TIMARU HOSPITAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3298, 23 April 1885, Page 3 (Supplement)

TIMARU HOSPITAL.

/arHITAIi OF THE INVALID nTHNITPSK. /On April 15th, at" "the kind invitation li Dr Drew, Resident Surgeon, and Mr Thos. •Towsey, Steward of the Timaru Hospital, we had, in company with the latter gentleman, the pleasure of inspecting the new invalid furniture which has just come to hand from the Old Country, ex the New Zealand Shipping Company's s.s. Ruapehu. It is now about six months ago since Mrs Jowsey first started on her labor of love, viz., raising subscriptions for an invalid furniture fund, and it speaks volumes for the zeal displayed by that lady in tho cause which she espous-d, that tho furniture has come to hand in such good time. As will be seen from figures given below, her task is not yet complete, as a few pounds are yot needed to close accounts ; but this we should imagine, and sincerely hope, will be speedily forthcoming. The whole of the furniture has been obtained from Mr John Carter, of London, who for years has been acknowledged as one of the very- best makers of invalid furniture in the world. Tho first piece of furniture, and the largest, to claim attention was the Batr chair, or — one would think more correctly speaking— carriage. The "body" of this chair rests at the rear on a couple of lightlooking springs, elastic to a degree, underneath which runß an axle which carries a couple of what are known as bicycle wheels fitted with indiarubber tires. In front of the chair is a small singlo wheel which "runs free," and from tho yoke of this wheel springß a neat draw-pole, which has at the end a well finished handle by which the chair is drawn about. At the back of the head of the chair is a rack which allows of the head being adjusted to any desired reclination, and at the foot of the chair is a cushion which can also be raised or lowered at pleasure. A portable hood prettily trimmed fixes over the seat, and is fitted with a number of joints so that it can be struok to any wished-for angle. The next piece iuspected was the Ventnor couch, which is, to say the very least, of a most luxurious kind. . This couch is so made that it is in reality all moveable ; the head, the foot, and th« middle part being by means of rack action raised or lowered with the greatest of easo. One splendid feature of the couch is that the arms on either side can be taken off. This simple arrangement thus reduces the work of lifting a patient about to a minimum, and tho couch being about on a level with a bed the attendants' strength is not taxed to an undue degree. Tho Premier chair was next shown to us, and it certainly well deserves its name It is fitted with a most ingenious arrangement for raising or lowering tho back. The patient seated in the chair and not feeling too comfortable places his hand, without moving his body in the slightest way, on a small wheel at tho right-hand side, and turning it forwards or backwards, raises or lowe/s the, head of the . chair to suit liis desire. From beneath the . Boat a foot-rest can be drawn forth, and by propping this up with a couple of supports a comfortable couch, is provided. The ilttings to this chair are arranged bo handily that they can almost all be manipulated by a patient while reclining in it. The gem of the collection is, porhaps, tho chair which was next shown to us, known to the faculty as the Carlsbad chair. It is fitted with a pair of neat wooden wheels at the centro of weight, the wheels having what is known to the trade a false outside rim, which is used by the person seated in the . ohair to propel himself about the grounds with. There is also a single wheel, which in this chair is placod at tho back, which works on a pivot, so that tho chair can be slewed round in any direction with very little trouble. The head of this chair has a rack for raising or lowering it by, but the front is entirely dissimilar to tho other chairs, it having a leg support, and also what may be termed a footstool. Tho support ia exactly half the width of the chair ; runs on an iron rod, and can he raised or lowered as desired. Tho reason of the support being adjustable is to allow of it being used to retain in position the right or the left leg as the case may be ; the sound log and foot rests on the stool. The support and Btool are fitted with castors, the chair moving as a whole. The Ventnor couch and the Premier chair have also castors attached to them, and they can be pushed about, any where. All the pieces of furniture mentioned above are upholstered in real leather, which is left plain, and ie

