5

H.—22

Receipts and Expenditure. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. From Government ... ... 6,858 710 Rations ... ... ... 3,544 19 0 Local bodies... ... ... 6,858 7 9 Nurses' Home, maintenance ... 1,460 19 5 Subscriptions and donations ... 91 6 2 Wines, spirits, ale, and porter ... 175 19 0 Bequests ... ... ... 3,269 19 8 Surgery and dispensary ... 2,076 11 7 Rents ... ... ... 288 14 3 Fuel and light ... ... 1,090 3 4 Patients'payments ... ... 3,554 15 1 Bedding and clothing ... ... 555 18 4 Furniture and earthenware ... 168 11 1 Furniture and earthenware for operating theatre ... ... 442 12 6 Washing and laundry ... ... 456 10 0 Salaries and wages ... ... 4,327 511 Water-supply ... ... 314 9 3 Funerals ... ... ... 33 5 6 Maintenance of grounds ... 142 17 6 Repairs ... ... ... 417 15 11 New buildings ... ... 3,869 7 10 Printing, advertising, postage, and stationery ... ... ... 97 15 2 Legal expenses ... ... 17 2 6 Insurance ... ... ... 50 3 3 Proportion of office expenses ... 471 16 1 Purchase of land for road formation and fencing ... ... 702 6 0 Expenses of Royal Commission... 373 1 3 Other expenses ... ... 132 0 4 Total ... ...£20,921 10 9 Total ... ...£20,921 10 9 This Hospital was frequently visited during the year. It has been a year of great turmoil and confusion. At length a Royal Commission was appointed, who presented a very drastic report. One good thing has issued from it. The honarary staff has been, with the exception alluded to, reorganized, and Dr. Roberton has been appointed Chairman of the staff. He is determined to do all that in him lies to effect reforms. Of late years the proper training of nurses has been almost entirely neglected. lam glad that Dr. McKellar, to whom the nurses in the past have owed so much, has resumed teaching, and I have no doubt the State examination will in future show great improvements. The Board are very much in earnest in their determination to reform the sanitary arrangements, which have been so often pressed on their notice. The bath-rooms, closets, and urinals are all out of date. The whole space in the corner towers ought to be gutted and the utterly useless back stairs removed. Hot- and cold-water basins should be provided in each of the ward and the whole ground floor renovated and ventilated as I have recommended.

BLENHEIM HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1904 ... ... ... 20 Admitted during the year... ... ... ... ... 193 Total under treatment ... ... ... 213 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 176 Died ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 Remaining on 31st March, 1905 ... ... 17 Sex. —lso males, 63 females. Locality from which Patients came. —-Marlborough. Country. — England, 34; Scotland, 17; New Zealand, 114; Ireland, 14; Australia, 3; Germany, 1; Wales, 1; Norway, 2; Portugal, 1; Sweden, 3 ; Canada, 2 ; India, 1. Religion. —Church of England, 97; Roman Catholic, 45 ; Presbyterian, 26; Mormon, 2 ; Jewish, 1; Wesleyan, 11; Salvationist, 2; no denomination, 9. Total collective days' stay in Hospital, 5,656; individual average days' stay, 26-55. Daily average cost per head, 7s. 2Jd.; less patients' payments, 6s. 3d.