13

H.—9

NEW PLYMOUTH HOSPITAL. I found no change in the old hospital since last visit, all interest being centred in the new building now in course of erection. There were nine patients, all males, on the day of my visit. Tho new hospital is nearly twice as large as there is any occasion for, at any rate, for the present, and there is an immense deal of waste space ; but the greatest extravagance is in the waste of space and waste of money in tho bath-rooms, closets, and lavatories. The contract price for the new hospital is £3,300, of which £3,000 was paid by the Government. The chairman of the board and Mr. J. T. Davis are sureties for the contractor. The son of the former, who is employed in his father's business, is doing the painting, and the latter is doing tho plumbing work. 31st March, 1888.

PATEA HOSPITAL. This hospital since my last visit has been converted from a wretched two-storied, ill-arranged, illfurnished shed into a comfortable one-story cottage, containing three small wards, kitchen, surgery, and warder's room. The whole is furnished with exceeding plainness, not to say meagreness; but every part is clean and comfortable. There was only one patient when I visited. The total cost last year was £379, of which £100 went to tho doctor and £100 to the warder and his wife. Twelve persons had been treated since the alterations were completed in August. 9th April, 1888.

PIGTON HOSPITAL. Here I found six male patients and one female. Of the former, four were suffering simply from old ago. The number of patients for 1887 were sixteen. There were twelve out-patients. The total cost for the year was £468; salaries amount to £231. 2nd April, 1888.

BEEFTON HOSPITAL. This hospital, still keeps up its high reputation :in all respects it is admirably managed; in fact there is no more excellent institution in New Zealand. Last year there were sixty-nine patients, of whom thirty-five paid; the rest were destitute. The sum received for patients' maintenance was £117. The system in vogue here is to charge £1 for an annual ticket, of which the holders are entitled, after a month's currency, to be kept on at 15s. a week. At the time of my visit there were seven male patients. 26th January, 1888.

EIVEETON HOSPITAL. At the time of my visit there were in this hospital ten males and one female ; all very comfortable and treated with extreme kindness in a plain homely way. The actual disbursements for the last year amounted to £660 15s. 5d., and out of this £414 17s. 7d. went as salaries and wages. This being the point of departure, it is somewhat surprising to find in this little town such a soaring spirit that, though they are within twenty-five-miles of Invercargill by rail, they have determined to have a new brick hospital, capable of containing about thirty beds. Anxious to moderate their enthusiasm I put as many difficulties in the way of carrying out their original extravagant plans as possible, only to find on my visit on the 14th March last that, though under compulsion, the trustees had cut down the expenditure, yet the new contract provided only for the external walls, roof, windows, and doors; even the floors and plastering were not included. By hook or by crook it is clear they will have a handsome hospital in Riverton, though it is only justice to say that the district will provide its share of the money. The new building is a parallelogram, 128 ft. by 23ft., from which project backwards throe blocks : one containing the male ward and its accessories, 40ft. by 24ft, at the southern end; the middle or kitchen block is 35ft. by 34ft.; the female ward, 40-J-ft. by 24ft., with its accessories, forms the northern wing. The front is divided into a surgeon's room, a dispensary, a dispenser's bedroom, four private wards for paying patients, two of which will be occupied by the warder and his wife ; to the right and left of entrance are the office and the boardroom. 14th March, 1888.

BOSS HOSPITAL. This hospital contained five patients at the time of my visit. It is a small cottage plainly but suitably furnished, and answers well its purpose as a goldfields hospital in a remote district. All the suggestions I made at my last visit have been carried out, and I find the state of the patients and their treatment very satisfactory. 23rd January, 1888.

THAMES HOSPITAL. In another part of this report I called attention to what I may call tho very astuto theory of management adopted by the Hospital Trustees in this town, and felt called upon to make some remarks thereupon. Here, however, lam bound to say that since my last visit the institution is not like the same place. It has been completely transformed both in its surroundings and its internal arrangements, which are alike admirable. The introduction of lady nurses has greatly helped to produce the present improved state of things; and, if only one could justify the means, the results reflect the greatest credit on all concerned. 17th February, 1888.