Hospitals and Charitable Aid Board.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 235, 6 October 1886, Page 6

Hospitals and Charitable Aid Board.

Tun Execntivo of tho abovo body hold thoir weokly mooting at 4 o'clock on Monday afternoon. Present: Messrs B. A. Maokechnie (Chairman), 0. Mays, A. Kidd, J. Hudson, W. J. Suiter, and E. Mitehel-On.

Official Revor__.—The regular reports were received. That from the lady superintendent of the Hospital contained the following memo.:—-*' The nurses' uniform is due this month. I shall be glad If the Board will kindly inform me whether I may spend the usual annual allowance, £50." An allowance of £fiO was authorised.

The Want of Employment.—Appended to tho Relieving Officer's report was the following remark :—" I regret to state that from the continued wet and uncertain weather that has prevailed during the last month, preventing any outworks boing commenced, nnd tho unremunevative pay givon by the Government at tbe so-called relief works, the call upon tho Public Relief Department has been very heavy, the number of cases last month in town and suburbs boing 175 individuals, and the expenditure being £42 10s BJd in excess of same. The outlying district., I am happy to stato, remain about tho samo da previous month." Tho total number of cases rolioved during the month was 456 adults and SO4 children in Auckland and suburbs, and 87 adults and 126 children in the outdistricts.

Hospital Endowments.—A letter waß rocoived from tho Premier's office intimating that a cheque ror £2,500 would shortly be forwarded, boing accumulated surplus moneys dorived from Hoapital endowments and in tho Public Trustee's hands. Tho amount now in tho Public Trust Office belonging to this trust was stated to be £3,092, and between now and Decombor the Trustoo expects to receive not rents to tho amount of £.150, but in the samo month £875 must bo provided for interest on dobonturos, leaving an estimated balance of £2,507 The Secretary Intimated that the £2,500 referred to had sinco come to hand, and been deposited in tho Bank for 0 months.

Local Bodies' Contributions.—ln reply to an application from tho Executive a communication was received from the Premier's Office stating that instructions had been givon to deduct from thoir subsidies tho contributions payable to tho Board by the various local bodies. Iv somo cases, local bodlos had rocoived subsidies for tho last financial year in full, and in others ooarly tho wholo of tho subsidy.— It was resolved to request the Property Tax Commissioner to levy a tax for hospitals and eharitablo aid purposes upon thoso portions of the counties of Raglan and Manukan which poßsoss no local bodies.

Lock Hospital—lts Suckiuwted Revival.—The following letter was receivod from the medical i-toff of tho Hospital: — "Auckland, Soptomber 27, 1886. lie Lock Hospital, wo bog to call attention to the fact that since tho Contaglouß Diseases Act has been suspended cases of diseases whioh were before treated at tho Lock Hospital aro now boing admitted to tho Provincial Hoapital, Wo think it is not right that tho nurses should bo called upon to attend those people, and it is most unfair to tho respectable women who aro in tho samo wards. Wo must thoreforo dentine to undertake the management of any such caaus, and ask that they may not be admitted to the gonoral wards. Wo cons-idor that thore should be a separato Hospital for venereal diseases with a spocial medical officer attacbod undor tho management of your Board, but in no way connected with the Gonoral Hospital.—We aro, etc., The Hon. StafTAuckland Hospital, perA. O Knight." —Tho Chairman did not know that after tkis letter th.y could do otherwise than givo orders to refuso admission to vonoroal cases to the General Hospital.— Mr Kidd thought it a fearful calamity thot such cases should bo rofusod treatment, for tho disease might be propagated widoly. At the some time ho recognised tho unfairness of taking i-tich casos into tho gonoral ward-. lie believed that recently two veneroally-diseat-od women occupied beds in tho Hospital, whilo respectable woroon had to bo placed on the floor.—Tho Chairman rocognieod tho gravity of the alternative, but said the city, by closing the Lock Hospital, hod drivon thorn to it.— Mr Kidd supgested that application should bo mado for tbo use of tho Small-pox Hospital for tho troatmont of venereal cases. Ho conßidored it a matter for rogrot that the city had not lot them havo tho Lock Hospital as a running concorn.—Tho Chairman romarkod that ho was willing to receive such a resolution.— Mr Mays said that to ignore thoso cases would bo childish. The unfortunate women could not be allowed te die iv the street. — Mr Kidd intimated that beforo moving in tlio direction hohadindicatedho would move for a report by Dr. Bond on tho quo.tion.— It waa than decided, on tho motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr Hudson, "That in the meantime no further venereol casos should bo admitted to tho Hospital."- Mr Mitchelson suggested thata copy of tho medical stall's letter should bo sent to the Government, with a request that they would purchaso the Lock Hospital for the Board.—Mr Kidd praised tho excellent and economical management of Mrs Bryco, tho matron of tho Lock Hospital, and thought hor services should be engaged. - Tho Chairman concurrod. —After some further discussion, in the courso of which it was understood that Dr. Bond should report upon the suitability of the Small-pox Hospital for theso cases, it was resolved upon Mr Kidd's motion that the Secretary- should writo to the Council inquiring upon what terms thoy would sell or let the Small-pox Hospital or the present Lock Hospital. It was also proposod to urge upon the Government the expediency of buying for the Board tho present Lock Hospital building. This proposition, howover, was withdrawn, Bonding a receipt of a reply from the ouncil Mr Mays said it should be clearly understood thut the Board did not intend to work the CD. Act.

Remission of Fees.—An application by a patient for remission of fees waa allowed to stand over for a month.

Designs fob Extension to Hospital.— The consideration of the designs for extension to the Hospital was deferred till next meeting.

Rodney.—A communication was read from the Rodney County Council remitting £180 5s as its contribution under the Act. An application was read from Port Albert, in the same county, asking for aid to a case in the district,—Resolved to grant the request. Temporary Aid Soctßiv.—The Temporary Aid Society wrote setting forth the work that had been undertaken by it, the amount of relief it had afforded to the glut on the labour market in various ways, and asking that tho subsidy of £70 5s should be granted towards the work.—lt wus agreed to forward the request to the Government for consideration.

Bay of Islands County.—Tho Bay of Islands County Council wrote re application of Board for charitable aid contribution declining to entertain tbe request. Matter adjourned till the next meeting. The Dispensary.—Mr Kidd, in accordance with notice, moved, " That the resolution oarried at a previous meeting, closing the grant to the Dispensary, be reconsidered." He dwelt upon the amount of good wcrk done by tho institution, and stated that tbe annual grant of £295 had covered no less than 5,000 presofiptions. Mr Mays, as the mover of the resolution proposed to bo reconsidered, stated that it would not take effect till January. The Chairman suggested that the matter should go on as at present, and that no action should be taken. Ultimately the motion waE withdrawn.

House Surgeon and Physician-.—Mr Kidd moved, "That applications be invited throughout Now Zealand and Australia from medical men, so as to give effect to the resolution of the Board in placing the Hospital under two officers," —Carried. Revision of RuliSS. — It was resolved that the committee should undertake the revision of the Hospital rules, with a view of embodying some of those in use in the Sydney and Melbourne Hospitals.