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5

The inquiries into the repairs necessary to the University building showed that certain repairs were urgent, and the House Committee arranged for the necessary repairs to the roof, gutters, and water-tables, the painting of the outside woodwork of the front of the University and the walls of the entrance-hall. The cost of these repairs will be about £60. It is also found that a large sum is urgently needed for the painting of the exterior woodwork at the University buildings and the Professors' houses. No outside painting has been done for twelve years. The estimated cost of this would be about £120. It may be stated that, in the opinion of those qualified to judge, the rentals to be derived from the University endowments at their next letting are not likely to be greater than at present, possibly less, so that there is no relief to be looked for from that source. The Council has made every effort to economize, but they find that the position of their finances is now such that they will have to approach Parliament and ask for a grant of not less than £1,500 to discharge their present indebtedness, and an annual sum of not less than £200 to bring their income up to the average level of their expenditure. If, in addition to this, the requirements of the Medical School in buildings, laboratories, and additional teachers are to be provided for, a very much larger sum, both capital and annual, will be necessary. If this is refused the Council will be unable to carry out the absolutely necessary work which is required to carry on the already established faculties of the University. Joshua Strange Williams, Chancellor.

APPENDIX. Report on the Medical School. The Committee appointed to inquire into the condition of the Medical School, having examined the Dean of the Faculty, University and Hospital staff, the Chairman of the Hospital Board, the examiners, and as many past students as could be reached by letter, have the honour to report that, — 1. The school has been in existence since 1876, and has for the last eighteen years given a complete qualifying course. It has proved a great benefit to all who have been students, but more especially to those who were unable to proceed to the Old Country, and had to complete their course here. Appended to this report will be found particulars of all who have passed through the school, and their present position and location. The most important point to be noticed is that fifty-six students have qualified in New Zealand, that ninety more hold British qualifications, and that there are now 105 medical practitioners in this country who have received their education either completely or partially at this school. 2. The students who leave at the end of the first year's course seem to be increasing ; in other words, the number of those who remain for senior anatomy and senior physiology is decreasing. We cannot discover a satisfactory explanation for this. All the evidence tends to prove that anatomy is excellently taught. As to physiology, the systematic teaching is good, but the whole subject has grown so rapidly that it is next to impossible for one professor to do as Professor Scott does—teach physiology and anatomy as well. The general reasons given for the exodus of students are—desire for wider experience; prejudice in favour of a Home degree ; greater effectiveness of clinical teaching at Home; an impression that it is more difficult to pass here. We are of opinion that the standard of examination here is somewhat higher than at Home, but in view of the prejudice against a colonial degree it would be unwise to lower our standard. The great advantage a Home student possesses is in the better facilities he has in preparing for examination, and we are confident that great improvement can be effected by adopting a system of tutorial instruction such as is prevalent at Home. We consider the chief defects in the school are :— (a.) In the Clinical Teaching. Most of the clinical teaching is of necessity done at the Hospital, and, as this institution is under the management of a Board of Trustees, the Council of the University has no control over the material for teaching, and but little over the teachers themselves. There should be a minimum of 100 beds. The average for the year ending the 31st March, 1901, has been 1039, but the number has been down as low as 88. To increase the number of beds it would be necessary either to enlarge the hospital district, to relax the conditions attending entrance to the Hospital, or to have a ward for infectious diseases, or a maternity home or some other addition of this' kind Other valuable material—the outdoor patients—is not used as it might be for clinical instruction' as this department of the Hospital is under the control of the house surgeons, and the staff have little or nothing to do with the out-patient work. The clinical teaching at the Hospital is in the hands of gentlemen who are appointed annually by the Hospital Trustees, and the University Council has no voice (except by way of recommendation) in their selection. Of late years, it is true there has been no friction over these appointments, but it is quite conceivable that a time might come when the Hospital Trustees might omit from the honorary Hospital staff the Lecturer on Surgery, the Lecturer on Medicine, or the Lecturer on Pathology. This state of things is very unsatisfactory. In clinical medicine there are three honorary physicians, two of whom are at present the Lecturer on Medicine and the Lecturer on Pathology at the University. In