ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE OAMARU HOSPITAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 546, 31 January 1878, Page 2

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE OAMARU HOSPITAL.

The subscribers to the Oamaru Hospital hold their annual meeting last livening, at the Volunteer Hall, Mr. J. Booth, the President, occupying the chair. The attendance was much greater than usual, and more than ordinary interest was evinced in the proceedings. After having disposed of Mr. Shrimski, who demanded a quarter of an hour's srace for those subscribers who had not arrived, by informing him that it was more than a quarter past eight, the Chairman read advertisement convening the meeting, and called upon the Secretary to read the report and balance-sheet, as follows, which were unanimously adopted : —• Sixth Annual Eeport of the Oamaru Hospital Committee.

Your Committee, in submitting their report for the year ended 31st December, 1577, have to inform the subscribers that there is a balance in hand to commence the year with of LISO os. 5c1., as against a balance at the beginning of 1577 of Ll(>S 16s. sd.

The subscriptions and donations during the year ended reach a total of L 306 65,: and there has been paid balanoe of subsidy for 1576, L6ii 3s. 4d., and on account of subsidy for 1577, L 236 7s. 3d.; and there is due from the Government a balance of subsidy for 1577 of L 69 ISs. 9d. The itemsrents, L2OO ; interest, L 99; patients' maintenance money, LIS Os. 9d.; and proceeds of sale of grass. L 5 Bs. —bring up the total revenue for the year, including the balance with which it commenced, to L 1097 Is. 9d.

The expenditure, as per balance sheet, totals up to L 916 16s. 4d., leaving, as before stated, a balance to credit of LISO os. ;jd. Your Committee have to note the following changes during the year:—lt being thought desirable to divide the collectorship from the secretaryship, applications were invited for that appointment, and in June last Mr. Medland Kewsham was appointed thereto ; and on that gentleman leaving < 'amain, the appointment was conferred on Mr. W.' H Dausey. A vacancy having occurred in the Committee by the removal of Mr. 1-lett, Air. James Baterson. was elected in his stead.

On the "2 ; th of June, owing to complaints against the then warder, the Committee deemed it necessary to dispense with his services, the matron electing to leave with him, and applications having been invited for this vacant offices, Mr. and Mrs. .T. Thomson, late of the Dunedin Hospit-d, were appointed thereto, who have since continued ti> <rv<> every satisfaction. Wit h these exceptions the ordinary routine of the Hr*pital has proceede I without interruption, and its present condition is satisfactory.

<'n the Ist January, 1577. there were 0 patients in the Hospital, and since then to 31st December l:ist there were admitted 92, making a total of 101. Of these there have ■been dischaig d cured or relieved 91 ; there died 5, and there remained jn the Hospital on Ist January, IS7S. 5 patients. T);e nationalities of the patients admitted were as follows u —England 20, Scotland 29, Ireland 21, Foreign 10, adjoining Colonies i 5, New Zealand 2. The average number of patients in the Hospital per day was 7. The average duration of stay was 23 days, the average total cost being L 7 14s 6d, and daily cost of maintenance being 7s per patient, as against Ss for last year, a circumstance which is satisfactory, inasmuch as the patients have received e.qu'al care, and jjavc bpen fully as liberally treated ;'the saving jaeing; solely traceable to the better management of the warden and matron since the change in those offices. During the year your Committee have held twelve ordinary meetings and four special meetings, at which the attendance of members has been as follows :—Messrs. J. Booth, 10; Headland, 7 ; Morris, 11 ; Townsend, 33; F. Robertson, 6; Taylor, 7 : J. G-. Flett, 7; W. J. Steward, 13; Mainland, 14; M'lntosli, 10 ; T. Dunn, 3 ; T. H. Brown, 12; A. Paterson, 2; J. Paterspn, 7; J. kejnon, 7.

