The following is an extract from the annual report for the year 1846 which was published in January 1847. The report is amongst uncatalogued material at the Dorset History Centre (temporary reference number NG/HH/DO(C)/Accession 4898).

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REPORT OF 1846 SUBMITTED 11th OF JANUARY, 1847

The Committee of Management of the Dorset County Hospital are thankful to be able to meet the Governors at the expiration of the sixth year, since the opening of the Institution, and, while it will be their duty to call the serious attention of the Governors to the future prospects of the Hospital, to be able to report more favourably of its progress in some most important matters than in any former year, and to acknowledge as they are bound to do the great degree in which the Divine blessing has attended is operation during the last year.

The following is the House Surgeons

TABLE OF PATIENTS ADMITTED & DISCHARGED. 

		During the past Year.			From the com-mencement.
		In Patients.	Out Patients.		In Patients.	Out Patients.
On the Books Jan. 1, 1846		36	93
ADMITTED
On Recommendations		153	338		747	1954
As Household Servants		5			33
Freely as Accident cases		56			152
.
Renewed Tickets	} In-patients … 52. Out-patients … 84	250	431		932	1954
Casual Cases	} (1846) 276 (In all) 2460
.
DISCHARGED
Cured		115	196		485	1019
Relieved		40	71		210	504
Made Out-Patients		30	–		62	–
Made In-Patients		–	18		–	76
At their own request		8	2		28	6
For misconduct		1	1		1	1
Not relieved		6	8		8	14
Incapable of further relief		2	–		24	12
Improper objects		1	7		8	39
Absconded or non-    attendance, mostly cured		5	39		8	153
Died		8	8		40	45
No Report		1	10		2	14
.
.		217	360		899	1883
Remain on the Books		33	71		33	71

.

It will be seen from the foregoing table that there has been a considerable increase in the number of In-Patients admitted.  This increase has been almost entirely caused by the large number of accident cases, of which one-third and one-fourth have happened on the Railroad works.

Notwithstanding the hopeless nature of some of these accidents and the very serious character of a large proportion of the cases of this year, the Governors will be thankful to learn that the proportion of cases discharged cured is above the average of any former year.

The number of Casual cases has increased very largely.  The number of renewals have been less in proportion.

The Annual Subscriptions have increased by £45, after allowing for lost Subscribers.  This, though not equal to the increase of some former years, is a larger increase than that of last year.

The Parochial collections are considerably larger than in any former year, shewing that the Clergy who best know the value of the Institution to their poor parishioners are zealously endeavouring to support it.

(The Donations to the Hospital since the last Annual Meeting are appended on the last page. [Not in included in this extract.])

The following Legacies have been received.

Miss Genge    ……      ……    ……   ……      ……      £             s.       d.

Miss Genge    ……      ……    ……   ……      ……      19          18       6

Mrs. Tregonwell ..     ……    ……   ……      ……      100        0       0

Miss Barns …   ……    ……    ……   ……      ……      45          0       0

R. Pattison, Esq. …… ……   ……      ……   ……      100        0       0

The Building and Furnishing of the Hospital is now complete as far as the whole design has yet been entered upon–and the Bills are paid-but to balance the building account a further loan of £300 will be necessary in addition to the £600 borrowed last year, making the entire amount of loan £900, upon the security of nearly £1400 Stock, of which £264 18s. 6d. has been invested this year, leaving the surplus property of the Hospital nearly £500, at the end of the sixth year of its existence, and after the erecting and furnishing such a building as the Institution at present possesses.  The committee cannot but consider this to be a satisfactory result as far as that portion of its financial condition is concerned.

As respects however the Income and Expenditure of the Hospital it will be seen, on referring to the Treasurer’s Abstract appended to this report, that, although after balancing the building account, there will remain a balance on the general account of £90 15s. 8d., this is less than the balance at the close of the year 1844, when the second Building Account commenced.  It will also be seen that while the Legacies have been invariably funded, the Donations, except such as were specially given to the Building Fund, have been used to meet the general Expenditure.  That Expenditure during the last year has reached the sum of £1361 15s. 2d., exceeding by nearly £90 the available income of the year.

