AUCKLAND DISPENSARY.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1650, 8 February 1862, Page 4

AUCKLAND DISPENSARY.

The Annual General Meeting of the Auckland Dispensary for affording out-door medical and surgical relief to the sick and hurt poor, was held in the Mechanics’ Institute on Friday evening last, his Honor the Superintendent in the chair. The minutes of last general meeting were read by Mr. Ewen, hon. sec., and confirmed by the meeting. Mr. Ewen also read the following general report for the past year: Report of the Committee of the Auckland Dispensary for the yiar ending December 31st, 1861. The Committee of the Auckland Dispensary, in presenting to the subscribers their report for the past year, feel it quite unnecessary to advert to the great benefits and advantages which the Institution affords to the suffering poor, its utility in this respect being now thoroughly recognized. They regret, however, to have to state that the finances of the Institution, as shown by the subjoined report of the honorary treasurer, is still far from being in a satisfactory state; and had it not been for the assistance kindly rendered by the General and Provincial Governments, the Dispensary colnd not have been carried on, notwithstanding which, however, there is still an excess of expenditure over the receipts. Your committee would respectfully urge upon the subscribers the desirability of assisting them to obtain new subscriptions, not only for the purpose of efficiently carrying on the Institution, but that its benefits may also be more widely extended. From the subjoined report of your medical officer, it will be seen that there has been a large addition to the number of patients treated during the past year, shewing that the benefits of the Dispensary are appreciated by the poor of Auckland. Your committee have to express their thanks to those ministers who kindly had collections made in their places of worship, on behalf of the funds of the Dispensary. Your committee have made application to the Provincial Government, praying that a sum may be placed on the estimates towards the support of the Institution, and your committee earnestly hope that the Provincial Council will be pleased to vote the same. In conclusion, your committee would appeal to the liberality of the public, to enable them to meet the necessary expenses incurred in conducting their operations, and thus to relieve them from the painful necessity of seeking aid in places of public worship to which many objections have been raised. Dr. Kcndcrdine, medical officer, then read his annual report, which we annex:— Report of the Medical Officer of the Auckland Dispemary , for the year ending December 31st, 1861. To the Committee of the Auckland Dispensary. Gentlemen,— ln my report for the year 1860,1 had to congratulate you on the decrease in the number of the more serious diseases treated, but during the past year I am sony to have to report a large increase in the number of serious diseases in the form of fever, bronchetis, pneumonia, and hooping cough, the latter terminating in convulsions in three cases. At the commencement of the year an epidemic of typhoid fever was very prevalent, trad many cases came under my care, some of them of a very serious character, and complicated frequently with bronchitis, and obstinate diarrho:a. For some time past, however, 1 am happy to say that the epidemic has almost entirely disappeared. There has been, as usual, a large number of cases of diarrhoea and dysentery, attributable in my opinion, in a great measure „ to the very defective sanitary arrangements of, and supply of pure water to, the city. The number of patients admitted during the year was 389, being an increase of more than one-fourth over the number admitted during the previous year. Of this number nine have died from the following causes: No. I.—F. R, aged 4 years, from fever and disease of the brain. No. 2. —A. S., aged 5 years, from diarrhoea and general debility. This patient had been under treatmentseveral times before I had charge of the dispensary, and was a very delicate subject. No. 3. E. Y., aged 3 months, from dysentery. No. 4.—Mrs. M., aged 38 years, from rheumatism and diarrhoea. No. 5. W. A,, aged 3 years, from hooping cough, complicated with severe bronchitis and terminating in convulsions. No. 6.—Mrs. D., aged 50 years, from choleric diarrhoea. This patient had been very much neglected, and was in a moribund state when I first saw her. No. 7. E. H., aged 13 months, from hooping cough, complicated with bronchitis, teething, and worms, and terminating in convulsions. No. B.—W. H., aged 6 years, from hooping cough, with inflammation of the lungs and convulsions. No. 9.—M. O’H., aged 4 months, from dysentery. Three of the deaths from diarrhoea and dysentery occurred in Chancery-street, which is just the locality where we should expect these diseases to prove fatal, owing to the deficient drainage and noxious effluvia. The very serious character of the diseases treated will be seen from the number of visits made at the homes of the patients, which was 1,569, independently of those seen at the dispensary and at my own house. The number of prescriptions compounded during the year was 2,190. From the above, I think it will be evident that the institution is the means of relieving, at a comparatively small cost, a large number of cases of disease, and I feel confident that its loss would he severely felt by the class for whom it is designed—viz., the sick poor, of whom I can testify there is a much larger number than the public appears to have any adequate conceplion of.—l have the honor to be, gentlemen, your very obedi nt servant, Thomas B. Kexderdine. These Reports were unanimously adopted; as was also the financial statement, read by the Treasurer, Mr.

Gilberd. From the Treasurer’s account it apeared that, although there had been a balance of £6 7s. 6d. to the credit of the Dispensary at the commencement of the past year, the account closed with a deficit of £l7 ss. Bd. The amount of public subscription was £73 165.; and the total income from all sources was £l6B 9s. lOd. A vote of thanks was unanimously passed to Dr. Kendcrdine for his untiring attention to the suffering poor on the books of the Dispensary during the year. Dr. Kenderdine acknowledged the resolution, and expressed his willingness at all times to do what lay in his power to alleviate the sufferings of those to whom he was professionally called. The meeting then proceeded to the election of officebearers for the ensuing year. His Honor J. Williamson, Esq., was appointed president, and Dr. Knight, vice-president of the Institution. The honorary treasurer and secretary were re-appointed; and Dr. Kenderdine was continued in his office of medical attendant. A committee for the ensuing year was also nominated and the proceedings terminated.