HOSPITAL BOARD.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13334, 28 January 1909, Page 2

HOSPITAL BOARD.

The Hospital Board mot yesterday. Present--Messrs Geo. Payling (chaiiv man), J. Wolfo, F. Horrell, J. Ingram, C. Cook, W. Dunlop, T. D. Boag, J. Stony, J. M. Murray, C. Allison, T. N. Horsley, J. H. Davidson, and C. D. Morris. The Chairman cave notico that at the next meeting ho would move:— "That the resolution appointing tho whole Board tho House Committee bo rescinded." The receipts since the previous month wore £356 los lOd, accounts for payment amounted to £1057 8s ~d. and payments by the committee amounted to i.«>ol 13s Bd. Tue House _>urgeou reported that «s there were so very few surgical female beds it was otten necessary to put patients on stretchers out on the balcony at the Marks Word; they had to bo brought in when the weather was inclement, and tho ward became overcrowded. He asked if it would be possible to close in part of tho balcony with glass, so that the patients could remain out in all weathers. Dr_. Scaunell and .Shore would bo leaving early next week, their year of office being up. Drs. Hay and Steven, both well recommended from Dun-edin, would come in their pieces, and would apply for tho appointment of assistant housesurgeon and physician respectively tor the year.

lh© matter of enclosing tho balcony with glass was referred to the House Committee, with power to act. Regarding the ossistant surgeon and physician, Mr Horrell suggested that a permanent appointment should be made, and Mr Morris was of opinion that the constant changing of junior assistants could not be"good for the institution, and if they had ono competent assistant it would tend to the better conduct of tho work. The mattor was referred to the. Houso Committee to report on. Tho report as a whole was received.

Tho Matron reported that Probationers Hodgson ond Houston had satisfactorily completed their three months' trial, and wero eligible For appointment to tho nursing staff. Sistor Curteis intended resigning her position on tho nursing staff at the end of tho present month. Nurses Sandrey and Jarey would leave on completion of their training at the end of tho present month. Nurse Kissell bavins completed her training, had left on January llth. The Matron recommended that \\ ard So. 3 should bo cleaned and done up, one half to bo used temporarily as a children's ward, and tho other half as a female ward.

Tho matter of tho renovation of \\ ard No. 3 was referred to tli© House Committee, with power to act, and the report as o whole was received. The Houso Commit too reported that a sub -committee had been appointed to report on tho subjoct of a supply of pur© water to the Consumption Sanatorium, Cashmere Hills. It was reoom-n-.ended that tho Board's policy ehould bo brought into conformity with the terms of tho new Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act. Tho Committee further reported that a reply had been received from tho engineers, London, to whom was referred tho question of tho most modern system of heating the various portions of tho institution, and a report therepn might ho expected at an early date. A preliminary meeting of the By-law Committee had been held, a_n<_ certain recommendations pertaining to the sections dealing with the honorary staff had been noted. The Houso Surgeon reported that during December last, 112 patients wore admitted to the hospital, 102 wero discharged, and 1G died, leaving 108 remaining on the 31st. The causes of death wero: —Phthisis 4, cancer 2, erysipelas,' empyema, typhoid fever, oerebral hemorrhage, pneumonia, j senile decay, gangrene, cellulitis, gas- ' trie uloer, marasmus, one each. There woro 89 operations performed l un/ier antesthetics, 907 attendances in the outpatient At Akaroa during December, two patients had been admitted to the Hospital. One, being in a. moribund state when admitted, died, and left one remaining on the 31st. At Bottle Lake, during Deoemiber, three patients had been admitted!, one was discharged, leaving throe remaining on tho 31st. Tlie patients that reimained at the Nurse Maude Consumption Camp when taken over by tho Board having been redwood to two, it was arranged that these bo removed to th© balcony in the eas_err_ wing <rf -tho Hospital. The camp had accordingly been closed.

The report was received and tho action of tho chairman in closing tho Nurse Maude Consumption Camp was approved.