The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-21 00:00:00

St, Thomas's Hospital.

The governors of St. Thcmas's Hospital made their an-
nual inspection of the temporary hospital at the Surrey
Gardens yesterday morning, after which they adjourned to
the London-bridge Railway Hotel, where a general court
was held ; Alderman Sir John Musgrove in the chair.
The minutes of the last meeting having been read and
confirmed,

Mr ADAMS rose, in pursuance of a notice given at the
last meeting of the court, to call the attention of the gover-
nors to several matters affecting the internal economy of the
hospital. He would first notice the very great disproportion
of the medical and surgical staff to the number of patients
as compared with other hospitals. For example, Guy's
Hospital contained 600 beds, and their annual surgical and
medical expenses amounted to £2,000, while their own, for
only 200 beds, were no less than £3,000. As, however, the
occupying of a new site would no doubt make a great alte-
ration in this respect, by increasing the number of beds to
their proper quantity, he would not do more than call their
attention to the facts he had stated. He would now come
to the extravagant allowances furnished at the expense of
the charity to their apothecary, Mr Whitfield, who during
the last year had had supplied to him 942 gallons of Barclay
and Perkins's porter and 36 tons of coal. In 1862, from
Sept. 22 to Jan. 29, he had received 16 tons of coal, cr at
the rate of 48 tons per annum ; and from Jan. 2 to March
31, 16 tons, being at the rate of 64 tons a year. All these
quantities were far beyond the requirements of any private
gentleman. He thought these allowances ought to be
discontinued, and a fair increase of salary granted instead.
The:r steward at present had a salary of £lOO, and £35 for
coals and beer. Ile regarded Mr Whitfield as the best
paid official in Europe. He was in the receipt of £5OO
a year salary, besides £5O from the Nightingale Fund, and
8 per cent. on the receipts from pupils. In addition to all
this, ho had a house and the extravagant allowance ho
had mentioned. Being so well paid, they would naturally
expect the greatest vigilance and activity in looking after

the interests of the hospital, From the facts he was about
in coarseness and character, and averaging from
Whit-
field drih fdorward they would be enabled to see if Mr Whit-
about 15ft. to 25ft. in thickness. Beneath this is
d one his duty in this respect or not. During the
the London clay. The foundation of the embank- last year the patients had been supplied with no less than
moot wall is on the lower portion of thu bed of gravel, 1,336 dozen of saltwater and lemonade. During tho past
at a depth of about 14ft. below low-water mark. year 600 patients at Guy's only consumed 260 dozen.
The old coffer-dam principle would require a vast These beverages were only used by fever patients, who con-
number of piles for a work like this, and in driving stituted only a small portion of the inmates of the hospital,
d ta
considered ita 12
impossiblei for them to consume 16,000
bbemNorattfilfound that many of them split to
andbottles h e
ot'months. In the wine, brandy,
He, therefore, abandoned that plin and resorted 95 gallons in 686 gallons, in brandy 17 in 147, and in gin-,5
ii
tin
drawing
via.'
gh These deficiencies
sal all quantities,
da cnceotutnht
to iron caissons. His present plan is to sink caissonsisndkfothr
abtyalfotes sr
laying these
ooks bde fo re
ryt ht
their
tiNahvteheyri
teNfiNs'Oet
sllld.l d
us aeyh nowt that tc
athis
ment wall rises, The spaces between the caissons
20ft apart. These caissons are joined with girders.
