The income and expenditure are about £2,000 a year. The charity applies all donations exceeding £10 to a deposit or investment fund, and ten per cent. of the amount of the fund so created is withdrawn each year for the current purposes of the institution.
The Homœopathic Hospital and Dispensary.—This hospital is supported by the friends of the system of homœopathy. It has one honorary physician and five honorary surgeons. It is a general hospital, and has departments for in-patients, out-patients, and home patients. The in-patient system is different from that of most general hospitals, a certain number of beds being reserved for patients who can afford to pay for the benefits they receive. Again, all in-patients are admitted at the discretion of the medical staff, so that as regards this department the hospital is free, no subscriber having the privilege of ensuring a bed. Subscribers have tickets for out-patients and for home visits. This provision for visiting patients at their own homes is of great value in connection with this Charity. The in-patients in 1885 were 167. The home-patients 584. The out-patients 18,752.
The expenditure for 1885 was £1,640. The income £1,380, leaving a deficit of £260.
Ladies as well as gentlemen serve on the Committee of Management.
The Hospital for Women.—This is a valuable and important Institution. When the Lying-in Hospital gave up the treatment of women’s special diseases and devoted itself exclusively to midwifery, there was an opening for an institution for the reception and treatment of women afflicted with diseases peculiar to their sex.
Two classes of patients are admitted. Paying patients who contribute the whole or part of the cost of treatment, and general cases, which are admitted without any subscriber’s ticket of recommendation. The expenditure for the year 1884 (no report has been issued for 1885) was £1,736. The income was £1,466, leaving a deficit of £270.
During the same year the out-patients were 3,299, and the in-patients 294.
The acting Medical staff consists of five Surgeons, one of whom is a lady. It will be obvious that in a Hospital of this character many operations of cardinal importance are constantly performed. No fewer than 217 operations were performed during the year 1884.
The Skin and Lock Hospital.—This Institution was opened in 1881 for the treatment of skin and lock diseases. There was ample room for it, no special department for cases of this kind existing in any of the general Hospitals of the town.