ECHOES FROM THE CAFE

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1732, 11 August 1883, Page 2

ECHOES FROM THE CAFE

It was supposed that when the management of the Auckland hospital was vested in a board, part elected by subscribers .and the remainder appointed by Government, everything would work smoothly, but the reverse has been the case., A competent house-surgeon, Dr McKellar, was appointed, a number of the best medical men gave their services as an honorary medical staff, and trained nurses were engaged instead of convalescent patients and other incapables attempting to perform the arduous taak of nursing, a lady who had very considerable qualifications for the position voluntarily gave her services as temporary lady superintendent, ■ and eventually another lady, trained for such a position, was appointed to the post. The first trouble was between the committee and the Government, the latter considering that the expenses of the hospital had been largely and unnecessarily increased, and requisitions from the board were sent back to be cut down. The salaries of the nurses were pronounced too high by the Government, who decided that they must be reduced, which being done, some of the best of the trained nurses decided to leave. The behaviour of the house surgeon was considered so overbearing that the Colonial Secretary was requested to dismiss him; This he did, giving him three month's notice. Then some of the membeis of the honorary medical staff wrote to the board, censuring them for having had Dr McKellar dismissed, and the committee agreed to accept his resignation instead. There was a rather amusing feature about the letter' from members of the honorary staff. It was signed by four of them, of whom one had resigned his position before the letter was written, and another sent a letter in which he said he did not agree with what was said in the letter which he had signed in conjunction with the other three. However, tho fact re mains that Dr McKellar leaves the hospital, aud it is to be hoped that a successor will be appointed who will be thoroughly efficient, and will work properly with the committee and the honorary staff.

Another matter was brought to notice which has caused a good deal of unfavourable comment, which is the Uige amount of spirituous aud fermented liquois consumed in the hospital. The quantity which was said to have been consumed last month was 76 bottles of wine, 46 quarts of gin, 11 bottles of brandy, and 219 pint bottles of porter. Many people think that the liquor was not all used by the patients, and that, if it was, their health would have been very much - better had the quantity been very much less. In future the question of who used the " comforts" and who ordered them will be answered, as. the house steward has received instruc tions to i3sue neither wine, beer, noi spit its without an order from the resident surgeon or the member of the honorary staff who prescribed them. In Wednesday's Herald there appeared a letter from Mr D. Goklie, in which he gave a table showing the number ot patients, cost of liquors, average cost per head, number of deaths and, percentage of deaths in the Manchester Royal Infirmary, and its auxiliaries for the past ten years. Of course I cannot toll whether it is a fair case of cause .and effect, but the fact remains that whereas in 1873 the cost of wines, &c, was 6s 7;fd per head, and the death rate 92, in 1882 the cost of liquors was only ll^cl pei head, and the death rate only 7*3. Judging by that it would appear as if the less liquor given the fewer deaths occur. I would be inclined to say to the powers that be at the hospital as the old Presbyterian minister said to the man who asked him if giving all his wealth to the kirk would save his soul, " Weel ! its an expecriment' worth trying." •ir *

■ I think I have already' told you that I am not an agriculturist, nor yet an authority on, agriculture. Whether I have or not, such are the facts ot the case. Still I take a great interest in agriculture, and am glad if I can be of any service in making public any information which can help those engaged in that important pursuit. Such information is, I believe, given in an article entitled " Ensilage," which appeared in the June number ot Chambers' Journal. "Ensilage" is the term applied to fodder preserved in a "silo," and it is stated by the writer that fodder so preserved is superior to any other, even to that in its natural state. A " silo "is a tank which may be made either in the earth or above it, or partly in and partly above.. It should be made of concrete or some other material which will ensure its being water-tight and air-tight, and must be so constructed that pressure can be placed on the top, so as to exclude the air. When it is perfectly dry the green fodder should be put in, all air excluded, and .the; ,"silo" hermetically sealed. After being kept* closed for six weeks, or as much longer as is required, the "silo" may be opened (at the end is desirable so that the fodder may be cut in the same •way as a hay stack, though "this -is not indispensable) and the contents used. Experiments have been made in America with grass, clover, lucerne, &c, &c, and jijt.w^as found that, the cattle preferred ; "ensilage " to' fresh foodj while it is very much .cheaper and more , nutritious than hay.' If anyone desirous of making' an 'experiment i .'-with '' ' ensilage ?' < ! wishes further information on the subject I will be happy to supply it to the best of raY ability ,<if he/will make known !his "desire to the Editor of The Waikato Times! , .

• The". Horticultural Society has just held 1 ' its annual meeting, when a very sad j re-, poTctwas presented to it;,!from ,\which it ' appeared,tli^,i f the,'. society"- has held ' twoexhibitibtia'.durirlg^the^yeaiv but' tjhey ~srere #o jtiaSly^attfeif dedvf that neither! Jqp ?thVn>^faid : k©3Cpenses^i^r,The \ reason' ',*&'>

tural exhibitf&#if Thlsd^ peiuls on the shillings pf the many fdr >'$ s\icde&sTahU m-trttiiiy I»j\\%<}t%4 to thes?;j Choral Hall. f( It id putqLtheir beat, andlj. they have the^notion'"i;hati it ia for the /$ jßiobs,iand'not lov jthem.|, tl& eyor I. can^l 'see my way clear to'have a few weeks <to' f -^ spare, I, will .hold t a jipi^ipulfcural exhibit tion, and mak'e'inoney but of it. I 1I 1 will:^ not call 'it' '"by 'that'naino/t'howtiver, aa-,^ that is far tqo long fpr mv patrons, ttie&S 'drny-'andeA aSfia^M. 1 '^ffeiFcall it aj| " flower show," hold it inthe^drill-shed,^! unless I'can get a rnoi'e'donveiiienfimce,^ advertise it welj,. and charge a shilling for admission during, .the., day, i and six- ,h pence in the >ev6niug, 'andli' |am quite",'sure that I will maku money by the yen- , ' turc. * ,+.,-

1 . iV< Vl^ * sy: A number of. the Christchnrch people seem to have had the"" scri{Tfever " very bad lately., of , them , evidently went " off their chumps " in' their 'desire to get shares in, the diamond prospecting companies. If they knew^as much about the result of buying shares* of 5 thafc^sort, as some 'of us - Aucklan'dcrs do, they would not have been in such a hurry to part with their mpney,. .[What |ii!iV'ely time we had when the scrip mamoT taged here. -, Of couisje, our ghares w,ere in gold (?) mines, not in the diamond fields, but the result' will be' tho's-ime. For one man who made money out of shares there were twenty (probably a hundred) who lost. When the bubble burst .what anxiety there was, to, get;rid of valueless shares. They were worse than valueless, for .they entaile,d hjiavy , liabilities on the holders. Before the lawj was altered, the usual way to escape the liability was to transfer the shares to a dummy. There was a shoe-black, a who3e box, brushes and blacking bottle were bis only worldly possessions of any intrinsic value, who was, the holder of,, % shares of the nominal value of upwards 1 of !( 4 million sterling. However, the law was altered so that people could not relieve themseJyes ( Qf; their indebtedness by transporting* tlieir shares' to a dummy, and so had to seek the protection of the Bankruptcy Court. Many a man owed his ruin to dabbling in mining'shavesC 4 Q d I believe that many of the Christchurch people will rue the day when they bought diamond shares, even if it is not correct, as has been stated, that the prospectors have merely the right to' search, 'riot to work systematically, and that the shares sold are, therefore, utterly valueless. I ?.' St. M&Nfco.