CROMWELL DISTRICT HOSPITAL.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XVII, Issue 836, 21 April 1885, Page 3

CROMWELL DISTRICT HOSPITAL.

The annual meeting of subscribers to the above institution was held in the Town Hall on Thursday evening last. There were only two subscribers present besides Messrs Dawkins (President), Gudgeon, Cogan, Sherwood, MacKellar, Marshall, Jolly, Pretsch and Brown (11.), who comprised the Committee. The minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Treasurer then read his annual report and quarterly and annual balance-sheets as follows: — QUARTERLY BALANCE-SHEET, Ending 31st March, 1885. Receipts. Balance in Bank 31st Dec., 1885 ... £144 8 11 /Subscriptions and donations ... 45 13 6 j*.Received on account of patients ... 12 9 0 Subsidy from Government 87 1 7 Interest on fixed deposits 6 0 0 295 13 0 Expenditure, Salaries—Surgeon, wardsman, etc. £ 91 0 0 Rations •••, i /. Repairs and furniture “ Medicine, medical comforts etc. ... 14 JiU Bedding and clothing 9 9 Advertising and stationery ... u Burials, and fuel and light r o o Incidentaal expenses r P n Insurance premium 0011 185 19 7 Balance at credit 199 13 5 £295 13 0 ANNUAL BALANCE-SHEET. Receipts. Subscriptions — June quarter, 1884 £3l 1 0 Sept. do. do. 74 12 0 Dec. do. do. 50 4 0 March do. 1885 41 9 (5 197 6 6 Donations — June quarter, 1884 12 8 6 Sept. do. do. 26 15 0 Dec. do. do. 36 17 7 March do. 1885 4 4 0— 80 5 1 Maintenance— June quarter, .1884 7 0 0 Sept. do. do. 21 6 0 Dec. do. do. 13 10 0 March do. 1885 12 9 0— 54 5 0 Subsidy— June quarter, 1884 53 13 9 Sept. do. do. 43 9 6 Dec. do. do. 101 7 0 March do. 1885 87 1 7 286 11 10 Interest on fixed deposit 6 0 0 624 8 5 Balance at Credit 31st March’B4 198 9 7 £822 18 0 Expenditure. Surgeon’s salary ... £250 0 0 Wardsman and Matron 100 0 0 Assistant matron 6 4 0 Rations 190 0 4 Fuel and light 39 5 7 Furniture, earthenware, etc. ... 319 0 Linen and bedding ... ... ... 13 4 0 Repairs to buildings 7 8 0 Repairs to water-race 4 1 4 Medicine and drugs 21 19 11 Medical instruments 16 0 Medical comforts 7 14 0 Burials •• 10 0 0 Printing, advertising, etc 11 6 0 Insurance premiums 5 5 0 Secretary 5 0 0 Auditors 6 6 0 Sundries 21 5 5 713 4 7 Balance at credit, March, 1885 109 13 5 £822 18 0 Assets. Balance at credit in Bank £lO9 13 5 Subsidy due for quarter to Mar. 31 45 13 6 Amount due by paying patients (undoubtedly good) , 110 0 0 £266 6 IT Liabilities. Various accounts not exceeding ... £ 65 6 11

ANNUAL REPORT. Cromwell, 16th April, 1885. To the Subscribers Cromwell District Hospital. Gentlemen, —The tenth financial year of the Institution closing 31st March last, I have now the pleasure to hand you attached hereto for your guidance—(l.) Balance-sheet showing receipts and expenditure; (2.) Statement of assets and liabilities ; and detailed list of subscriptions and donations. The outgoing Committee may be fairly congratulated on being able to hand over to the incoming a sum of £2OO clear to commence the new year with. * The hospital district has been well canvassed during the year, and our collectors are deserving of much praise for their energy and success. The Wanaka District in particular shows great improvement in the number of subscribers and the total amount collected comparing with all other years. The names of 223 persons are recorded as having given towards the support of the Institution during the year ; of these, 168 subscribed from 20s to 60s, and 20 aided by donations. These numbers, I have pleasure in stating, compare very favorably with those of the previous year, in fact show a slight increase. The total receipts for the year show a falling off by £2OO, but this large difference is fully explained in the balance-sheet, and the actual deficit is only about £6o—comparing assets 1883-4 with 1885. The expenditure has decreased by £SO, the figures standing £713 4s 7d as against £762 3s 5d for the previous year. Maintenance.