26 In 1872, when I was appointed to the Civil Hospital, the admissions were 938 (518 Police and 420 paying patients and others) and the receipts $3,867.04; in 1882 the admissions were 1,458 (549 Police and 909 paying patients and others) and the receipts $9,822.14. Thus during ten years that I have been in charge of the Hospital the paying patients and others have more than doubled, and the receipts nearly trebled.
27 Hence it is apparent that the demands upon the Hospital Establishment are considerably larger now than formerly, a natural consequence of the growth of the population and the increased traffic through the port, as made evident by the Census returns and the statistics of the Harbour Office. I am informed by the Harbour Master that the European tonnage which entered the port in 1873 was 1,635,352, and in 1882 it was 3,170,843.
28. In 1877 plans were drawn up by the Colonial Surgeon and the Surveyor General for the adaptation of the old Lock Hospital to the Civil Hospital Establishment.
29. Since 1877 the number of patients and the staff have both increased, and when directed to report on these plans in 1880, I found they did not provide sufficient accommodation. In 1882 the number of patients was still larger, and a fortiori the plans drawn up in 1877 and approved by Sir M. H. Beach in 1879 are now still less adequate to the requirements of the growing Colony.
30 The nursing staff is defective, and should be supplemented by the addition of an European Ward-master. Considerable difficulty has been experienced in past years in finding a suitable man for the post, but sufficient inducement was never offered by the Government, and the patients suffer accordingly.
31. It may be interesting to give an example of one day's work performed by the two Medical Officers in charge of the Civil Hospital, viz.:
-
Attendance on Subpoena at the Magistracy to give evidence.
Post-mortem Examination of woman, suspected opium poisoning.
Attendance at Inquest to give evidence.
Case of child-birth: Primpara, woman three days in labour, delivered with forceps.
Sixty-five patients in Hospital to be seen, comprising two cases of punctured wounds of the lung, two of locomotor ataxia, and cases of cerebritis, abscess of liver, fistula in ano, dysentery, chronic diarrhoea, remittent fever, caries of spine, acute bronchitis, acute and chronic phthisis, chyluria, morbus cordis, rectal abscess, severe laceration of leg, incised wound of cornea, fractured thigh, irido-choroiditis, &c.
Thus, with the ordinary administration of the establishment, may be considered a good day's work for two surgeons, and it is fortunate if such days do not come very frequently.
The largest number of patients at one time in Hospital was 87.
32 The Medico-legal work of the Colony, almost the whole of which is performed by the two Medical Officers of the Hospital, often takes up much time and attention, to the detriment of the patients in Hospital.
33 Only the other day the Superintendent was in attendance at the Supreme Court for 5½ hours, while the Assistant Superintendent was at the Magistrate's Court for an hour and a half.
34 During a recent inquest, which was protracted over several weeks, the Medical Officers were both summoned and subjected to Examination at great length at different periods of the enquiry. This necessarily involved careful preparation, and made a serious addition to the Hospital labours of the two surgeons.
35. I refer to this matter here because, in considering the amount of work performed at the Civil Hospital, the Medico-legal work has on several occasions been left altogether out of the count, or else casually alluded to as a mere trifle.
36 The harassing nature of these duties, their importance to the community, and the responsibility which falls on those called upon to undertake them, make them a very serious part of the week's work at the Hospital.
37 The want of a laundry is much felt at the Hospital. The soiled bedding and clothing is at present sent to the Gaol to be washed, and the result is not satisfactory. Bedding and clothing used by the sick should, after each washing, be exposed for as long a time as possible to the air and sunlight.
38. This cannot be done in the Gaol, and would not be done by private washermen, and a laundry is one of the many wants of the Hospital.
39. The Hospital vote for the year's washing is $700.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
Dr. P. B. C. Ayres,
Colonial Surgeon.
C. J. Wharry, M.D., Superintendent.