TUAPEKA GOLDFIELDS HOSPITAL

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 154, 19 January 1871, Page 5

TUAPEKA GOLDFIELDS HOSPITAL

The annual meeting of subscribers to the Tuapeka Hospital was held in the Commercial Hotel, Lawrence, on Thursday evening, the 12th January. The attendance was not large. Mr. M'Swiney was called to the chair.

The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed. The Secretary then read THE NINTH ANNUAL KEPORT.

At the close of another year of the Tuapeka Goldfields Hospital, your Committee finds it its duty to render a statement of the affairs of the Hospital, and to resign its charge into your hands. The balance sheet will show that your Hospita is financially in a prosperous condition* while the Medical Officer's report proves the increased usefulness of the Institution.

The chief improvements made during the year have been an addition to the Surgeon's house, and the relaying out and draiuage of the Hospital grounds. The vacancy caused by the resignation of your Matron, has been filled by the appointment of Mrs. Marriott to that omce.

Your Committee had hoped that the approaches to the Hospital would have been improved by the addition to the enclosure of that piece of land bounded on two sides by Whitehaven street and the Waitahuna road, and would suggest to your incoming committee the desirability of obtaining those sections and adding them to the Hospital ground. Your Committee begs to tender its thanks to those gentlemen who have acted as collectors during the past year, as also to those ladies and gentlemen who took part in the dramatic performances for the benent of the Hospital.

From the balance sheet, which was also read, we glean the following particulars : — Subscriptions £o the 31st December amounted to £516 4s. Od; paying patients, £138 14s. 4d. ; sale of pigs, £9 10s.; Government subsidy received during the year, £1405 11s. There had been expended in salaries, bonuses, &c, £805 14s. 4d. ; rations, £539 lls. lid.; drugs and medical comforts, £111 9s. 3d.; stores, furniture, improvements, fuel and light, interment, incidentals, printing and stationery, interest and insui-ance amount in all to ,£326 19s. Bd. The subsidy account shows a balance of £636 lls. due by the Government to the Hospital.

On the motion of Mr. Jamison, seconded by Mr. Jeffery, the report and balance sheet Avere adopted.

The Resident Surgeon then read his report for the year, of which the following is a copy :—: —

Gentlemen, — In submitting my report to you, there is nothing that requires any special comment. Tho number of patients admitted have been somewhat fewer than last year, and the same number of death* have resulted. As usual, about one-half the patients who died, were perfectly hopeless cases on admission. The diseases and complaints from which the patients have suffered, have been only those which might have been lookedforfrom the nature of the employment of the larger section of the community, and the great liability to accidents from mining. A few of the Chinese patients, however, have had complaints which I imagine are but rarely, if ever, seen amongst Europeans.

A considerable number of out-door patients have taken advantage of the system of relief afibrded them by the Hospital, and I believe the greater number of them have been benefited by it. The amount of money received from paying patients has been LlO6 sa. A proportion of 1 in 4 of the patients admitted have contributed towards this sum.

Dr. Halley, as usual, has been most attentive and energetic in the discharge of his duties as Hon. Surgeon when occasion required it, rendering most valuable assistance in the treatment of patients in the Hospital.

There has been a change in the office of Matron. Mrs. Marriott having been appointed in room of Mrs. Duncan, who resigned at the end of the year. The number of patients left in the Hospital on Jan. Ist, 1870 ... 18 Number admitted during the year 115 Total ~133 Of these 104 were males, and 11 females. Number discharged — cured ... 80 Do , Do., — relieved ... 22 Left of their own accord 3 Number not benefited 2 Do., sent to Lunatic Asylum ... 2 Do., who died 10 Remaining in Hospital 14 Total ~133 Districts from which patients treated in the Hospital were admitted, are as follows :—: — Lawrence and Tuapeka Flat ... 28 Teviot, Beaumont, Switzers and Tapanui 26 Waitahuna 20 Gabriel and Munroe's 19 Waipori 16 Wetherstonos n Tuapeka Mouth 9 Othor Places ... ... ... 4 Total 333 Number of out-door patients treated during the year ... 97 These, I believe, have all been either cured or benefited. In reply to a question asked by Mr. Jamison, it was elicited from Mr. Simpson that, excepting a few pounds collected by the Chinamen, tho Government had been entirely at tha expense connected with the Chinese leper.

On the motion of Mr. Abel, seconded by Mr. Han-op, the Surgeon's report was adopted.

Mr. George Walker moved that a vote of thanks be recorded to the retiring committee for the able manner in which they had conducted the business of the Hospital for the past year. Qarried.

ELECTION OF COMMITTEE.

The Chairman stated that the persons qualified to elect a new committee were subscribers of not less than £1 a year, or £10 for life membership.

Iv reply to Mr. Mears, the following list of the attendance of members of committee for the past year was read : — Eleven monthly and three quarterly meetings had been held. Bastings, 13 ; Hayes, 13 ; Abel, 12 ; Harrop, 11 ; Farrer, 9 ; Halley, 9 : Keen. 9 ; Simpson, 9 ; M'Nickle, 7 ; M'Swiney, 6; Herbert, 5; Thompson, 5; M'Beath, 5; Smith, 4; M'Kinlay, 4; M'Cluskey, 2 ; Cormack, 0 ; Pressley, 0 ; Nicolson, 0. , Twenty- four gentlemen were then nominated, and nineteen balloted for, which resulted in the election of the foil owing gentlemen : — Messrs. Bastings, Simpson, Halley, W. D. Morrison, Cummings, Haves, Farrer, Abel, M'Beath, M'Swiney, S. While, Harrop, Livingston, Hinde, L. Maclean, J. F. Herbert, Gooday, Buchanan and M'Kimrnie.

The following office-bearers were then unanimously elected : — Mr. Bastings, president ; Mr. Farrer, treasurer j Mr. Hayes, secretary.

The following resolution, proposed by Mr. Jamison, was carried :—": — " That the committee be instructed to preptre a list of persons qualified to vote at next annual meeting, and a list of persons eligible to be elected as a committee."

A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the business of the evening.