ST. HELENS HOSPITAL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 108, 3 November 1908, Page 4

ST. HELENS HOSPITAL.

CHRISTCHURCH, 2nd Nov. A report that the St. Helens Hospital, in Sydenham, has been closed is officially contradicted by the matron (Miss Inglis), who desires that the fact should be as widely known as possible that patients are being received as usual. It appears that the report that the institution had been closed arose from the fact that it was closed for a week or two for the purpose of being thoroughly disinfected and cleaned. Two cases of septicaemia (blood poisoning) had occurred at the hospital, and in one case the patient had died. It is not known what was the cause of the blood poisoning, but, according to Miss Inglis, the cause was probably in the first instance auto-infection, and therefore entirely disconnected with the state of the institution. Consequent on these cases having occurred, it was decided to thoroughly disinfect the hospital, and this has been done, and it was reopened a , week ago last Saturday. Miss Inglis states that the building is most convenient, and is exactly in the right district. Judging by the number of patients that had taken advantage of the facilities afforded by the institution, shs thought that there could not be much wrong with it Close upon 400 patients 'had passed through the institution, and as there had been only one death she did not think that was a high percentage. As to the Salvation Army, Miss Inglis said that the Army gave the patients^no more trouble than it gave anyone else. As a rule the patients enjoyed hearing the music, and there was no trouble from the Army band. In the evening there was far less traffic in the streets than reports appeared to indicate. It was a quiet street, and not on a tram line. Tlje carts that passed certainly disturbed no one. Miss Inglis had heard no complaints from the patients regarding either the Salvation Army ox the road traffic. BAD BOYS BIRCHED. NELSON, 2nd November. Three boys, ranging in age from 8 to 11 years, were charged with two others to-day With a series of petty burglaries from shops which they had entered with the aid of a brace and bit and by breaking windows. The latter two were acquitted as being too young to know evil, but the parents were strongly lectured by the magistrate, who advised them to exercise more control. The three convicted boys were ordered to be given six strokes each by a police constable. FATAL FALL FROM A BICYCLE. TIMARU, Ist November. A farm labourer named Ragan Williams died at Teinuka yesterday from the effects of a fall from his bicycle.