—This is a part of the Hospital income which requires careful watching, and I have considered it advisable to bring this matter before you for the purpose of having it discussed with a view to arranging an improved system of collecting from patients who derive the benefits of the Institution, as I find there are a large number who leave the hospital convalescent, but who neglect to remember that they are indebted to the Institution. I refer to those who are considered able to pay.—l have the honor to be. Gentleman, yours obediently, Cyril E. Gudgeon, Hon. Treasurer. After complimentary remarks to Mr Gudgeon as treasurer, the above was received, when the outgoing Committee’s report as under was read and also received: Cromwell, 16th April, 1885. The Subscribers Cromwell District Hospital, Gentlemen,-r-We have the honor to lay before you a short report of our proceedings for the past year. When we took office a sub-committee had reported on sundry necessary repairs and improvements to the building and out-offices which we have endeavored to carry out satisfactorily, and we now believe the hospital buildings are in as good order as could be desired. An alteration which we think has been of great benefit has also been made in supplying groceries and stores; instead of calling for tenders as previously done, we have arranged with the several stores to supply articles of the very best description at a certain scale of charges agreed upon. Although this probably costs the institution a little more we find that so far it has worked very satisfactorily, as no complaints can be made by patients, and as we all know the sick are very sensitive in articles of diet if they are not of the best. The annual subscriptions from the different portions of the District have been kept up fairly well. Our Treasurer has been most indefatigible in canvassing the outside portions of the district and also in getting in arrears from paying patients, but we feel that renewed and well-sustained efforts must be made to keep up to the present standard of subscriptions ; if they are allowed to decline in the slightest degree the Institution will have great difficulty in keeping up to its present state of efficiency. The medical officer, wardsman and matron . have carried, out their duties to our entire satisfaction during the past year, and no complaint of any sort has been made. Your Committee have held niuemeetings during the year at which the attendance has been as follows J. Dawkins, 8 ; M. H. Behrens, 8; C. E. Gudgeon, 8; J. Marshall, 9; D. MacKellar, 7 ; H. Young, 8; E. A. Cogan, 7 ;

J. L. Scott, 3 ; K. Pretsch, 9 ; E. Murrell, 3; J. Sherwood, 5 ; S. H. Turton, 4 ; R. Brown, 6. —We have the honor to be, Gentlemen, very faithfully yours James Dawkins, President. Surgeon’s report was read as follows : Cromwell, April 18th, 1885. To the Subscribers Cromwell District Hospital. Gentlemen, —I beg to report on the affairs of the Hospital during the last year : Number of patients in hospital April Ist, 1884 ... ... ... 1 Number of patients admitted during the year .. ... 52 Number of patients discharged cured or relieved 42 Number of patients remaining 31st March 1885 , ••• 2 Number of patients treated indoor during the year . ••• 53 Number of patients treated outdoor during the year ... ... ••• • J Number of deaths during the year 9 Admissions were from the following places : Cromwell, 10; Bendigo, 5; Ardgour, 1 ; Lowburn, 1 ; Hawea, 1 ; Mt. Pisa, 3 ; Luggate, 3; Bannockburn, 11 ; Nevis, 2; Wanaka, 5; Queensberry, 5 ; Tarras, 1 ; Quartz-Reef, 2 ; Gorge, 1. Of the 53 cases treated in the Hospital, 24 were surgical and 29 medical cases. Referring to the deaths, six were admitted in a dying state,—in one case one man dying four hours after admission. During the year the following work was done to the Hospital: The building painted outside; kitchen ceiling, etc., painted, and the waterclosets put in thorough good repair. I would recommend to your notice the following work to be done—viz., fence repaired, which is in a very bad condition; new ash-pit to be dug, and gravel to be laid round the building. I have again to commend to your notice Mr King and his wife. Under all circumstances they have performed excellent work. —I have C. A. Stacpoole, Surgeon. After the Committee had expressed its appreciation of the manner in which the duties of wardsman and matron were carried out by Mr and Mrs King, the