In concluding their report the Committee are glad to state that the institution has been able to continue its beneficial operations and maintain a satisfactory financial position, though the very small margin between revenue and expenditure shows that no effort can be relaxed without a probability of its cripling its means of usefulness. For the Committee, J. Cur nor, Secretary. BALAM'E-KHI'ET. Dr. Eec u iris. To balance as per statement £I6S 1G . r > "Subscriptions and don tions 30(5 (i 0 " Subsidy for IS7O', L<><> 3s 4d ; do for 1577, L 238 7s 3d ... 302 10 7 " Maintenance money ... ... Jo 0 9 "Eents 200 0 0 "Interest 90 0 0 " Sale of grass on ground ... 5 8 0 £1097 1 9 CR. EXTENUITrRE. By salaries £353 9 4 '• Rations 306 10 S " Stores and furniture... ... 24 7 0 " Medicines and medical comforts 84 15 3 " Bedding and clothing ... 22 11 5 " Printing, advertising, and stationery ... ... ... 33 6 4 " Burial expenses ... ... 23 2 (i " Incidental expenses ... ... 10 5 9 " Erection and maintenance of buildings 44 6 0 " Improvement of grounds ... 14 2 1 £9lO 16 4 "Balance ISO 5 5 £1097 1 9 Audited and found correct. George Sumptkr, { Auditors . Henry Aitken, \ January 14, IS7B. After sundry useful remarks from Mr. Shrimski, the election of officers was, on the suggestion of Mr. Hislop, proceeded with. Mr. Shrimski proposed, and Mr. Paterson seconded, that Mr. T. H. Brown, the retiring Vice-President, be elected Chairman for the ensuing year.

In proposing Mr. T. li. Brown as President, Mr. Shrimski endeavoured to point out that the retiring Chairman had not done his duty in regard to the Hospital during the past year, asserting that his name only appeared in the visit-ing-book once, and that he ought to have gone from bed to bed to see the patients. Mr. K". Fleming said that it was not the duty of the President to perform functions as laid down by Mr. Shrimski No member had taken more interest in the Hospital than Mr. Booth. The President, in reply stated, that he had visited the Hospital far more than once as stated by Mr. Shrimski, although he had not entered his name the book on all occasions. Mr. Shrimski took care to do that.

Mr. Steward supported the election of Mr. Brown. Mr. Slirimski's motion was carried. Mr. .Shrimski proposed, and Mr. Mackintosh seconded, that Mr. Mainland be re-elected Vice-President. -Carrie:!. On ti.e motion of Mr. Headland, seconded by Mr. Hislop, Mr. Lemon was re-elected Treasurer. Mr. Headland proposed, and Mr. N. Fleming seconded that the Secretary's salary be the same as that of last year (L3O). Carried. Mr. Shrimski proposed, and Mr. Cogvin seconded, that Mr. John Locke be elected Secretary. Mr. Headland proposed, and the Tvev. Mr. Todd seconded, that Mr. Church be re-elected Secretary.

The Chairman hero proceeded to count, hands fur the two propositions ; but Mr. Shrimski again objected in a lengthy speech, in which ho hinted at bribery and corruption, anil wished to know who made the Chairman scrutineer. Having forgotten himself so far as to utter the parliamentary phrase, "divide the House," he sat down amid cheers. On tho suggestion of Mr. Hislop, the Secretary was elected by ballot, Messrs. Hislop and Clowes being scrutineers with the following result ; —Mr. Church, JUi ; Mr. Locke, 9. The former was re-elected.

On the motion of Mr. Headland, seconded by Mr. Paterson, Messrs. G. Sumpter and H. Aitken were re-elected auditors, at the same honorarium as that of last year (throe guineas each), which those gentlemen have been in the habit of returning to the Hospital. After some little discussion, opened by Mr. Headland, as to whether the question of the Superintendent's salary should be considered at this stage, it was, on the motion of Mr. Steward, seconded by the Rev. Mr. Todd, resolved to deal with Mr. Gibbs' resolution first.

Mr. Gibbs, having been invited by the Chairman to move his resolution, at considerable length dwelt upon the disadvantages of the system, of v, medical superintendent, and pointed out the desirableness of opening the Hospital to all the medical men of the community under the honorary system. He was convinced that the present system was wrong, and, indeed, rotton. He had oonvorsed with numbers of persons who held this view. He had no personal feeling whatever iu the matter, and he hoped that the discussion would be carried on without any exhibition of ill-feeling ; that all personalities would be dropped, and that the question would be discussed on its merits (cheers). He had been spoken to by medical gentlemen who Keenjcd. dissatisfied with the present system ; and having been, as it were, pressed into the service, he would do hi.4 best in the matter, although he would rather tho duty had been left to others. It would be impossible to sever the outside medical profession from the conduct of hospitals or infirmaries. Upon their co-operation depended the success of the medical superintendent system. He referred to an article in the f'ornhiß Ma<jaiiiw, which Hhewed thjit \X\ii Hospitals of the Old Country were of late years becoming less exclusive, and being opened to all medical practitioners. Out of 292 institutions in London, two-thirds were attended gratuitously by 1.4,092 practitioners, He cited the Bedford Infirmary as un instance of what he affirmed. Our Hospital was not in a position to employ a resident-medical officer, and it had adopted a hybrid system, paying a superintending surgeon Ll5O a-yenr, the success of which depended upon the ussistiuiQe of other medical men. The present medipal superintendent bad performed his duties in i\ conscientious and professional manner ; but he could not tieo why the duties which were n.>vv performed by one with <he Decisional assistance of others, could not be better performed were the Hospital thrown open to the medical profession. If a change did not occur now, it must do ao. The effect

