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H.—3a

pay much attention to his duties. The patients seemed to be made very comfortable, but the construction of the building gives it a somewhat dull and gloomy appearance. It is evident, however, that tbose who have the management make the best of the present arrangements. Good order and cleanliness prevailed. The soil of the estate is very dry and poor, but a portion is under cultivation, and has a fair crop of potatoes : the remainder is utilized for pasture. 7th February, 1883.

GISBOENE. This hospital was inspected by me very hurriedly while the steamer remained at the port. It is situated about a mile and a half from the town itself, standing in grounds of about five acres. The building is of wood, and appeared to be in good repair. It consists of a central portion and two wings ; these latter containing the male and the female ward. The central portion contains a private ward (unoccupied), two rooms for the Steward and his wife, a good dining-room, and a kitchen. In a small detached building is a room used as a washhouse, and a ward which is used for any patient whose disease is of an offensive nature. The male ward contains six beds : four of these are now occupied, and there is a male patient in the building just spoken of. The female ward has five beds, four of which are in use. My visit was at 7.25 a.m., when the day's work had not commenced at the hospital. Making due allowance for this, and for the serious character of some of the cases, I found the wards in fair order, and free from any offensive odour. The bedsteads are of iron, some being of a special pattern, with an arrangement for raising the patient to a semi-recumbent position. The mattresses are filled with flax. These and the bed-clothing I found in good order and very clean. Mosquito-curtains were in use. There is not much furniture here, but some good cupboard lockers, and a few unframed texts and pictures on the walls. The private ward is suitably furnished; but the detached ward appeared to be bare and comfortless. Attached to the wings of the hospital by a well-ventilated lobby are small buildings containing a good lavatory, with three basins, a good small bath-room, and a pancloset. It would be well to use ashes or dry earth in these closets, and certainly to empty them more frequently than once a fortnight, as is now done. The presence in the hospital of several patients suffering from typhoid fever renders this a matter of some importance. The dining-room presents a good feature, which is seldom found in the colonial hospitals. Wherever possible, convalescent patients, and those who are able to leave their beds, should take their meals away from their wards. In this case the dining-room conveniently adjoins the kitchen, which is fitted with a good range and suitable crockery and utensils. Rain-water is the only water-supply, and is preserved in iron tanks. Liquid drainage is conducted away into the sea. Situated at a short distance from the hospital is a special building for fever-patients. It has,.two good wards, with offices ; and a small kitchen, fitted with a colonial oven. I was told that only cases of scarlet fever were to be treated here ; but I am of opinion that, although it may be safe to treat single cases of typhoid fever in a general ward, it is improper to accumulate any number there, and to risk thereby the infection of the nurses or the other patients. I saw three individuals suffering from this disease, and regret that they were not in the well-arranged fever-hospital. Altogether my very hurried visit gave me a good impression ; and the Warder and Matron appeared to be active and efficient persons, though at present a good deal overtaxed by the severity of the cases under their charge. 19th March, 1883.

GEETMOUTH. The hospital is situated about a mile and a half from the town, and is well placed, commanding a fine view of the sea. The buildings are of wood, the older portion having a shingled roof, the newer one of corrugated iron. There are two large wards for male patients, and also a smaller one with three beds. A single ward serves for females, of whom there were only two, at the date of my visit, occupying beds. All these rooms are lofty, and well ventilated by means of sash-windows, ceiling openings, and Tobin's tubes; good coal-fires were burning in the open grates. There are iron bedsteads of neat pattern, each having two flock mattresses and flock pillows; a few feather pillows are available for special cases. The bedding was. in good_ order, and very clean. Large tables, and forms with backs, are used at meals. There are also caned chairs, and good bedside cupboards. The windows are fitted with Venetian blinds ; framed pictures hang on the walls; and cocoanut matting is laid on the floors. Kerosene-lamps are in use, as the cost of laying a gas-main from the town would be great. Opening out of each ward is a good bath-room, with basins and a well-ventilated pan-closet. A very orderly nurses' room is situated next to the ward for females. The kitchen has a good range, with boiler and two ovens. There is also here a sink, as there is no scullery. Near it are two wellarranged store-rooms, one for linen, the other for general purposes. The dispensary is an excellent room, well stocked with drugs. A glazed cabinet contains a good stock of surgical instruments. Prescription-books for both out- and in-patients were shown to me, and a very good general register. There are contracts for all supplies ; and orders are given from a printed book with counterfoil. All accounts are entered in a journal and carefully checked. A very good patients' property book is regularly kept and signed. There is an inventory of hospital property, but it requires periodical revising. Patients are admitted by orders from the Committee, and payments at the rate of £1 10s. a week are expected, but seldom received. It does not appear to me that any pressure is used to secure payment. Next to the dispensary is the operating-room; here there is a small library of books for the patients' use j and I .learned that they have also a regular supply of newspapers. A passage separates the kitchen from the new building, which was erected for chronic or "benevolent-institution cases, but has never been used. It contains two good wards, divided by a central passage, and might be found valuable in the event of an outbreak of fever. A small detached laundry contains a copper and a mangle ; but no means of drying clothing or linen in wet weather. The House Steward resides in a detached house at the back of the hospital. The grounds are well kept, and the building is surrounded by beds of flowers. A good kitchen-garden is well stocked with vegetables and fruit-trees. In this is 2—H. 3a.

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