WESTPORT DISTRICT HOSPITAL.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 985, 5 July 1872, Page 2

WESTPORT DISTRICT HOSPITAL.

ANNUAL MEETING. The Annual Meeting of subscribers to this institution was held at the Court House, on Wednesday afternoon, to receive the report of the outgoing Committee, and to elect a new Committee for the current year. The attendance was limited. Mr J. B. Eisher being called to the chair, the following reports were read by the Honorary Secretary. COMMITTEE'S YEABI/r. BEPOKT. In presenting the yearly report to the subscribers, the out-going committee do not feel that many re-narks arc called for from them, in addition to the information supplied by the balance sheet of the Treasurer, and the report of the Medical-officer. The fears expressed in the last yearly report, as to the expected falling off in the subscriptions, have not been so far realised as to necessitate any modification in the scheme of the institution, such as was at that time apprehended. But the same anticipations may perhaps be, with good reason, now again expressed. The population has sustained a serious diminution by the general movement to the Inangahua, and it may therefore be expected that the subscriptions from the diggings in the neighbourhood of Westport, will not amount to a very large sum. Neither is much assistance to be expected from the Inangahua, since the people in that district appear to be raising funds for a hospital of their own. In this design it is to be hoped that they may be speedily successful, in order that the Westport Hospital may be relieved from the burden of

providing for the frequent patienta who are sent down from the Inangahua and for whose maintenance funds are seldom supplied, from that quarter either by subscriptions or other means! The Government vote for the year now current, is, as before, £9OO, of which sum £2OO have been already advanced. If the Government does not insist on the full amount of one third of the expenditure being raised by the public, and if anything like a reason, able subscription is raised, it may be possible for the new committee, with economy, and by exercising care in the admission of patients, so as to exclude those whose circumstances do not render them proper subjects of charity or by exacting proper payment in such cases, to carry on the institution until the expiration of the Provincial financial year, which takes place at the end of March, 1873. J. W. HtrjIPHKET, Hon. Sec.

MEDICAL OFFICER'S BEPOKT. As was to be expected from the lessened population of the district the number of patients has been somewhat fewer than in previous years The character of the injuries and diseases presents nothing remarkable —fractures, fever, and rheumatic af. fections, forming a large proportion of the whole number of cases. I am happy to have to report a very small mortality—there having been only two deaths during the year, both of which cases had been transferred from the gaol—one of them in a moribund condition. There are several additional require, ments much needed in and about the Hospital, but having reported them to the Visiting Committee, I need not here again particularise them. The number of out-patients, includ. ing cases attended at their own homes has decreased proportionally to the resident population. The number of in-patients treated during the year amounted to seventy (70), viz.:—6l admissions, and 9 in Hospital on July 1, 1872. The number of out-patients amount ed to about half that of the in-patients. Of th 9 70 cases under treatment the termination was as follows:—Cured 40 ; Relieved,. 10 ; Male out patients', 5 ; At own request, and able to return home, 4; Improper, 1; Died 2Transferred to Provincial Hospital 2Remaining in District Hospital, 6 Total 70.

The above number was contributed by different localities, in the following proportion:—Westport, 6; Terraces and Northern Beaches, 18 ; Addison's Flat; 11; Up-river district, including Inangahua, Lyell and Upper Buller, 33 ; Other places, 2. Total 70. S. Thorpe M.R.C.3.L., L.S.A. Medical Officer to "Westport District Hospital. [The Treasurer's report, as read, will be found in our advertising columns.] On the motion of Mr Robert Whjle, seconded by Mr Munson, the reports' as read, were severally adopted. The following gentlemen were then elected members of committee for the current year :—Messrs James Powell, T. Bailie, J. B. Fisher, E. Roche, J. Simpson, G. Falla, Jno. Gilmer, W. Struthers, R. Whyte, J. L. Munson, R. Rowlands, J. Graves, and J. W. Humphrey. Mr Humphrey was elected Secretary pro tern, and requested to call a meeting of the Committee at an early date. A vote of thanks to the Honorary Secretary, for his services during the past year was recorded, as also to theChairman of the meeting, and the proceedings terminated.