Thames Goldfields Hospital.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4354, 14 December 1882, Page 2

Thames Goldfields Hospital.

The monthly meeting of the Hospital Committee was held yesterday afternoon. Present—Revs. P. O'Reilly (President), Danes, Calder, and Neill; Messrs Rensbftw, Mulligan, Radford, Hume, Ntonan, Marshal!, and Ahier.

- HOUSE COMMITTEE'S BEPORT. The House Committee re^jrted :— Tour Committee beg to report having appointed Dr Huxtable as surgeon to the fever, hospital at a salary of £3 10s per month, and Mrs Dudley as nurse and caretaker at a salary of 10s per week when the hospital is empty, and 30s per week, with board, when there are patients in the hospital to be nursed. Your Committee beg to recommend that the doctor should be empowered to give the inmates of the Old Men's Home some additional things in the way of rations when it appears desirable so to do. Mr Benshaw asked whether the last, wardsman appointed had agreed to the salary of 25s per week. Mr Honiss said the mau wouid have been willing to accept that sum, but he had been instructed to offer 30s. <

Mr Hume asked whether all the wardsmen worked the same .hours and performed the same duties.

Mr Honiss said they did not. The doctor had Smith, the senior wardsman, always attending with him during the day, and the others dividing the night work between them, which they were qnite agreed to do. This was especially necessary during Mr Aitken's absence, and from letters he had received from that gentleman he judged that it must be some tio_e before he could return, in which case Smith would be the more urgently needed.

Mr Marshall said the Committee had found that Smith was a man of great experience, and the doctor always had his assistance in difficult cases. In consequence of this they thought he should receive more pay than a junior hand. The night work was less arduous, being

more in the nature of watching than .hard work.

Mr Renshaw moved the adoption of the report. There should be some recognition of seniority and greater ability. Mr Ebrenfried said that with him aci the Committee it was not a question of Smith personally, or any other man. It was simply that they should have their wardsmen in different grades, and if a more qualified man was, found he should have the senior position.

Mr Noonan did not see that they required a senior wardsman, with the Dispenser always at the Hospital. Mr Ehrenfri'ed said that on this field an especially efficient servant was required ca head nurse, as accidents might be brought in at any time, and -99 out of ICO occurred in the day time.

Mr JRadford moved an amendment that the clause of the report bearing on the subject be struck out.—Mr Noonm seconded.

Mr Hume moved an amendment, that the salaries of the wardsmen be 30s pe:> week each, and the head wardsman 355.—; This amendment was put and lost and that i of Mr Radford carried.—The report v;as adopted, subject to this amendment.—Mr Hume gave notice of motion in terms of his amendment. FINANCES.'

The Treasurer's: monthly statement was read by Mr Hume as follows:—Receipts: To subscriptions and donations, £7 15s lid; patients'charges, £9 10s ; Government, £449 Os 5d ; garden, £4 3s 6d. Expenditure: By bank overdraft, Ist November, £432 13s 7d ; salaries, £69 6s 8d; maintenance, £50*39 6d ; garden, £1 3s ; drugs and appliances, £18 18s ; funerals, £119s 6d; clothing, £2 4s; commission, 7s ; miscellaneous expenses, 2s 6d; repairs, £91 14s. Assets: Cash. £5 10s. Liabilities : Bank overdraft, £197 6s lid ; salaries, £60 13s 8d; trade accounts, £118 11s 9d; fever hospital, £14 15s 2d ; ditto salaries, £9105—£40317s 6d.—Adopted.

HOUSE BT7BGEON'B BEPORT. Dr Payne reported :—There is an impression existing in the minds of some members of your Committee that subsequently to the meeting held on-Wednes-day, July 5, when Mr Ahier moved for a return of stimulants consumed during the previous year, that I discontinued the use of intoxicants, as it has been said, with good results. I beg now to assure your Committee that stimulants have never been discontinued ; that their use or nonuse must and needs depend upon the cases themselves. I wish also to point out that during the period of time in question, viz., between Wednesday, July 5, and Wednesday, August 2, there were consumed in your hospital 83f pints beer, 9ozs wine, and 2ozs brandy. Afterwards for the next fourteen days there was a'considerable increase, and then another decrease. For particulars I refer you to the monthly abstract and other papers made out by Mr Aitken. I also wish to bring before your notice a written communidv tion from your Secretary, dated December 6, 1882, and stating that he was instructed by the House Committee j to suggest that when any of the old men in the Refuge were ailing, but not sufficiently so to be removed to the hospital, some change should be allowed in their diet—such as porridge, eggs, or some other extras. To this I replied, calling the attention of the House Committee to the fact that on September 13, a resolution was passed "That if any inI mate of the Old Men's Refuge requires extra diet he is to come into the hospital,"' and in the next place, that many of the old men have been asking for extras — milk, beer, eggs, and so forth—that it would be difficult to make exceptions,and that one and all would want extras, and the expense per head of the institution would increase materially. I submitted, moreover, my opinion that it would be far better to transfer one or more of them temporarily on to the hospital books, but not necessarily to keep in bed, when they would have any diet they required, and when recovered be discharged again.—l have, &c, Mabtin H. Payne.

DISPENSES. A letter was received from Mr Aitken, who is absent on holiday, in which he stated that his health had not at all improved, and asked for further leave—say until the end of January.—Mr J. F. Day, /Who has been acting as dispenser in Mr Aitken's absirence, wrote to the,effect that he could not continue to fill the post on account of neglecting his private business. He recommended Mr J. Challoner as a careful dispenser, aud capable of carrying on the duties.—Dr Payne endorsed the statements as to Challoner's ability, who had passed an examination as chemist and druggist.—A resolution was passed granting the extension of leave on condition that suitable arrangements be continued.

SAWMILL ACCIDENTS. ■ Mr Ehrenfried said that about twelve months ago he had drawn attention to the number o£ accidents occurring in the neighboring bushes and sawmills. He had now been able to get a list of the cases of this nature treated in the hospital, and found that there had been as many as 30 within the past twelve months. Accidents of this kind were generally rery severe, the sufferers often staying in the institution as long as three months. He thought it would only be fair to ask the -sawmill companies to contribute to the cost of treating these 'patients, and he thought the matter only required to be represented to them to secure liberal donations. When the companies were in a position to pay dividends^ it was unfair, not to use a stronger term, that their maimed and sick should be palmed off upon a local institution, which was less able to afford it. He found that the Tairua mill alone-contributed one-fourth of the total number of- accidents. He moved that a letter be written to the companies drawing attention to the position of affairs, and soliciting their contributions.—Seconded by Mrßadford, and carried.

SUPPLIES. Tenders for supplies to the hospital for the next 12 months were opened as follows :—Groceries, A. fialcke (accepted) and Mears and Co.—Meat: E. Batemaa and Davies Bros, (accepted).—Bread : Fulljames and Scott (accepted) and-KoL lerson and son.—Milk: j\ Horn (ac capted) and T. Williams. —Washing : Mrs O'Brien,—Funerals: W. Twentyman, £2 2s 6d. . '

The House Committee for the present month consists of Messrs Marshall, MeGowan, Ahier, and Deeble.