report was adopted as read. Mr Jolly considered a very hearty vote of thanks was due Mr Gudgeon for the manner in which he conducted the financial affairs of the hospital and the trouble he took in collecting subscriptions, and iu fact he (Mr Jolly) would like that Mr Gudgeon should be accorded something more substantial than a mere vote of thanks if it was in their power. He was sorry there was not more present to bear him out in his remarks. He had much pleasure in moving a hearty vote of thanks to the Treasurer, which was seconded by the Rev. Mr Blackie and carried unanimously. Mr MacKellar drew attention to the unusually large number of deaths (9) that had taken place during the past year, and considered a great injustice was done the institution through persons being kept until all hopes of recovery were past and then being brought to the hospital, some dying a few hours after admittance. Although he could see no way out of the difficulty he thought it w r ould be as well to let the public know that the institution was always at the disposal of any sick person. In the mater of subscriptions he thought that some localities did not subscribe as they should, and took exception to Queensberry, from whence there came five patients, and he did not see why a place that could forward half as many patients as Cromwell should not contribute more than £5 4s. Mr Cogan considered that the collectors in the different parts of the district were entitled to the thanks of the Committee for their energy in collecting the various sums, which spoke well for them considering the hard times. —Mr Pretsch seconded, and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the collectors and sub-collectors Mr Jolly said he was pleased to hear such glowing reports regarding the institution internally, but he could not understand how the shrubs and other trees did not flourish around the hospital. Mr S. N, Brown, in proposing a vote of thanks to the out-going Committee for their labors in connection with the management of the hospital for the past year, went on to remark that he was glad Mr Jolly had referred to the scant vegetation around the Hospital, as the institution had more the outward appearance of a gaol than a place for sick persons. He thought a good way would be to organize a working “bee” for half a-day, whena great deal could be done by placing soil around roots of the trees, etc. He considered cheerful surroundings tended a great deal towards the recovery of a sick person by keeping up their spirits, and making things bear the appearance of a home. In this respect the Cromwell Hospital did not compare favorably with similar institutions on the Goldfields, and he trusted the incoming Committee would give the matter the attention it deserved. The President here left the chair to allow of new Committee and office-bearers being elected, but was re-voted to occupy the chair for the transaction of business. The following were elected as a Committee for the ensuing twelve months :—Messrs MacKellar, Gudgeon, Cogan, Sherwood, Dawkins, Behrens, Jolly, Marshall, Pretsch, Brown (S. N.), Turton, Young, and Scott. Collectors for the outlying districts were appointed—Mr Elliott, Nevis; Mr M'Lennan, Hawea Flat; Mr Heaney, Lowburn ;Mr J, Menzies, Bannockburn; Mr Hill ton, Bendigo; Mr Monteith, Wanaka. Mr Dawkins having expressed his intention of resigning the presidentship—he having held that position for some ten years past—thought that it would be better to instal new blood ; whereupon Mr MacKellar expressed the high opinion held by the Committee of Mr Dawkins as President, and was of the same way of thinking as Mr Dawkins regarding the change of chair. He would propose that Mr Behrens be appointed President, and Mr Heaney VicePresident. The meeting being unanimous on the appointments, they were ratified. Mr Gudgeon as treasurer, Mr Marshall as secretary, and the same auditors as last year (Messrs M'Cracken and Davidson) were reappointed. A vote of thanks was accorded Dr Lewis, of Clyde, for his assistance as honorary medical surgeon, and it was resolved that he be asked to continue to act as such. A vote of thanks to the chair closed the meeting.