5

H.—22

AUCKLAND HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1898 ... ... ... 139 Admitted during the year ... ... ... ... 1,287 Total under treatment ... ... ... 1,426 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 1,177 Died... ... ... ... ... ... ... 116 Remaining on 31st March, 1899 ... ... ... ... 133 Sex. —9Bo males, 446 females. Localities from which Patients came. —Auckland City and suburbs, 843; Auckland District, 332 ; Auckland North, 107 ; Auckland South, 85 ; shipping, 59. Nationality. —English, 363 ; Scotch, 86 ; Irish, 166; New Zealand, 637; Australian, 43; Norwegian, 23; American, 21; German, 21; French, 4; Austrian, 8; Danish, 9; Chinese, 2; Indian, 12; South Sea Islands, 9; Portuguese, 4; Italians, 6; Africans, 4; Jersey-Islander, 1; Maltese, 2 ; Russian, 1; Greek, 2 ; Canadian, 2. Religion. —Church of England, 748; Roman Catholic, 327 ; Baptist, 17 ; Wesleyan, 86; Presbyterian, 171 ; Congregationalist, 11; Salvationist, 17; Lutheran, 13; Jewish, 4; Plymouth Brethren, 4; Methodist, 19; Church of Christ, 5; Freethinker, 1; Theosophist, 2; Confucian, 1. Total collective days' stay in Hospital, 47,284; individual average days' stay, 33-15. Daily average cost per head, 4s. 4£d.; less patients' payments, 3s. 2d. Outdoor Patients. —lndividual cases, 471; attendances, 5,232. Revenue and Expendituee. Revenue. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. From Government ... ... 3,245 9 8 Rations ... ... ... 2,448 19 0 Local bodies... ... ... 3,245 9 9 Nurses' Home maintenance ... 773 12 11 Subscriptions and donations ... 600 13 9 Wines, spirits, ale, and porter ... 145 6 6 Bequests ... ... ... 3,805 15 4 Surgery and dispensary ... 1,136 16 4 Rents ... ... ... 232 18 4 Fuel and light ... ... 758 13 0 Patients'payments ... ... 2,795 13 3 Bedding and clothing ... ... 220 3 5 Other sources ... ... 660 Furniture and earthenware ... 410 2 6 Washing and laundry... ... 316 5 6 Salaries and wages ... ... 2,920 14 6 Water-supply ... ... 240 9 0 Funerals ... ... ... 23 4 0 Maintenance of grounds ... 118 15 4 Repairs ... ... ... 220 4 9 Additions to buildings... ... 3,617 16 0 Printing, advertising, postage, and stationery ... ... ... 208 7 0 Legal expenses ... ... 15 19 6 Insurance ... ... ... 31 6 3 Proportion of office expenses ... 273 2 2 Other expenses ... ... 52 8 5 Total ... ...£13,932 6 1 Total .., ...£13,932 6 1 This Hospital has worked satisfactorily during the year. I regret that the Matron, Miss Squire, found it necessary to resign on the ground of ill-health. Mrs. Neill and myself had observed a great improvement in discipline of the nurses as well as in the orderliness of the wards after she took charge. Her successor struck me as being a capable and kindly Matron, quite competent, from her ability and experience, to keep up and carry forward the work of improvement. For reasons which have been explained to Mr. Stichbury it would appear to be advisable to have a night-superintendent to take control of the nursing. The new children's hospital was not quite finished on the date of my visit, but it is a handsome building, well planned, and well built, and will be an immense addition to the resources of the institution. The overmanning of the resident medical staff is already beginning to show its effects. It is too much to have an expensive superintendent and two assistants resident in a hospital of this size. The Nurses' Home is very complete; a wing set apart for night-nurses meets a necessity overlooked in our other Nurses' Homes.

BLENHEIM HOSPITAL. Number of patients on 31st March, 1898 ... ... ... 25 Admitted during the year... ... ... ... ... 119 Total under treatment ... ... ... 144 Discharged ... ... ... ... ... ... 114 Died ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 13 Remaining on 31st March, 1899 ... ... ... ... 17 j