On the top are iron plates, from which the Embank-
tgae ntthl ee
tto the ir pe Cahtaierritty
will bes
filled with concrete. Mr. Furness is pro- man
neusation zenadaet
Commissioners, that the hospitaldid not supply
ceeding on a different system. He is using a caisson with the best drugs. The speaker then made several other
invented by Mr. Joseph Phillips, of the Charing- accusations against Mr Whitfield, and concluded by Bug-
cross Ironworks. Unlike the ordinary caisson, gesting that a committee of seven governors be appointed to
which is circular, this is oval in shape, 12ft Gin inquireh epinrr r
into the
said that the whole of the matters
e matter.
long, 7ft wide, 4ft Gin deep, and having a groove I
tioned by is' ir Adams had been already considered bym stnh-o
Gin square at each end. These caissons have shelves
grand committee, who had proposed certain alterations in
inside, on which weights are placed to fix them as the regulations of the hospital that would meet the evils
they are put one over the other *till they rise from complained of. He thought Mr Adams's object would be
the foundation to the required height. They are attained if the whole affair was left in the hands of the
sunk to an average depth of 36ft below Trinity grand committee.
high-water mark, and never less than 3ft into the The TREAsURER, Mr R. Baggallay, acknowledged that
the allowances had been rather extravagant; but when ho
clay. The process of sinking them is partly by the
went back to the year 1842 he found the same consumption
" bag and spoon," where the nature of the strata is of beer and coals going on. The matter had been long
open and full of water, or by a simple process of known to him, and had given him the greatest anxiety.
dredging by steam-power, and partly by excavating, He had since holding the office of Treasurer done much to
where a water bearing strata is found and the reduce certain petty allowances which had obtained from
pumps can be got to work. Each column of caissons time immemorial. The sodawater and lemonade had
is sunk end on to another as nearly close as possible. been ordered in the quantity mentioned by the medicalstaff,
and it
would
be
a bold thing in any governor
A key of timber is driven down the groove, and this to dictate to those gentlemen what they should order the
makes up for any opening between the caissons and patients under their charge. Mr Whitfield had explained
tightens and holds them together. It makes a that ho said the authorities bought drugs of good, although
water-tight joint by the pressure of the water on not of choice quality. That. gentleman had been the zealous
officerahfaorraaatevrearya
tleonbgiepeecriteondt,ifiaandtth.e could give him the
but mthne sm. e
eHt i
ne thoughtahealshould
the outer side of the timber, so that the greater the
pressure the tighter the joint becomes. When the best
certainly ho had been imprudent,
caissons are all in their place they will form an iron take into consideration the length and value of thegservices
dam or wall along the whole length of the Embank- he had rendered.
ment. As the work proceeds the coffer-dams are A motion to the effect that the grand committee, assisted
' further,l‘lr
formed at intervals of from 100 ft to 300 ft, and of byM r Adams,
being
ordered should investigate
to at o d
before
r me
them,atter aatndo,nce
- Whitfieldtghe
general
theyra
l c
osuhrotual should
sr e
such size as is desirable for building the Embank
port the issue of their inquiries to a
ment wall itself within. The caissons below low-
water mark remain as a part of the permanent work, peoasysia Ifee,wwwasartdhsenhapudet
faenndeecaorfrii\eidr.
Dr LEESON' beggedoon atso
and, being filled with concrete, form a solid basis to Whitfield. His family was 12 in number, and if they
the wall; but those above are removed and fixed in divided the quantity of beer supplied among them they
advance to serve their former purpose over again, would find it only amounted to about two pints per day per
while the wall and Embankment above low-water head. He thought, too, it was most unfair to calculate the
rate of consumption of coal per annum by what wag con-
are being constructed. The facing of the wall will
s m dthe
had putwinterm on
be of granite ; the rest of it is to be of the best
motion in
which thethsm.atliteer quite
thcoenhcurrds ed inf the
brickwork. The wall will recede gradually upwards grand committee.
from the point where it is to leave the caissons Mr Deputy ELLIOTT feared the public would blame the
immediately under low-water mark. The space grand committee loudly for letting things run on so long-
behind the wall will be filled up with ballast, Mr It really seemed as if the inquiry was being made only at
Phillips's system has been found to answer admi- the last possible moment, when a Government Commission
had been appointed to inquire into the affairs of the hospital.