would be the increasing of the number of subscribers, and the prosperity of the institution. After .having further dealt with the subject at a length that renders it impossible for us to publish tho whole of his remarks, Mr. Gibbs moved the resolution, with which our readers will already be familar.

Mr. Shrimski seconded tho motion, although he did not attend the meeting with that intention. Drs. Do Lautour and Fleming last year agreed to give gratuitous services, but Dr. Garland had refused to act with them under the gratuitous system. He had no personal feeling against Dr. Garland, who was his family doctor. Ho merely wanted to soe the number of subscribers increased, as lie knew from others that the change would have that effect. Mr. Headland asked tho meeting whether the Hospital was established for tho benefit of the doctors, or for the benefit of patients. If for the former object the arguments adduced might pass ; but if for the latter, tilings had better be allowed to remain as they were. Even a city like Dunedin had only eight visiting medical men, and the institution was presided over by a resident surgeon. Having too many doctors might end as it did in Melbourne, where, as most pcoplo would recollect, a woman was subjected to malpractice and death ensued. He would like Mr. Gibbs' or anyone else to tell him of an instance in which the honorary system proposed had been initiated. |Mr. Gibbs here remarked that he had not prepared himself with any instances.] He thought that the report of last year showed a most satisfactory state of things, only a little more than two per cent, of those who had been admitted to the Hospital having died. He hoped that no change would be made till the Hospital could afford to pay a resident surgeon.

Mr. Stcwa.r<l here pointed out the difficulties of working the entirely honorary system proposed, and moved the following amendment —" That it be a rule of tho Institution that paying patients, viz., such patients as pay the whole cost of their maintenance and attendance shall be at liberty to call in any surgeon or medical advice other than that of the medical officer of the Hospital, provided always that such patients shall bo solely responsible for the payment of the fees and charges of such surgeon or medical man, and that from the date of the calling in of such outside professional skill the medical superintendent of the Hospital shall he relieved of all responsibility as regards such patients." The Rev. Mr. Todd supported the motion, and Mr. Sunipfer spoke against it, although he said that lie could not support tlie amendment. The amendment was lost by 2(i lo 'JO, and the motion by 2-1 to 21.

Mr. Headland proposed, and Mr. Sumpter seconded, " That the medical superintendent's salary be Llso."—Carried. Mr. Headland proposed, and Mr. IT. Aitken seconded, " That Dr. (inrland be reappointed as superintendent." Mr. Todd then desired to move the following resolution, but. was ruled out of order :—" That any medical man in the town, being legally qualified and registered, and who hits been in practice in the district a sullieient length of time to show his fitness for attending hospital patients, may send such of his patients as lie may think lit into tho hospital and attend them there." It was withdrawn with tho understanding that it would again be brought forward.

]\lr. Rumptor said that the recognition of tho services of Urs. Do Lautour, Fleming and Smith had been omitted, and he would therefore move " That those gentlemen bo requested to act, as honnmry medical ofliccrs, and that (h<3 thanks of the subscribers lie recorded on tho minutes for their services during the past year."—Carried. The following gentlemen were elected as a Committee for the ensuing year : Country Members— Messrs. J. Henderson, Otepopo; J. R. Bremner, Hampden; \V. Gardiner, Maerewhenua ; P. Aitohcson, Fapakaio and Awamoko ; D. .Sutherland, Upper Waitaki. Town Members— Messrs. Townsend, Kerr, Shrimski, Headland, Morris, Dunn, J. Paterson, Blackburne, Steward, G. .Jones, and R. Wilson. Votes of thanks were proposed as follows :—To tho retiring Committee, tho Treasurer, Secretary, Warder, Matron, Auditors, and retiring President.