THE WELLINGTON HOSPITAL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXI, Issue 2343, 3 April 1866, Page 5

THE WELLINGTON HOSPITAL.

Once upon a time, as the storj books say, and not very many years ago, people, by reason of the over-crowding of the old country migrated to this one, and there at first literally pitched their tents. Now, though the climate of New Zealand in general, and the Province of Wellington in particular 13 very salubrious, there are many " ills that flesh is heir to," which cannot be shaken off by a long journey even into a land flowing with milk and honey. So it came to pass that in spite* of the bracing airs of Wellington some fell sick, aud it was deemed desirable to erect a hospital where houseless and homeless ones could be tended, and receive all the comforts of a home, when unfit for work. Such a building would be an inestimable boon to all poor friendless wanderers, though to persons with homes it is not an agreeable idea to be an inmate of a hospital ward. It is an unpleasant mental picture. The small pallet in the bare, bleak looking room, the sputtering of a candle fast dying out, the stealthy tread of the watcher as he goes his rounds, and to lie there with no loving faces round the bed ; no soft woman's hand to smooth the tossed pillow, to moisten the parched palate, or to administer the henling draught. We have travelled through many lands and visited many such scenes. Hospitals in London, Lazar houses in Egypt, Sanatariums in India, and there are always the same sad sights. In the large wards, fellow creatures crouched in their small beds, some the sufferers of terrible accidents, some the victims of disease, but nearly all looking so thin, haggard, and woe begone that it would move a heart of stone to see them. We never can forget an instance of a death in a hospital which occurred at the GUrizzee Sanatarium at Scinde. We were at breakfast one fine sunshiny morning when the Sergeant of the Sanatarium told us that a private who lay in a room by himself, was dead. Wo hastenod to the spot. There, in a small room, half off and half on the bed lay the partially undressed body of a man whom wo had seen and spoken to on the previous evening. There he lay, his cold face turned upwards, the lower part lighted by a ray of the bright Indian sun which poured in through the narrow door way. None knew when his spirit fled. He was a convalescent and consequently not visited at night. At eight o'clock at night he was seen alive, and to all appearances rapidly regaining his health ; at eight o'clock the following morning he was seen cold, stark and dead. But a truce to digression. The Wellington Hospital was built, as wo have, said, to meet the requirements of the time. At one of the most beautiful spots in the Thorndon end of the city wore certain Native lands. These wore given as an endowment to the Hospital, and were held by trustees. Here, facing the harbor, and overlooking the beautiful scenery around it, was erected the Hospital, the Provincial Government providing for all current expenses, as salaries, stores, rations, in fact acting as tenants under the aforementioned truste&s. The Hospital besides several out-houses, contains one very commodious medical, and one surgical ward for men, and one general ward for women. The former is capable of accommodating thirty male patients, and the latter ton or twelve females. Each ward ia well lighted during the

evening by lamps, and everything is done that is most conducive to the comfort of the patients. There is only one common or dining room in the whole establishment, and that is a drawback for many reasons. In the first place, because owing to the fact of there being no five places in either the male or female wards, both sexes.congregate in the common room. In the report presented by the Provincial Surgeon at the last sitting of the Council, he, with reference to this* says :— " This, I consider the most objectionable feature of the Hospital, and one that ought to be changed as early as possible, by the addition of another dining room, which would enable me to separate the sexes. Another female ward is also most desirable, in order that the respectable female patients and young girls might not be obliged to consort, or converse with the dissipated and often offensively depraved women admitted into the Hospital. Ido think that these arrangements would add to the warmth, comfort, and moral tone of the Hospital, much more than placing chimnies in the present wards, whore they have already been found so inconvenient as to have caused their removal." The Surgeon is responsible for the state of the Hospital, but under him are the Hospital Dispenser, housekeeper or matron, the wardsman and cook. The Hospital Dispenser at present is Mr. Peacock, a gentleman who has received a liberal education, and studied at the Dublin School of Medicine. Ho sees and prescribes during the absence of the surgeon, and has a salary of £50 per annum and rations. The housekeeper or matron, who is responsible for the medical comforts, clothing, and stores, receives the same salary without rations, and the wardsman and cook received respectively £35 and £30 per annum with rations. So much for the building and its attendants, now for ts rules and regulations. Europeans are admitted upoß application in all cases of emergency, as accidents, or sudden and serious illness ; and at other times by an order from the Superintendent, who fixes the amount (if any) of subsistence monoy the patient has to pay. Aboriginal natives are admitted into the Hospital immediately upon their applying at the door, a privilege enjoyed by them in consequence of the aforemontioned native lands having been given as an endowment, and finally either j Europeans or natives, applying at the door, are at once admitted as out patients, when they receive advice, and are supplied with all medicines and appliances from the dispensary. Although the Wellington Hospital is a very well conducted establishment, there are some points whero improvements might be introduced. The Hon. John Johnston brought the subject before the Provincial Council at its last sitting, and if the question is again agitated at the next, doubtless something will be done. Dr. Johnston, the Provincial Surgeon, has gone to England, and his duties are performed by Morgan Stanislaus Grace, Esq., late an assistant surgeon in the army, but previous to Dr. Johnston's departure he mentioned many points which required attention. The medical estimates, ho said, were totally inadequate for the efficient performance of the duties required from the Hospital staff, and further ho urged thcro was nothing like the proper amount of surgical instruments. This latter was a greatinconvenienco asho hashad,to our own knowledgo, often to borrow those of private practitioners to perform operations. There is one more point on which wo would like to see the Council do something, and that is regarding the salary of th# surgeon. Dr. Johnston says that the salary of the Provincial Surgeon, £200 per annum with forage allowance, when that appointment was first made, quito sufficient ; but when the duties of medical attendant to the natives, and those of Surgeon to the Wellington Gaol were added, both offices being without endowment of any kind, but entailing duties of a very disagreeable nature, tbeso circumstances considerably reduced the eligibilit of the service ; and in consequence of the great increase to our population, a great proportion of his whole tune had been devoted to duties in one or other of these offices. We hope this question will be re-opened at the next sitting of the Council, and that the session will not close without arrangements having been made for rendering the Wellington Hospital the most perfect institution of the kind in the Colony.