rably, and the Government have determined to use
He had papers in his his hands which contained facts quite
caissons on his principle for some of the fortifica-
trhaenes and
bganstaatitldei 0
nt.whiaitaht
as condemnatory of the system at present carried out as
tions at Portsmouth. One advantage in having the
cylinder of an oval shape is at once apparent. A chance of reform taking place, ho would allow the matter
those brought forward by Mr Adams ; but, as there was a
caisson of this shape presents a greater surface to to rest at present.
t h
eMtri
mßeAhlaaoda.LL come A y,
for him trewa sniutthfraoeurp,
the water in front of the wall than would a round
lotrow now,had e how-
able wehno.
one of similar cylindrical dimensions.
the hands of the court and take th© rest his advancing
The preliminaries having been sufficiently ad-
vanced for the purpose, yesterday was appointed but his good friend Mr Adams
years rendered necessary. Four years ago he had announced
his intention of resigning,
for laying the foundation-stone of this gigantic had persuaded him to stay
them until hiswosrukilecoefses,
work. The company invited to witness the memor- the railway company had been
do hisg
the charity, He
shenwldithhpleasure to
able ceremony entered on the scene from the con-
himself and
artnerandelnzwltdittehn
o tractors' yard in Cannon-row, whence they emerged
oseua
301 dfkhignoi
dvoiwn
giving
d hima n apology
four
yearsto I\olf r
extraß a gg a
work 1 l a y forof
on tramways, which run here and there and every. lad
gappointed.
he could
where over what in a few weeks will cease to be the
muddy banks of the Thames. The workmen were as being
so long worked with Mr
thick as bees in a hive, and steam-engine, travelling theMnir:DitoillateyfulAcmlussi
platforms, dredgers, and pile drivers were scheech- gthe enodrmhouds amount of
ing and rolling and scraping on all sides. Mr anxietylag and labour
during the past four years, gentleman
thmennp a sl as
e, 1 a
hightoeauinet,l,eiurgine
Cowper, the First Commissioner of Works, Lord on Mr Baggallay for the capacity and energy he had
John Manners, Mr Doulton, M.P., and other gen_r- shown during his long connexion with the hospital, and
tlemen inspected the works, accompanied by I,‘ll_r conoluded by wishing him health and happiness in his
Thwaites, Chairman of the Metropolitan Board, Ihonourable retirement.
The first Mr
Bazalgette, Mr Furness, and Mr Phillips. themlectr: untilh rosei
s
TITS, M.P., passed a similar eulogium on Mr Bag-
atonethecom- galley, and joined with Mr Adams in his hi ha reciation
was laid at low water mark, so that
pp
as
B__o depth in a of that gentleman's judgment, ability, and decision,
pang were obliged to descend to °`" . Shown during • hthe railway company. He
idl— comm._ ill the contest with
coffer-dam, though the tide was rap a g
then moved a resolution to the effect that the governors re-
at the time. The stone was a large block of granite ccivcd Mr 13aggallay's resignation with deep regret, bear-
forming a portion of the facing of the wall. In its ing testimony to the way in which the oftle:, had been
that appreciateHeringl
centre a square cell was cut to receive a sealed bottle carried out, and wishing him every happiness during his
containin a archment document, well-earned retirement.
g p
on which some
The re solution was seconded in similar terms by Mr
account of the ceremony was inscribed, a copy of
Alderman GIBBONS, and carried by acclamation.
the 7imes, and several coins of the realm. When Mr EAGGALLAY then returned thanks for the compli-
this bottle was deposited, Mr Thwaites, who had ments paid him, and said ho would be glad to remain in
Mr Cowper on his right and Lord John Manners on office until his successor was appointed.
his left, duly fixed the block with the aid of a winds Some business of a formal nature was then transacted,
lass and a very beautiful silver trowel which bad
I
been presented to hina by the contractors. and the Court broke up after Laving passed a vote of thanks
The to the President.