CHALMERS WARDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12067, 24 July 1917, Page 6

CHALMERS WARDS.

AN IDEAL MEMORIAL,

OPENING CEREMONY TO-MORROW.

Hospitals may be catalogued among a city's jewels, and tho treasury of Christchurch in that respect can boast of a notable addition in the recently erected chronic wards for female patinnta, to be known as tho Glial me As Wards, attached to the Christchurch General Hospital. It is almost unnecessary to recall here that the new building was made possible by Miss Jean Chalmers, who chose that form of benevolenc c to bo a memorial to her two brother*, .John and Peter, who, as the inscription on the. foundation stone informs the onlooker, were natives of Perth, Scotland, and subsequently resided in the Ashburton district. Tt is understood thati the cost of the new wards and their equipment will be about £IB,OOO, of which sum Miss Chalmers contributes £BOOO. the Government subsidy covering the balance. The new wing should be one that everybody must spoak well of. Its high square tower can be seen from various parts of the business portion of the city, being unconsciously a silent hint to the richer citizens to spend some of their profits in alleviating tho distress and suffering around them. The site of the new building is too well known to need detailing. Tf environment, of great beauty can help to cure physical ills. " Doctor Avon" and the immediate surroundings should work modern miracles The views from the verandahs on each of the three floors of the new edifice would almost beggar an imaginative auctioneer's vocabulary of superlatives, hills and plains, streams and streets all adding to each other's beautv. AMPLE ACCOMMODATION. Built mainly in red brick, with occasional yellow, the Chalmers memorial building looks as if it had come to stay, and the architects, Messrs Collins and Harman. and the. contractors, Messrs W. Greig and Son, have reason to bo satisfied with their handiwork. There arp three, wards, one on each floor, the ground floor having in addition a small entrance hall, a dining-room, a sisters' sitting-room, a duty room, kitchen, and a white-tiled sanitary block. Tf there is an absence of novelty in the designs and fittings, there seems little lacking for the efficient working of the new wards. The accommodation, nominally. is twenty-two beds for each ward, but; if unfortunately ever necessary, the accommodation could be practically doubled. Thus it will be realised that with the nominal number of patients the wards will be in no way crowded. Cleanliness, fresh air and any sunshine going will be available to brighten the lives of the inmates, and although chronic patients generally find it_ a long way to recovery, yet their passive joMrney to it here should be a.s p'easantJ as possible under the circumstances. The wards are lighted by electricity, a globe being over each bedCOSY VERANDAHS. As is usual with modern hospital building-, verandahs form a. feature of the Chalmers Wards. Each floor has a glassed-in verandah of ample dimensions, forming indeed practically miniat-ire wards, and 'being idc-al for passing hours in enforced idleness, the witchery of the scenery .around aiding to charm away thoughts of physical defects. The (tat roof, too, makes available a promenade, and even tho square tower, previously mentioned, can be utilised by those in search of wider outlooks. An .automatic electric, lift, very capacious, will help to transfer patients from one floor to another. Altogether future visitors will find their sympathy for the inmates considerably tinged with thankfulness that tho kind-heartedness of one woman for her sex hail been the means of making such noble provision for the sick and suffering, and that the cures were being striven for in such pleasant surroundings. Tt is perhaps advisable, to stato here, as there seems some misconception on the subject, that the new wards are for chronic cases and not for cases accepted a.s incurable. Miss Muir is the matron, and so far as nursing skill and attention are concerned, efficiency is assured.

AX APPEAL. Not all of us can give largo sums for the benefit of tho sick, but tho.ro are) many avenues for small benevolence, and tlio matron of tho new wards will' bo Tory grateful for gifts of pnJnis, vases, hooks and .albums, otc.. for the use of tho patients. Faeh ward would bo happier in tlio possession of u piano or a good gramophone, and here is a. splendid opportunity for a good Samaritan with larger means. Music hath charms at all times, but seldom is it more soothing than to those cut off from most of the pleasure* of this city. OPENING CEREMONY. Tho opening ceremony will take, plaee at two o'eloek to-morrow, and will I e performed by Miss Chalmers. Invitations to attend have been sent, among ■others, io all the local members of Parliament, Dr Valentine, InspectorGeneral of Hospitals, and the Mayor. .Mr H. Holland.