Thames Goldfield Hospital.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3087, 9 January 1879, Page 2

Thames Goldfield Hospital.

The usuul monthly meeting of the committeo of this institution was held at the Salutation Hotel yesterday afternoon. Present--Mr ■J. Frater, President, Mr McCulloiigh, Vice-President, Mr J. Hudson, Hon. Treasurer; the Revs. J. T. Minton, S. J. Neill, V. Lush ; Messrs Renshaw, Gudgeon, Davies, Ehrenfried, and Muligan.

MINUTES. The tninutei of the previous meeting were read aud confirmed. HOUSE COMMITTEE'S BEPOET. The report of this Committee was read and adopted. It was as follows:—The House Committee beg to report that they hare every satisfaction in the management of the Hospital during the past month; At Christmas and on New Year's Day the inmates were bountifully supplied with the good things of the season by the liberality of the public, to whom our thanks are due. The accounts for the past month are:—Salaries, £56 2s, and general accounts, £42 19s, 4d, which we have care* fully examined and recommend for payment.—J. Fkatek. tbeasubeb's bepobt.

The Treasurer's report was read as follows:—Receipts: To balance, £375 7s 2d; subscriptions, £35 15s; patients' charges, £15 4s; demonstration of F. 8., £105 19s Id ; total, £532 5s 3d.—Expenditure: Salaries, £56 2s; maintenance, £28 Is 3d ; furniture, 9<s lOd; medical comforts, £2 18s; drugs and appliances, £2 5s 6d; funerals, £2; advertising, printing, and stationery, £1 2s; commission, 129 ; miscellaneous expenses, £2 17s 4d ; insurance, £5 ; cash balance, £116 18s Id; bank do., £313 19s 3d; tot 1, £532 5s 3d.—^Liabilities: Salaries, £56 2s; general accounts, £42 19s 4d; balance, £331 16s; total, £430 17s 4d —Assets: Bank balance, £413 19s 3d; cash do., £116 18s Id ; total, £430 17s 4,d. ;

The Secretary stated, with reference to the large sum of £116 on haud, that he could not bank the proceeds of the demonstration to the Hospital account until after the end of the month, and consequently that item had to be placed on the balance-sheet as cash in hand. The report was adopted. HOUSE SUEGEOU'S BEPOBT.

The report of this officer was read as follows :—•• Gentlemen, —I am happy to bo able to say that there have been no deaths in the Hospital during the past month. The average number of patients treated remain about the same. On Christmas and New Year's Day the inmates were treated to dinners suitable to the festivals that were being com« memorated. Otherwise, there is nothing to which your attention need be particularly directed. The monthly state of sick is as follows : —Statistical Nosology.— Zymotic diseases—admitted 4, discharged 2, remaining; local—remained7,admitted 6, discharged 6, remaining 9; developmental—remaining 1; violent—remained 1, admitted 1, discharged 1, remaining 1. Totals — remained 9, admitted 11, discharged 7, remaining 13 ; out-patients 92. —F. o'Flaherty.L.U.C.S.l." The report was adopted without comment. . BEPOBT BE OLD HAN*! BEFT/GE.

The report of the "Committee appointed concerning this matter "wst read as follows :— " Gentlemen, — Your sub-comm-ittee hare completed the purchase of Mr Dod's property for the sum of £278, the Borough supplying the .funds. ■ We consider this a valuable addition to the hospital grounds; The allotment is about' 120 feet by 165 feet. Kreoted thereon is a good four-roomed house, with out* buildings. The garden is well stocked with over 60 fruit trees; there is also a quantity, of potatoes and vegetables. Instead of vesting the property in trustees, we decided to make out the convey* ance in favor of the representatives of the Borough, as advised. The building we insured for £100. We hate been collecting information respecting the best method of conducting the Home for Old Men, and are of opinion that for the present such persons be accommodated in the hospital until such time as the beds are required for cases of sickness. We would suggest that those who are able should be employed in cultivating the .ground acquired, so that vegetables, etc., may be raised to supply the requirements of the institutions. When it becomes necessary to occupy the other building as an Old Men's Home we would recommend that the whole be managed by the hospital staff, and on the same principle on which that institution is conducted, the surgeon and dispenser being responsible to the House Committee for the proper management of the same. Until those seeking the benefit of the Home are much more numerous than at present, or until such time as waste or abuse manifests itself, we are of opinion that no dietary scale should be introduced so far as quantity is concerned, but instead that the matter be left in the hands of the , surgeon, and that every inmate have an unlimited supply of plain but nutritious food, as at present carried out in the hospital.—We are, Ac, John Fbateb, James Renshaw, Wm. McCuleough." The report was received on the motion of Mr Gudgeon. In reply to the Eev. Mr Hinton, the President explained the financial arrangements that had been made with the Borough with respect to the maintenance of the Eefuge. After some unimportant discussion the report was adopted on the motion of Mr Hudson/ vv

