be adopted, and the accounts passed for payment. •■■ Carried. ' HOUSE SUBGEOX'S BEPOBT. The monthly report of the House Surgeon waa then read as follows, and adopted:—" I have the honor to report, for the information of the committee, that on the 28th February ultimo there remained in • hospital 17 patients ;, that during the month of March there were 11 admissions, and 11- patients were discharged; and-upon the 31st of Marcht 17 patients remained under treatment. Analysing the Cases in the house, there are two caseH rheumatism/two paralysis, two bronchitis, one chronic encephalitis, one scrofula, onehamaturia, three fracture, one gunshot wound, one tumour, .one injury by explosion, one diarrhoea, one disr; location of shoulder. Among the, acccidents admitted only one was of a serious I character, and as yet he is progressing favorably.—Wm. A. Pmston, M.D."

SUBSIDY. „. The President read a copy of a letter which he had sent fo the Hon P. Whitaker respecting the payment of the Government subsidy. It enquired if the pay-ment-would: be continued until arrangements had been made by - the local bodies for the support of the Hospital. He also read the-reply which stated that the letter had been sent to the Government from whom they would get a reply. He (Mr Henshaw) said that thr reply had not yet been received, but they might expect it by next meeting. (

A letter was read from the Immigration Officer, at: Auckland enclosing a communication from the London Immi-. gration Office asking if the Government would ensure the employment of 2 trained Hospital nur»e3 who were desirous of immigrating to New Zealand. A letter from Dr Philson.was also inclosed which strongly opposed the employment of female nurses to attend to male patients. The President stated that Dr. Perston had also wi.tten his opinion of the matter, which he then read as follows :—"ln this Hospital; owing tOi the large proportion of , accidents treated, female nurses would be t of no service in ..the, male wards, and hitherto no difficulty has beenexp'eriencedin procuring an experienced nurse !( for the female ward when one was required. • Inlarge hospitals attended by students, ( who are only too anxious to render "their services in dressing the wounds and assisting in operations, female nurses are preferred-, as their duties' are confined to keeping the wards clean, and administering food and. medicines to those unable to help themselves ; but in hospitals where only a very limited number of attendants are employed they are wholly incompetent to. perform the duties required of wardsmen.—tWm. A. Pebston, M.D., House Surgeon." The Committee approved of Dr. Pcrston's opinion, and after some discussion the matter dropped, the secretary being

instructed to forward Dr. Perston's letter and write, stating that it contained their views on the mailer. HOUSK COMMITTEE. The following is the House Committee for the ensuing month :—Messrs Brown, Bagnall, McCullough and Miller. This was ali the business.