H.—22

20

Number of beds available for males, 78 ; for females, 72 ; children's cots, 16 ; isolation and infectious, 8 : total, 174. Average number of patients per diem, 131. Average number of patients to each of nursing staff, 204. In-patients : Number of patients on 31st March, 1908, 123 ; admitted during year, 1,682 ; discharged during year, 1,518; died during year, 158; in hospital on 31st March, 1909, 129. Sex —Male, 1,072 ; female, 733 : total, 1,805. Collective days' stay, 47,704 ; individual average days' stay, 26 ; average daily cost per head, ss. Bd. ; average daily payment per head, llj-d. ; average daily cost per head after deducting in-patients' payments, 4s. B|d. ; weekly fee charged for maintenance, £1 Is. Percentage of cost of administration on maintenance-expenditure, 4. Localities,broadly, from which patients came : Dunedin, 1,166; Port Chalmers, 44 ; Balclutha, 111; Green Island, 49; Palmerston, 39; other contributory districts, 283; outside districts, 113 : total, 1805. Nationalities of patients : New Zealand, 1,121 ; Great Britain, 525 ; Australasia, 101 ; Europe, 12 ; United States America, 6 ; China, 15 ; born at sea, 9 ; India, 4 ; other places, 12 : total, 1,805. Number of out-patients treated during year, 2,097 ; number of attendances of such out-patients, 9,090. There is an increase in expenditure at this Hospital. The salaries are £5,168, as against £3,760 the previous year. Plans of the new out-patient department and accommodation for delirium-tremens and mental cases have been approved. Visited daily for almost a week in October, and also by the Assistant Inspector in November, 1908, and in March, 1909. The largest number of patients on any one day was 154. There is now accommodation for 164. The new wards are in themselves most satisfactory, but still the disadvantage remains of few patients being able to receive the benefit of fresh air, there being no balconies or verandahs—so necessary for modern treatment. The sun-rooms, however, have been much improved by replacing the fixed windows with movable sashes, and similar improvements have been made in No. 1 ward. The children's ward was always well filled. It is a pity that the whole Victoria block intended for children could not be given up to them, as one one occasion there were enough children scattered through the two women's wards to fill the second Victoria ward, now used for gynaecological patients. Large additions have been made to the Nurses' Home, which were urgently needed. The kitchen department has been put under a woman cook, supervised by the Matron, who considers the arrangement more economical, and quite as satisfactory. Some improvements have been made for the comfort of the medical and secretarial staff. Dr. Falconer is now provided with a house outside the Hospital. The question of arrears in fees for hospital treatment seemed serious, there being no less than £3,600 owing during the last three years. The Hospital is relieved of the care of scarlet-fever cases by the fever hospital at Pelichet Bay, and Hospital probationer nurses are sent to assist the matron there—a valuable part of their training. 4. CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL. Governing body : North Canterbury Hospital Board. Usual date of meeting : Fourth Wednesday in each month. Secretary : Walter Morley Miller. Assistant, 1. Honorary medical staff : Alfred George Talbot, M.8., M.R.C.S. Eng. ; Leslie Samuel Manning, M.8., CM. Aberdeen ; John Stevenson, M.8., F.R.C.S. Edin. ; Fitzgerald George Westenra, M.8., L.R.CS. Edin. ; James Ferguson Duncan, M.8., F.R.C.S. Edin. ; Maurice Louisson, M.B. Lond., M.R.C.S. ; Thomas Mill, M.8., F.R.C.S. Edin. Stipendiary medical staff : Thomas Leslie Crooke, M.D. Durh., L.R.C.P., L.R.CS. Edin. ; Robert Arthur Shore, M.8., Ch.B. Dunedin ; Francis Arthur Scannell, M.8., Ch.B. Dunedin. Dispenser, 1. Nursing staff : Matron, Miss Mabel Thurston, and 15 registered nurses and 35 probationers. Domestic staff : 2 cooks, 10 kitchen and house maids, 6 wardsmaids, 2 permanent laundresses and 4 casual ones, 5 porters, 1 permanent gardener and 3 casuals, 4 engineers and stokers, 1 gatekeeper, 1 yardman, 1 mattress-maker. Number of beds available for males, 74 ; for females, 40 ; children's cots, 8 : total, 122. Average number of patients per diem, 102. Average number of patients to each of nursing staff, 2. In-patients : Number of patients on 31st March, 1908, 97 ; admitted during year, 1,372 ; discharged during year, 1,220 ; died during year, 138 ;in hospital on 31st March, 1909, 111. Sex— Male, 855 ; female, 614 : total, 1,469. Collective days' stay, 37,061 ; individual average days' stay, 25 ; average daily cost per head, 7s. 3d. ; average daily payment per head, lid. ; average daily cost per head after deducting in-patients' payments, 6s. 4d. Weekly fee charged for maintenance— Adults, £1 Bs. ; ten to sixteen years, £1 Is. ; under ten years, 14s. Percentage of cost of administration on maintenance-expenditure, 534. Localities, broadly, from which patients came : Christchurch Borough and suburbs, 948 ; Akaroa Borough, 2 ; Kaiapoi Borough, 19 ; Lyttelton Borough, 47 ; New Brighton Borough, 18 ; Rangiora Borough, 20 ; Woolston Borough, 36 ; Sumner Borough, 10 ; Akaroa County, 10 ; Amuri County, 15 ; Cheviot County, 10 ; Kaikoura County, 14 ; Mount Herbert County, 5 ; Selwyn County, 193 ; Ashley County, 38 ; South Canterbury, 19 ; Otago, 5 ; Southland, 3 ; North Island, 5 ; West Coast, South Island, 6 ; shipping, 12 ; no fixed address, 34 : total, 1,469.