3

H.—22

AUCKLAND HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1899 ... ... ... 133 Admitted during the year ... ... ... ... 1, 493 Total under treatment ... ... ... 1,626 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,294 Died 165 Eemaining on 31st March, 1900 ... ... 167 Sex. —l,l4l males, 485 females. Localities from which Patients came. —Auckland City and suburbs, 969; Auckland District, 438 ; Auckland North, 101; Auckland South, 79; shipping, 39. Nationality. —English, 429 ; Scotch, 99 ; Irish, 213; New Zealand, 690; Australian, 49; American, 24; French, 7 ; German, 17; Indian, 12; Danish, 9 ; Austrian, 9 ; Portuguese, 2 ; South Sea Islands, 3; Swede, 25; Chinese, 4; Tasmanian, 5 ; Italian, 4; Finland, 9; Mauritius, 2 ; Swiss, 4; Turk, 1; African, 2 ; Canadian, 3 ; Belgian, 1; Newfoundland, 3. Religion. —Church of England, 819 ; Eoman Catholic, 374; Presbyterian, 210; Wesleyan, 109; Jewish, 4 ; Lutheran, 9; Salvationist, 19; Baptist, 30; Congregationalist, 12; Church of Christ, 7 ; Theosophist, 1; Chinese, 4; Freethinker, 3; Christian Brethren, 5; Adventist,3; Mahommedan, 4; Quaker, 6; None, 5 ; Gospel Mission, 2. Total collective days' stay in Hospital, 50,917; individual average days' stay, 31-31. Daily average cost per head, 4s. 9d.; less patients' payments, 3s. 4Jd. Outdoor Patients. —lndividual cases, 432; attendances, 3,910. Eeceipts and Expenditueb. Receipts. £ s. d. I Expenditure. £ s. d. From Government ... ... 4,755 19 3 Eations ... ... ... 2,282 5 5 Local bodies... ... ... 4,255 19 3 Nurses' Home, maintenance ... 926 8 1 Subscriptions and donations ... 44 11 6 Wines, spirits, ale, and porter ... 106 17 10 Bequests ... ... ... 2,991 17 5 Surgery and dispensary ... 1,150 12 5 Patients'payments ... ... 3,548 8 3 Fuel and light ... ... 814 12 0 Bedding and clothing ... ... 513 4 3 Furniture and earthenware ... 1,390 6 6 Washing and laundry... ... 376 0 7 Salaries and wages ... ... 3,031 11 0 Water-supply ... ... 239 2 0 Funerals ... ... ... 39 18 6 Maintenance of grounds ... 179 2 9 Eepairs and painting ... .... 541 010 Additions to buildings ... ... 1,969 13 2 Printing, advertising, postage, and stationery ... ... ... 112 2 5 Legal expenses ... ... 56 6 9 Insurance ... ... ... 16 1 0 Proportion of office expenses ... 274 19 10 Stamp duty ... ... ... 18 9 3 Other expenses ... ... 58 1 1 Total ... ...£15,596 15 8 Total ... ...£14,096 15 8 Visited 19th February and 6th April. —The chief feature of the recent management of this Hospital is the marked tendency to develop beyond reasonable bounds the number of the staff. For an average of about a hundred and forty patients there are three medical men, a dispenser, a house-steward, eleven males—nurses, cooks, and porters—a Matron, forty-five nurses of different grades, and nine female servants (all the laundry-work is done at the Costley Home) — i.e., in all, seventy officers and servants to look after 140 patients. In addition to all this, a majority of the Board seem determined to introduce the strict eight-hour system, and the first fruits of this is a determination to extend the Nurses' Home, towards which the Government the other day have granted a subsidy of £875. If the country can afford to go on at this rate our hospitals will come to bulk much more largely in our annual expenditure. The management of the Hospital apart from this is very satisfactory.

BLENHEIM HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1899 ... ... ... 17 Admitted during the year... ... ... ... ... 163 Total under treatment ... ... ... 180 Discharged ... ... ••• ••• ••• ••■ 152 Died ... 11 Eemaining on 31st March, 1900 ... ... 17