FANCY STALL. A letter was read from Mrs A. Hume staling that her booth for the sale of fancy goods for the benefit of the Hospital on Demonstration Day had not been a sue* cess, owing partly to the fact that the booth had not been erected in a suitable place. She would dispose of the goods on some other occasion, when the proceeds would be handed over to the Hospital. It was resolved that '% rote of thanks be accorded to Mrs Hume for her exertions on behalf of the Hospital.

DEMONBTBATION. The Secretary reported tbe net proceeds of the demonstration was £105 19s. Votes of thanks were accorded to the Societies, Bands, Committee, and those gentlemen who had canvassed for prizes, and to those who had contributed to the funds.

Robinson's case. Tbe President, with reference to the lad Robinson, now an inmate of the hospital, said that Drs O'Flaherty and Kilgour had consulted together and pronounced him a fit subject for the.Lunatic Asylum.. He (the President) had signed the necessary declaration, and Mr Allom

had issued an order for his committal to the Asylum, but had (subsequently cancelled tins order as be did not consider the lad insane. He (the President) had consequently taken no further action ins, the matter. The matter wns left in the hands of the President and House Surgeon. HOSPITAL MAINTENANCE. The Secretury read the following important commuiiicatiou :—

" The Treasury, Wellington, November 28th, 1878.—Sir,-1 have the honour, by direction of the Honorable the Colonial Treasurer, to enclose, for your information, a copy of " The Financial Arrangements Act, 1878," and to invite your attention to sections 6 and 8 of that enactment. It will be observed that under section 6 a subsidy equal to pound for pound is payable by the Government on the amount of all voluntary subscriptions to hospitals managed by local committees, and a like sura in respect of all grants made by County Councils, Borough Councils, or Road Boards towards the maintenance of these institutions. In many cases the local bodies referred to have cheerfully recognised their obligations in this matter, and have made liberal contributions to the funds of the district hospital; but, conceiving it to be proper that bodies less liberally inclined should not be permitted to ignore the claims of such institutions to a grant from their revenues, the Government has taken power, under section 8 of the Act, to make such proportionate deductions from the subsidies payable to local bodies as, added to an equal sum contributable (as already stated) by the Government itself, shall, in each ctse, make up any deficiency in the cost of maintaining the hospital of the district. It will bo seen that tinder this arrangement the cost of all hospitals managed by local committees will be provided for:—(1) By receipts from endowment (if any). (2) By receipts from, or on account of, patients. (3) By voluntary subscriptions and donations. (4) By subsidies from the Government equal to the amount, of such subscriptions and donations. (6) The balance of cost will be made up—(a) By grants from local bodies, or by deductions from their subsidies paid over to the Hospital Fund; (b) by subsidies from the Government equal to the amount of such grants and deductions. In order that effect may be given to this arrangement, the Colonial Treasurer requests that your committee will be good enough to supply a declared statement, in the form subjoined, of the actual receipts and disbursements of the Thames Hospital for the half-year ended the 30th June, 1878, and a similar statement for the half-year ending on the 31st December next. The first-mentioned statemenfrshould be sup plied immediately, and the last at as early a date after the 31st December aa may be convenient. The Colonial Treasurer would be glad if, in transmitting the statement first mentioned, you would be good enough to furnish a list of the Counties and Boroughs of the. district which now contribute to the funds of the Thames Hospital, together with «r list of those which, having no hospitals of their own, necessarily make use of that at the Thames.—l have, etc., James C. Gavin.

The Secretary reported he had sent the information. ' Mr Uensbaw moved and Mr McCulloagh seconded that a letter be sent to the Government asking, the.£ for. £ subsidy on private subscriptions, and also to the Borough for the balance due to the Committee. s / TiIBUA SAW HIIL. ■' Several cases having recently come to the Hospital from Tairua, it was decided that the secretary write to the Union Saw Mill Co. asking for a donation to the funds of the Hospital. j HOVdB COMMITTEE. The Eevs. R. S. Bunn and S. J. Neil,' and Messrs Eensbaw and Comer were , appointed House Committee for the ensuing month.