H.—22

14

DUNEDIN HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1897 ... ... 83 Admitted during the year ... ... ... ... 1,054 Total under treatment ... ... ... 1,137 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 932 Died ... ... ... ... ... ... 106 Bemaining on 31st March, 1898 ... ... ... 99 Sex. —693 males, 444 females. Localities from which Patients came. —Dunedin and suburbs, 696; Allanton, 5; Burnside, 5; Brighton, 5; Christchurch, 4; Clinton, 9; Clutha, 12; Catlin's, 8; Clyde, 2; Green Island, 9; Gore, 6 ; Hyde, 5 ; Hindon, 6; Inchclutha, 3; Kaitangata, 12 ; Lawrence, 5; Milton, 14 ; Mosgiel, 22; Middlemarch, 4; Maungatua, 4 ; Outram, 7; Port Chalmers, 22 ; Palmerston, 9; Peninsula, 12; Boxburgh, 6; Bavensbourne, 13; Seacliff, 9; East Taieri, 9; Waikouaiti, 15; Waitati, 9; shipping, 22 ; others, 168. Country. —New Zealand, 484; Scotland, 198; England, 197 ; Ireland, 127; Victoria, 30 ; New South Wales, 9; South Australia, 5; Tasmania, 5; Canada, 4 ; China, 21; Jersey, 5; Shetland, 5 ; Norway, 4 ; Sweden, 7 ; Germany, 7 ; United States, 4; France, 3 ; East Indies, 2; Denmark, 2 ; Finland, 2 ; Bussia, 2; others, 14. Beligion. —Presbyterian, 408; Church of England, 318; Boman Catholic, 207; Baptist, 44; Confucian, 21; Congregationalist, 14; Church of Christ, 18; Church Brethren, 5 ; Freethinker, 1; Greek Church, 1; Jewish, 6 ; Lutheran, 13; Methodist, 5; Mahometan, 1; Primitive Methodist, 5; Plymouth Brethren, 5 ; Salvationist, 10; Wesleyan, 46; Society of Friends, 1; Latter-day Saints, 1; no religion, 7. Total collective days' stay in hospital, 36,688 ; individual average days' stay, 32-26. Daily average cost per head, 3s. lljd.; less patients' payments, 3s. 4Jd. Outdoor Patients. —Individual cases, 1,918; attendances, 6,943. Bevenue and Expenditure. Bevenue. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. From Government ... ... 2,972 11 8 Bations ... ... ... 1,866 18 2 Local bodies ... ... ... 2,700 0 0 Wines, spirits, ale, &c... ... 150 14 6 Subscriptions and donations ... 216 9 2 Surgery and dispensary ... 888 2 6 Patients'payments ... ... 1,168 14 8 Fuel and light ... ... 784 6 7 Other sources ... .... 321 16 6 Bedding and clothing ... ... 59 1 6 Balance from last year ... 81 3 7 Furniture, earthenware, &c. ... 285 3 9 Salaries and wages ... ... 2,307 14 9 Water-supply ... ... 105 1 0 Funerals ... ... ... 6 15 0 Bepairs ... ... ... 305 14 10 Printing, advertising, postage, and stationery ... ... 66 1 2 Interest ... ... ... 10 6 Insurance ... ... ... 24 4 0 Commission ... ... ... 11 2 6 Honorary medical staff ... 110 5 3 Other expenses ... ... 256 4 4 Total ... ... £7,460 15 7 Total ... ... £7,228 10 4 Mrs. Neill and myself have made several visits to this hospital during the year. The management is good, the Trustees keenly interested in all that concerns the welfare of the patients and the staff, Mr. Burns is an excellent steward, the nursing staff is efficient, while the medical and surgical work is kept up to date by the stimulating influence of the Medical School. The Nurses' Home is a building admirably designed for comfort and stability. The one drawback to this hospital is that it never as a whole can be anything but an unsystematic collection of incongruous and experimental excrescences from an administrative centre designed originally for a radically different purpose. The money that has been spent here since the Commission of 1890 would have gone far towards providing a modern hospital on a healthy site. The new operating theatre is an up-to-date feature of this hospital, and the most perfect of its kind in New Zealand. A new kitchen is being built to replace the former unsatisfactory quarters allotted to the culinary department, and the foundations of a new children's ward cover a portion of the space between the Nurses' Home and the main building.

DUNSTAN HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1897 ... ... ... 3 Admitted during the year ... .. ... ... 45 Total under treatment ... ... ... 48 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 42 Died ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4 Bemaining on 31st March, 1898 ... "... ... ... 2