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hospital, as it appears to me unjust and cruel to deprive these men, to whom no rations are allowed, and who have become sick in the discharge of their duty, of all means of supporting their families during their sickness. The scale of hospital stoppages should therefore, in my opinion, remain as at present in force, and their amount may then be estimated at their present average of fifty-six Dollars per month, although this must of course be affected by the number of patients in hospital.
6.
From Enclosure No. 5, it will be seen that during the past two months, $89. 16. 2 have been expended for medicines alone. I have been so fortunate as to procure a small quantity which had been sent to Dr. Morrison on his own account, and which will render us independent of the Colony for a supply. Under ordinary circumstances, these would, I am informed, be sufficient for a year, and although the present unhealthy state of the Colony entails upon it an unusual expenditure under this head, I am in hopes that the stock so obtained, will last at least six months.
I sincerely trust that, on the score of humanity, Your Lordship will be pleased to approve of my proceedings, but should Your Lordship, under the explanation now afforded, consider it advisable to re-adopt the plan heretofore in operation, the whole of the temporary establishment can be reduced in a month after the receipt of instructions to that effect, the hospital being only rented by the month, the attendants being only monthly servants, while the medicines will have been more than paid for, by the difference between the price at which they have been procured from Dr. Morrison, and that at which they must have been otherwise purchased from the chemists.