2

2

from 15s. 6d. to £1 2s. 4d. in the former, and from 14s. sfd. to £1 Os. 9£d. in the latter. This is accounted for by the reduction in the number of patients—in Coromandel from 28 last year to 12 this year, and in Cromwell from 65 last year to 54 this year. As I have indicated in former reports, the hospital system has close and intricate relations not merely with the whole problem of charitable aid, but with the whole social life of the people as well. For instance, the great good done by friendly societies is not without some drawbacks. One of their least noticeable effects is to increase the number of our hospitals. The lodge system is so prevalent that in nearly every community a very large proportion of even well-to-do people are members for the sake, among other objects, of getting medical attendance cheap; and several of the largest societies admit honorary members, who join merely for the sake of getting medical attendance at lodge rates. The result is that the doctor has so few paying patients that he must either leave or get a State subsidy. Every effort is made accordingly to found a hospital, not because it is really wanted, but because the residents cannot get a medical man to settle without some guarantee, which is thus thrown largely on the State. A good many of our hospitals exist for the simple reason that, as things are, it is the only way of getting a doctor to stay. One hospital chairman was so candid as to tell me that they wanted to keep the hospital going because it enabled them to have a second doctor to call in to assist the other, who was already there, in certain cases.

AKAEOA HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1889 ... ... ... 1 Admitted during the year ... ... ... ... 16 Total under treatment ... ... ... 17 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 15 Died ... ... ;.. ... ... ... 1 Eemaining on 31st March, 1890 ... ... ... ... 1 Sex. —l 4 males, 3 females. Localities Patients came from. —Akaroa, 14 ; Christchurch, 2 ; Ashburton, 1. Country. —New Zealand, 8; England, 5; Ireland 1; France, 1; Italy, 1; Germany, 1. Religion. —Church of England, 9 ; Eoman Catholic, 6; Presbyterian, 1; Freethinker, 1. The total collective number of hospital-days was 641; individual average stay, 37 - 7O days. Daily average cost per head, 9s. sd. No out-patients. Bevenue and Expenditure. Revenue. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. From Government ... ... 151 0 0i Rations ... ... ... 95 2 2 Derived from North Canterbury Wines, spirits, ale, &c. ... ... 018 0 Hospital Board, of which it is a ! Surgery and dispensary ... ... 21 7 8 branch hospital ... ... 151 0 0i Fuel and light ... ... ... 22 10 0 Salaries and wages ... ... 150 0 0 Other expenses... ... ... 12 2 3 Total ... ... £302 0 1 Total £302 0 1

ABEOWTOWN HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1889 ... ... ... 7 Admitted during the year ... ... ... ... 73 Total under treatment ... ... ... 80 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 71 Died ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 Eemaining on 31st March, 1890 ... ... ... ... 1 Sex. —6o males, 20 females. Localities Patients came from. —Arrowtown, 27; Lake County, 46 ; Vincent County, 5; Gore, 1; Cromwell, 1. Country. —England, 15 ; Scotland, 12; Ireland, 16; Wales, 1; New Zealand, 23 ; Victoria, 4 ; Tasmania, i ; Germany, 3; Denmark, 1; China, 4. Religion. —Church of England, 31; Presbyterian, 19; Wesleyan, 2 ; Lutheran, 3; Eoman Catholic, 19; Confucians, 4 ; Freethinkers, 2. The total collective number of hospital-days was 1,900; individual average stay, 23*75 days. Daily average cost per head, 6s. lid. ; less patients' payments, ss. SfcL Outdoor Patients, \ ; attendances, I.