H.—22

26

PICTON HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1897 ... Admitted during the year ... ... ... . . 18 Total under treatment ... ... ... 30 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 17 Died ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Bemaining on 31st March, 1898 ... ... ... ... 10 Sea;. —24 males, 6 females. Localities from which Patients came. —Pelorus Eoad District, Havelock, Cullensville, Kaituna, Tuamarina, Sounds, Picton. Country. —No record. Beligion. —No record. Total collective days' stay in hospital, 3,863; individual average days' stay, 128-76. Daily average cost per head, 3s. 2£d.; less patients' payments, 3s. Ofd. Outdoor Patients. —lndividual cases, 7. Bevenue and Expenditure. Bevenue. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. From Government ... ... 274 3 1 Bations ... ... ... 147 18 1 Local bodies ... ... ... 274 3 0 Wines, spirits, ale, &c. ... ... 15 14 0 Donations ... ... ... 100 Surgery and dispensary... ... 20 14 3 Patients'payments ... ... 24 0 0 Fuel and light... ... ... 35 911 Other sources ... ... ... 43 12 7 Bedding and clothing ... ... 17 8 8 Salaries and wages ... ... 268 16 0 Water-supply ... ... ... 3 10 0 Bepairs ... ... ... 12 14 6 Printing, advertising, postage, and stationery ... ... ... 11 11 11 Interest ... ... ... 0 2 6 Insurance ... ... ... 500 Other expenses ... ... 77 18 10 Total ... ... £616 18 8 Total £616 18 8 Date of inspection, 28th January, 1898. After years of friction between two parties in the district, one favourable to the retention of Dr. Scott, the other anxious to get rid of him, a solution of the difficulty seems at last to have been hit upon, which, I hope, will have the effect of healing this chronic sore. Dr. Scott has entered into partnership, with equal interest in the practice as well as the surgeonship to the hospital, though, so far as the Secretary, Mr. Blizzard, could inform me, there was some vagueness as regards the exact terms of the agreement. At any rate, Dr. Scott was re-elected on the understanding that Dr. Anderson's services should be available for the hospital. I found a great deal of ill-feeling among the patients, most of whom are simply brokendown old men. This was, I concluded after careful inquiry, entirely due to the slackness of the Board, who time after time readmitted a disreputable, drunken old ruffian to the hospital, where he made the most odious charges against the management without any foundation, and treated the caretaker and doctor in my hearing with the most shameful insolence. I wrote a letter to the Trustees, and lam glad to find that they at once turned him out, and now there is peace. It is impossible to maintain discipline in a hospital where the Trustees are deterred by fear of popular clamour from doing their duty.

QUEENSTOWN HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1897 ... ... ... 13 Admitted during the year ... ... ... ... 99 Total under treatment ... ... ... 112 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 91 Died 10 Bemaining on 31st March, 1898 ... ... ... ... 11 Sex. —87 males, 25 females. Localities from which Patients came. —Lake, Vincent, Southland, and Clutha Counties, Dunedin, England, Ireland. Country. —New Zealand, 42; England, 12; Ireland, 20; Scotland, 18; Australia, 8; Holland, 1; Prussia, 1; Tasmania, 2 ; Denmark, 1; Canada, 2 ; China, 2; Germany, 1; France, 1; Sweden, 1. Beligion. —Church of England, 31; Boman Catholic, 26; Presbyterian, 47; Wesleyan, 3 ; Lutheran, 2 ; Buddhist, 2 ; Baptist, 1. Total collective days' stay in hospital, 3,800; individual average days' stay, 33-93. Daily average cost per head, ss. 2d. ; less patients' payments, 3s. B£d. Outdoor Patients.— lndividual cases, 81; attendances, 154.