H.—7

18

This contained on the day of my visit—the 24th January, 1891—twelve patients, all of whom were being carefully treated and nursed. The Hospital is admirably clean and comfortable, except that there is too much overcrowding in the large male ward, and this is intensified by.the fact that a considerable space is cut off by an unnecessary wooden partition. The manifest object of putting so many beds as ten into this ward is to avoid the great labour that would be caused by using the two smaller wards. This cuttiug-up of the available space into small rooms is a great fault in the design of this Hospital, and the increased cost of working entailed thereby ought not to be admitted as an excuse for overcrowding. A great feature of this Hospital is the fact that the prudent management of past committees and the endowments granted by the Government have resulted in rentals amounting last year to £689 18s. 4d.

PATEA HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1890 ... Admitted during the year ... ... ... ... 35 Total under treatment ... ... .. 38 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 34 Died ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 Remaining on 31st March, 1891 ... ... ... ... 3 Sex. —23 males, 15 females. Localities from which Patients came. —Waitotara to Manutahi. Nationality. —English, 15; Scotch, 3; Irish, 11; Colonial, 6 ; Swiss, 1; German, 1; West Indian, 1. Religion. —No record kept. Total collective days' stay in hospital, 586; individual average days' stay, 15-42. Daily average cost per head, 9s. lfd.; less patients' payments, 7s. 7fd. Outdoor Patients. —Nil. Revenue and Expendituke. lievenue. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. From Government ... ... 125 0 0 Rations ... ... ... 58 410 Local bodies ... ... ... 125 0 0 Wines, spirits, ale, &c. ... ... 018 0 Patients'payments ... ... 44 5 0 Fuel and light ... ... ... 11 4 6 Balance from last year ... ... 81 4 4 Bedding and clothing ... ... 3 10 Furniture and earthenware ... 716 6 Salaries and wages ... ... 170 16 8 Funerals ... ... ... 316 Repairs ... ... ... 6 2 4 Printing, advertising, postage, and stationery ... ... ... 381 Insurance ... ... ... 1 10 0 Other expenses ... ... ... 1190 Total £375 9 4 Total £268 2 5 This.is a small cottage hospital, which contained three patients when I visited it on the 10th July, 1891. Dr. Perkins is very attentive, and the nursing is well done. A great deal of planting has been done on the reserve, and the trees, chiefly Pinus imujnis and Macrocarpa are growing well. Sufficient vegetables are grown in the garden, although the soil is too sandy to be very productive.

PICTON HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1890 ... ... ... 9 Admitted during the year ... ... ... ... 48 Total under treatment ... ... ... 57 * Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 44 Died ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 Eemaining on 31st March, 1891 ... ... ... 7 Sex. —52 males, 5 females. Localities from which Patients came. —Hospital district, 50; Blenheim, 2; Eeefton, 1; Welington, 1; shipping, 3. Country.— England, 23 ; Scotland, 5 ; Ireland, (5; New Zealand, 16; Germany, 3 ; Denmark, 2 ; Norway, 1; Portugal, 1. Beligion. —No record kept. Total collective days' stay in hospital, 2,930; individual average days' stay, 51-40. Dailv average cost per head, 3s. lOfd, ; less patients' payments, 2s. lid. Outdoor Patients. — Nil.