MEDICAL COMFORTS. (To the Editor.)

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 363, 10 June 1874, Page 3

MEDICAL COMFORTS. (To the Editor.)

Sib, — I always thought our local Hospital was a well-managed institution, but your report of the last meeting t)f the Hospital Committee reveals a state of affairs that is very discreditable indeed. £152 16s. 9d. has been spent on wine, spirits, ale, and porter in 145 days, which is at the rate of 21s. per day, or £385 per annum. Why, Sir, if stringent measures are not at once adopted, the Hospital will be rushed by inebriates bent on having a spree ! But, seriously speaking, does it not seem rather strange that, with an average of patients amounting to, say, 16, the amount paid for wine, spirits, ale, and porter should be more than double the Resident Surgeon's salary, which till lately was £150 per annum. Unless the consumption of this extraordinary amount of intoxicating liquors is satisfactorily accounted for at once, I very much fear that the subscriptions for the coming year will come in very slowly indeed, as subscribers will think twice before they put their hands in their pockets to contribute to an lußUt^i,;,^ *w. requires nearly £400 per annum to keep it in beer. — -1 am, <ku., Subscriber. ,