WESTPORT HOSPITAL COMMITTEE.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 449, 8 January 1869, Page 2

WESTPORT HOSPITAL COMMITTEE.

The Hospital Committee met yesterday at the Court-house. The members present were —Dr. Giles, Messrs Harris, M'Farlane, Munro, Munson, Powell, Reid, and Smyth. Mr Harris was in the chair.

Mr Mukuo, as Hon. Secrelarj, real a letter from Messrs Ehrenfried Brothers, desiring to be released from their contract to supply provisions for the Hospital. Ho moved that the request be complied with ; and that fresh tenders be called for. The Chairman suggested that a sub-committee should be appointed to rnvwt* tlif» list- of :iriielRs renuired. and that the Secretary should call tor tender . Mr M'Farlaue, seconded Mr Smyth, proposed a motion to that effect, and it was agreed to. The Chairman read a report from the Medical Officer (Dr. Thorpe) to the effect that, ou December 17th, there were 12 patients in the hospital, that 4 had since been admitted, that 5 had been discharged, that one had died, aud that there remained ten patients. Mr Powell and the Chairman, as members of the Visiting Committee, reported that the management of the Hospital continued satisfactory. Some necessary articles had been proceed, at a moderate cost.

As the Visiting Committee for the next month, Messrs M'Farlane, Reid, and Smyth were appointed. The Chairman, as Treasurer, reported that since the 17th of November, he had received £lO ,3s 9d as subscriptions, £3 Is Gd from the Westport Hospital Ball Committee, and £2 from Mr Adams. He had to draw from the Government, on account of the Hospital, the sum of ,£250, making nearly £OSO received from the Government. The total amount of subscriptions received to date was £491 14s 3d. This left a balance of £333 8s 6d to be obtained from the Government, and there was a credit at the bank of £l2O 7s 9d. Deducting existing liabilities, there was altogether the sum of £430 to the credit of the Hospital. The expenses for the last month had been very heavy indeed—for provisions £36 11 s, bread £lO, and milk £7 9s. This was in consequence of the particular class of patients, who required extra sustenance. All expenditure in connection with the building had been paid off. It was highly necessary that some further effort should be made to obtain subscriptions in support of the institution. With the permission of the committee, he would furnish a balance sheet for the half-year, and a statement of the average cost of patients, after submitting the same to the auditors before next meeting. There was a conversation as to the propriety of the committee supplying certain common or specially expensive medicines, instead of the medical officer, and as to the limit of the number of patients to which the medical officer's contract should apply. It was finally agreed to that the medical officer should himself tuake some representations on the subject.