not, therefore, bo liable to soil as that which has buttons studded all over it. By being plain it is aho more comfortable to rpcline on. The seats, backs, arms, and legs of the chairs and couch hare springs in them, and pillows are provided for the head to lie on. The next piece of furniture to be inspected vras of a plainer but just as useful a kind as those mentioned, and boro the words "Patent Ambulance Chair." Our readers will at once understand from its name what it is to be used for. This chair is also fitted with an adjustable back, and the foot of it can be run out so that a stretcher can be made of it. This chair is found admirably suited for carrying patients upstairs, and is fitted with an extra pair of handles at the back for such purpose. It is cane-seated and is excellently finished, and can, when not required for its special purpose, be used as an ordinary chair. The patent bed table, which we next took up, is unique. The table is mounted on a single support ; can be raised by a spring, and runs in a groove which allows of its being placed across the bed. The table also moves on a semi-circular ratchet, which can readily be inclined, so that a patient can write on it, a small ledge springing out at the edge of the table preventing the materials used from falling off. This table is also mounted on castors, so that it can be pushed about easily. What looks to the uninitiated like a music stand next claims our attention aa we follow along, but on looking at it closer one recognises that it is one of those very useful contrivances, a " Literary machine." This also runs on castors, and is fitted with an universal joint and a selflooking elbpw, and can thereby be made to suit a patient lying in any position. The rest for the book has fingers for keeping down the leaves, and an elastic band to prevent the book from falling off while the machine is being adjusted. The next article inspected was moßt curious in shape, and from its name " Walking machine " the curiosity aroused by appearances is not in any way satisfied. This machine is for the U9O of anyone who has a fractured leg or smashed foot. It has three wheels — a mediumsized bicycle wheel with rubber tires on either side, and a small wheel of the same kind in front. The wheels are fixed to a well -made wooden framework, into which the person using the machine Bteps from the back, and adjusting the "crutches" which rise from the framework to his height, away he goes for a walk, using the sound leg and foot as the propelling power. A strong band pauses across the back of the framework at a convenient height, and forms a seat, and when the person in the machine desires to rest he disengages his arms from the " crutches," and sits down on this baud. The crutches are fitted with a strong catch, and can be lowered to suit a child or raised to support the tallest person ; and the machine itself can be so easily managed that it can be taken almost anywhere. The last piece of furniture shown us, and which completes the list, was the " Patent invalid bed-lift." The lift is used for raising a patient whilo liis bed is being re-made, or for the purpose of putting fresh clothes on the bed, etc. The lift consists of a strong wooden framing, which has strips of canvas about 6in wide stretched across it, three long bolts keeping them nice and taut. This frame is attached at the ends to a couple of bands, whioh " tako up " on a circular bar raised some two feet six off the bed by crossing over a A shaped framework which rests at the head and foot of the bed respectively, and the bar working in the fork made by the framework mentioned intersecting, a handle is turned and the patient is raised as high as is required. The advantage of having narrow canvas bands is at once seen, as everyone knows that it is far easier both to attendant and patient to pass narrow slips under than to pass such an article as a sheet. It will, therefore, be rightly concluded that the bed-lift is a most important piece of invalid furniture. The whole of the furniture, we can state positively, is of the very boat kind and is so complete that medical gentlemen and others have assured Mr Jowsey there is not an hospital to bo found outsiHo of England with furniture which ox-

eels it.

The total cost of the furniture landed here was £127 2a. Towards this Mrs Jowsey has collected £119 14s 9d ; there ia thus a deficit of £7 7s 3d, and to reduce this Mrs Jowsey will most thankfully receive subscriptions. She desires to thank most heartily all those who have responded in such a liberal manner to the call made upon them ; and also Mr Chisholm the Manager of the Bank of New Zealand who sent Homo the draft free of charges. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary on application paid the duty on the furniture out of the vote for charitable aid, and the local agent of the New Zealand Shipping Company (Mr Begg) has assured Mra Jowsey that bis Company will make liberal concessions as regards freight. Taken altogether the effort made to get furniture suitable for all classes of patients has been eminently successful, and those who have the good fortune — or, should we say, misfortune — to use it will remember with the deepest gratitude the exertions made by Mrs Jowsey on their behalf.