, 1882-05-24

IN return DoRGeu 10 express MS dCKHOW-
Judgement of the Committees thorough
investigation Of these matters, which how
ever is nothing more than he had hoped
and wished for; he had given the elucida-
lions produced due consideration and
would make the following remarks to
the Committees suggestions. In refer
ence to the comment on the high expenses
under the Poor Department, he perfectly
agreed with the Committee that the ex-
penSes for support etc. are exceedingly
high, it is difficult however, to point out
how they can be reduced; it may be, that
a POOr-HOuSe in connection with a Work
House with compulsory labour would be
the best remedy. 1t is scarcely possible
for any one to have a full opinion as to
the working Of such an institution, or of the
expenses and returns connected with same.
Hence, he agreed that it would be most
advisable to put the matter in the hands
of a COmmlSSiOn.-AS regards the HOSpi-
tails, the Committee has from the different
accounts made very minute calculations of
the expenses connected with the mainte-
nance Of the sick poor; it is there shewn
that the maintenance of the sick poor
costs at PeTersfarm Hospital 29k cts at
Frederiksted's Hospital % cts. and at the
Sick-houSe at Richmond 112 cts. pr day.
These institutions could. however, NOT be
compared without taking in consideration
several circumstances different for each Of
them separately. The Committee has had
no means of comparing the fare for sick
prisoners with that Of the sick poor, the
sick prisoners are when sent to Peters
farm Hospital treated the same as the
rest Of the sick poor; the number Of sick
days for prisoners must consequently be
added to the number Of sick days for sick
Moor and If vvouI1 tban bn f,uO1 tbot tho
cost of maintenance Of the sick-po0r at
Petersfarm would be reduced from 298 cts.
to about %, o. cts; then again, the Con-
mittee has not been aware, that there is
given support or maintenance to children
f0ll@lng their mothers and to mothers
following their children; these are not
placed on the list Of sick days; if they
were, they would curtail the average cost
at both the Hospitals. But there is one
relation, which is peculiar to the Hospital
at PeterSfarm, which must not be kept ont
OF view in passing sentence on the eXpen-
SEES Of that Hospital, namely when persons
from the country or both the towns get
severely injured, or are lab0uring under
di"eases for which they are to be operated
upon, they are as q rule sent up to this
Hospital to undergo the operation such
operations cause the daily maintenance to
be highly increased, especially by extra
articles of strengthening food in order to
increase or keep up the strength Of the
persons to be operated on: they most gene
rally enter the hospital in a weak and eX-
hauSted state, it is therefore often necessary
to feed them on a higher diet 3 to 4 weeks
before the operation can be performed,
and also after the operation has been
finished, for which reason a great deal
more Of strengthening food and n0uriSh-
ment are used here tuan at the Hospital
in FrederikSted, and cause the accounts
for extras to be so much higher here than
the:e. lie had conferred with the Kings
Physician who is experimenting that
Hospital on these matters, and as regards
the remarks Of the Committee about sevC-
raj items Ill the accounts that appeared
rather queer, he was able to give as he
hoped, satisfactory explanations. He
would to this purpose eminent on the
accounts for the month of December 1881,
that month i'll which, as has been particu-
larly pointed out, 46 bottles Of pOrtwine
had been used for patients in the commu-
nal hospital; said Physician has explain
ed that pOrt-wine is a necessary streng-
thening ingredient for the nourishment
given to patients as the above mentioned,
a wine-glass thereof or la part of a bot
tie, is for that purpose mixed in a portion
of Saloup or sage. 1t is never given ex-
cept by his order, and is only preSc; ibed
for patients absolutely i'll need thereof.
1t is never ordered to be given as drink
alone. There might be, in fact he had
hnnn1 ~ cnHl 5000 $3.50