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few days, at the end of which time lie was seen in consultation with the
medical gentleman who sent him in, the disease from which he was
suffering pronounced not be one of typhoid, and he was taken away by
his mother.
All the Hospital washing has been done at the laundry, and the
patients clothes, &c., disinfected in the disinfecting apparatus, both the
laundry and the disinfector being in the Hospital grounds.
Notwithstanding the severity of many of the cases both in the
scarlet fever and diphtheria blocks, the Hospital nursing staff has proved
fully efficient, and there has been no necessity of calling in the aid of
private nurses as has previously been the case. The plan adopted by
the Hospital Committee of appointing a certain number of probationer
nurses has been carried out. These nurses have attended a course of
lectures given by myself. Special nursing, more particularly directed
to fever nursing, is constantly taught them by the Sister; they have
shown considerable aptitude and perseverance, and, no doubt, at the
end of their two years (during which each serves as a probationer) they
will be fully qualified to undertake the duties of staff nurses in any
fever hospital. The Sister has been most painstaking and assiduous in
her duties, both as regards the patients and the training of the
probationers. I have again to thank the Matron for the very efficient
manner in which she has carried out her duties, which I may state,
with the growth of the establishment, have very considerably increased.
Cost of Maintenance of Patients and Resident Staff at
the Hospital.—This works out at 7s. 9d. for each person per week,
comparing with 7s. 10£d. for 1896, and with 9s. Id. for 1895.
Sanitary Defects, Nuisances and Sanitary Work.—I
append tabular statements of the sanitary work carried out in the
District during the year, and also Table A of the Deaths, and Table B
of the Population, Births, and new cases of Infectious Disease coming
to the knowledge of the Medical Officer of Health during the year.
It will be seen from these tables that a great deal more sanitary work
has been done during the year. This is partly owing to the appointment
of an Assistant Sanitary Inspector of Nuisances in January of