Morning journal and courier., 1889-02-01
THE HOSPITAL.

THE HOSPITAL. The Annual Meeting-RevieW of the
 Years work-The Prudential Com
 mittee's Repert-The sisiting oom-
 mittee-Elect1On of DifecAofs.
 The annual meeting of the General Hospit- | al society of Connecticut was held yesterday afternoon at the chapel of the hospital, Gen. Merwin presiding. The visiting committee reported as follows:
 THE VISITING COMMITTEE
 NEW HAVEN, Jan. 8, 1888. To the Prudential committee of the General
 Hospital society of Connecticut:
 Gentlemen-The board of visitors take pleasure in submitting their annual report. During the past year the members of it's board have made frequent and thorough in- specti6ns of the condition of the hospital and in general have found it most satisfactory. The minor improvements suggested by the board have always met with prompt attention. The roof veranda added in the early part of the year, mainly through the indefatigable and persistent efforts of the
 board of lady visitors, has proved of great
 benefit and comfort to the patients in the upper wards. Through the generosity of Gen. s. E. Merwin, president of the Hospital society, new range was put in, thus supply- ing one of the great needs of the hospital. Since then very few complaints have been
 heard in regard to the cooking and food, and
 the culinary department is now quite suff- ciently and satisfactorily conducted. Anoth- CT ranga.is, however, necessary for the com plete success of this department, and we can but express the hope that some equally gener- ous person may supply this deficiency the coming year. The board wish to renew the recommendation of last year that the di- reetors obtain an enlargement of their powers in order to increase the number of the board of visitors. It was suggested inthe last report that the date of Hospital Sunday be changed in renewing the recommendation that a change would result in larger donations. We would also suggest that stand pipes be placed in the halls of the hospital as further pre- caution in case of fire. In view of the fact that so large percentage of the patients would be benefited, we take the liberty also of recommending that reading room be ar ranged for their use.
 In conclusion the board wish to express their appreciation of the efficient and unfag- ging devotion to duty of the nurses and ward masters and of the uniform courtesy extended to their members by the prudential commit tee, Superintendent Starkweather and all other attendants at the hospital. c. 5. Bowers, Max Adler, Patrick Maher E. B. Bradley, H. s. Watkins, Charles A. Brooks, sec.
 THE PRUDENTIAL COMMITTEE. The main facts of interest in the report of the prudential committee follow: The com- mittee are Eli Whitney, jr., Thomas Hooker, and Dr. Carmalt.
 During the year 1888, 772 patients were admitted to the hospital. The number un- der treatment during the year WAS S71, an increase of thirty-on over that of 1887 The daily average was 103.4 patients, which is practically the same as that of the year previous The number of patients re- | maining in the hospital on December 31, 1888, ! was no; somewhat above the average for the ! year.
 The current expense amounted to s4O,- 705.16 and the total earnings from all | sources were S31, ,1S0, showing an increase ! of expenses over earnings of $9,525 This ! deficit was made up in part by the income from invested funds which amounted to l $3, ,979. 50, Hospital Sunday dona tions s2,- \ 9S6.2S aud from the charity ball $1, ,629 98 | It was necessary to borrow $1 1000 during
 the year to meet the current expenses, but l this was paid off before the close of the year.
 The average weekly cost of patients was I $7.39 6-10, or 4-10 cents less than for the | preceding year. The average daily cost of | food per patient WAS 27 40 cents. or 1 3-10
 cents less than for 1887: While the ex- penses have not increased the income has fallen off. which accounts for the increased deficit.
 The hospital takes various classes of pa- i tients-United States Marine hospital pa ! t1ents, State Soldier hospital patients, self ! paying patients and private patients, some l of whom have private rooms and others are I cared for in the general wards; classes of I town patients, of charity patients and of ! free bed patients. All these classes are | divided into two sets when estimating
 the receipts of the institution. These sets I are the remunerative and the unremunera- | tive. The first consist of those who pay ap- \ ually about $6 week, the average being l $7.39; the second of those who are taken for | little or nothing and are taken at loss to the institution.
 Last year the remunerative patients oc- cupied l, ,930 2-7 weeks and cost the hospital | S14, ,276.40. The receipts, however, from l them were $13, 191. 36. The second set oc- cupied 3, ,476 1-7 weeks, and cost $25, 719 23 ! with receipts of only $17, ,507 32. Thus there was an actual net loss of $S,211.91 on the town patients.
 The deficit, the committee thinks, must be made up by charitable persons in New Haven and vicinity. It is question with the com- mittee if the charge of these patients should not be increase. The committee is satisfied that the quality and quantity of the food really the expenses-cannot be reduced with out impairing the efficiency of the hospital
 
 rather than to curtail expenses. Owing to the high price and the greater consumption, $7OO more had to be paid for coal last year than before; and the water bill was increased from $180 to $500 by the water company put ting in water meter.
 The committee thinks that a saving could be made by putting in boilers and thus say ing the burning of coal in many places In the institution. Gratitude is expressed at the interest which has been shown by the citizens of New Haven in the hospital, as shown by gifts and contributions. The members of the board of lady visitors raised $275 to build a verandah for the pa- tients on the third floor, who were unable otherwise to get the air. The Hospital Aid society contributed large number of gar ments for the patients, and friend, whose name is withheld by special request, fur nished money to buy an ambulance for the exclusive of the hospital, the cost being $550. This ambulance proved a very ac- ceptable and useful gift.
 The hospital Sunday contributions up to date amount to $3,O1O.72, more than S400 greater than the whole amount contributed last year, with many churches and individ- uals that ordinarily contribute to hear from yet.
 The managers of the charity ball have al . ready started preparations for the event on February 20th, and have voted to give the net proceeds to the hospital. The gum of $5, 900 has been given to endow the Mary P. Wade bed, and $2, 300 has been given for free bed for the Home of the Friendless. The memorial building given by Mrs. Farnam in memory of her son George Bronson Farnam, who served fer several years as hospital surgeon, is finished and in use. This building, the committee thinks, is the most perfect of its kind in the country, combining