H.—3a

4

required in which the supply of milk may be kept sweet. There is an extraordinary arrangement in the lower corridor for conveying a body to the mortuary—in the form of an inclined tunnel, with a tramway. The mortuary is ill-arranged, and very foul-smelling. The only ventilation is up the said shaft into the hospital, when the trap-door is opened. The two rooms allotted to the Medical Officer are small, bare, and ill-placed. The operating-room is large and well-lighted, but does not appear to be used-. It is fitted with a very cumbrous, expensive, and useless table. There is also here a good cabinet for surgical instruments, but there are none worth mentioning. A proper stock is absolutely necessary, and should be obtained without delay. The store-rooms are kept in excellent order, as also is the dispensary. The stock of bed-clothing and linen is insufficient. I examined the various books, and found that a general inventory of property is well and regularly kept. The sum of 2s. daily is exacted from those patients who are able to pay for their maintenance. No medical records or case-books appear to have been kept. The Committee recently appointed meet frequently in town, and often visit the hospital. The establishment is at present overcrowded, but would be large enough for the requirements of the district if it were possible to get rid of at least twelve " refuge cases " who now encumber its wards. There are many excellent features in the building, which ought, under a proper organization, to make quite a model hospital. 28th March, 1883.

BLENHEIM. I hate this day made a thorough inspection of this establishment. The Secretary was away from home, but I succeeded in finding the Medical Officer, Dr. Cleghorn, and obtained from him a good deal of information. The situation is convenient and healthy, but there is no view. The estate is about one acre in extent, and is surrounded by a board fence. The building was erected for immigration barracks, and is not well suited for the purposes of a hospital. It is a wooden building of two storeys, with a lean-to of one storey at the rear. The roof is of shingles ; and there are no rain-shoots. It is in substantial repair, and weathertight, but wants painting. The lean-to has never yet had a coat of paint. There is a well-kept garden, containing good crops of vegetables ; and also a number of raspberry canes, and a few fruit-trees. The rest of the ground is occupied as drying-grounds and a chicken-yard. About fifty head of poultry are kept for hospital use. The water-supply is from an artesian well, and is very good. The water rises to the ground-level, and is available in the scullery by means of an ordinary pump ; but there is no provision whatever against fire. There are no drains or cesspools : the slops and refuse are put into a hole and buried. Four privies stand at a short distance from the building, and are fitted with receptacles in which earth is placed. The soil is emptied occasionally and buried. Five rooms were in occupation as wards at the time of my visit. There are two other rooms upstairs which have not yet been used. They are not lined, and are encumbered with bunks and other fittings used by the immigrants. The ventilation of the wards is by sashwindows and openings near the ceiling; I saw also one Tobin's tube ventilator. Heating is accomplished by open grates in which coal is burned. Kerosene-lamps are in uso. The -wards presented a very untidy and poverty-stricken appearance. The floors were not very clean, and articles of all kinds were lying about in a very untidy fashion. The bedsteads are mostly of iron, and are so dilapidated that rough pieces of board are placed across them beneath the mattresses. The mattresses are filled with flax ; the pillows with raupo. One or two feather pillows are in use: these are old and dirtylooking. No surplus stock is in hand, and there is scarcely any store of linen. The counterpanes are old and of various descriptions. There are some plain deal tables and forms, a washstand or two, and a few old chairs. Holland blinds are in use. Some unframed prints are fixed to the plain wood walls, and there are a number of newspapers, given by the club, and also some books. The kitchen is a large and suitable room, with a nearly-new kitchener. The stock of crockery, knives, and forks, is small, but of suitable kind. In the lean-to building is a room which serves the purposes of scullery, laundry, and washhouse. These is also a small store-room, and a lumber-room with a meat-safe." No bathroom is provided; but there are two portable baths. There is no mortuary. The Steward and Matron occupy two rooms on the ground-floor, and are assisted in their work by a servant-girl. They appear to be industrious people, and kind to the patients, who all spoke well of them. Eleven beds were occupied, all by male patients; fourteen days ago there were sixteen in-patients of the male sex. Females are seldom admitted. Two or three of the patients were simply infirm from age ; and one, a young man, was labouring under symptoms of insanity. It is not unusual here to admit insane persons for observation or temporary care. In this instance some of the relatives were staying with and taking care of the patient. I heard no complaints, though I conversed separately with every one. There is no fixed dietary, this matter being left to the Steward and Matron ; and a liberal supply given. In fact, the patients have as much as they choose to eat, unless put on special diet by medical order. The food appeared of good quality; but the bread was heavy and not so good as it should be. Stimulants are supplied to the hospital in single bottles, and given only by medical order. Medicines are supplied from a druggist. When any new articles are required for use, the Secretary authorizes the Matron to purchase them, but he does not inspect the old ones. No inventory is kept; the only book being a prescription-book, and a diary kept by the Matron. There is a contract-price for nearly all articles used. The Committee seldom visit the hospital. The Secretary is there, perhaps, once a fortnight. Beyond occasional visits by the clergy, there are scarcely ever any visitors :in fact, no interest seems to be taken in the hospital by the inhabitants of the district. This can scarcely be wondered at as the place is very uninviting, and is infested with bugs. The Medical Officer visits daily, and much oftener when necessity arises. Patients are admitted by his order. No separate accommodation exists for infectious cases. It is scarcely worth while to spend much money on a building which it would be desirable to pull down and replace by a more suitable one; but, if this cannot be done, it is desirable —(1) To paint the building externally, (2) to provide a mortuary, (3) to make a bath-room by partitioning off a part of the lumber-room, (4) to fix a force-pump and provide some fire-hose, (5) to repair the bedsteads, (6) to provide a supply of bedding and linen, (7) to provide a coal-shed. ' I may add that the sum paid to the Medical Officer (£5O a year) appears to me to be a very small one. 29th November, 1882.