This Expenditure is no doubt a very large one, and has, in great measure, arisen from the following causes:

1. The large increase of Accident Cases, those occurring on the Railroads being as was before stated between 1-3d and 1-4th of the number–the Total number of Accident Cases being more than 1-3d of the number of those admitted on Recommendations.
2. An unusually large expenditure in medicines, and an unavoidable increase of diet and stimulants to some of the worst cases, besides a large expense for extra nurses.
3. An increase of more than 1-4th of the number of Casual Cases, which have been attended to in a more extensive manner than was originally contemplated, and will for the future be more closely watched.
4. An increase in the average cost of maintenance of the Patients and Establishment to such an extent as to make a material difference between the 2 last years for the same number of patients.

It becomes therefore the imperative duty of the Committee, be the causes what they may, to call upon the Governors to give serious attention to the matter and decide upon the future course of management.  Unless, from unforeseen sources, large additional donations or legacies should come, or the price of provisions fall, sources which it is not honest to reckon upon, either the number of Patients admitted gratuitously must be limited, or the power of recommendation.  During the coming year an increase of accident cases must be anticipated, and it is not without reason that the Committee lay the matter before the Governors at the close of a year in which the average cost of each Patient is considerably increased and the whole of the donations (excluding legacies only) have for the time been employed to meet the general expenditure.

Early in the last year the Rev. T. Lateward, since deceased, was compelled by ill health to resign his office as chaplain.  He is succeeded in that office by Rev. Wm. Smith, whose attentive discharge of his duties gives the best hope of this appointment being a comfort to the patients and generally beneficial to the Institution.

The Committee have had during this year some difficulties in the internal management of the House.  These have led to the resignation of the House Surgeon, and to the discharge of one of the pupils from Residence within the walls of the Hospital.  The late House Surgeon is succeeded by Mr. R. D. Eastcott, who was duly elected to that office. – The senior pupil having completed so much of the term of his apprenticeship as was allotted to his residence in the Country has removed to London for the remainder of it.  Another pupil, Mr James C Eastcott, son of the present House Surgeon, has been entered according to the new rules relating to the admission of pupils.

The Committee have every reason to believe that the rules recommended to, and adopted by, the Governors at their last annual meeting have worked well.  The rules relating to the premiums of pupils have been drawn up as then ordered, and will stand part of the general laws unless altered by this or any future general meeting.

The Committee have to express their special things for the exertions of the Physician and Surgeons of the Hospital.  Their duties during the past year have been more than usually arduous and trying.  They have been discharged with the greatest zeal and patience, and, as is well known, gratuitously.

The conduct of the matron deserves also their best acknowledgement.  The Nurses and other Members of the Household have, with one or two exceptions, conducted themselves in a satisfactory manner.

In conclusion the Committee may congratulate the Governors, and with them return sincere thanks to Almighty God for the position in which the Institution has hitherto stood, and for the benefits which have been afforded by it.  The six years of its existence have been years of large expenditure with steady increase of means.  The calls upon it, for which no provision is made by subscription, have been very large and increase also.  Still, by the Divine Blessing on the continued kindness of friends, a large, sound, and substantial building has been raised, furnished and paid for.  The capacity of the Hospital is equal to any probably increase of patients: an income inclusive of Donations and Collections equal to its wants up to the present moment has been at its disposal, but unless Donations or Collections continue to be given in equal, or greater amount, that Income will be inadequate for the future.  The Institution is now capable of meeting all its liabilities; this is certainly matter for congratulation.  But while the Committee do hope that such proofs of its utility and of the Divine approval are before the County, that as its wants and sphere of labour increase, the supplies to meet them will increase also, still they will not venture to misuse the confidence reposed in them by placing the interests of the Institution in any risk, and they must leave it to the Governors in general to decide as to the best course to be pursued in the management of the coming and future years.

(Signed)   Arthur H. Dyke Acland, Chairman.

.

SIXTH ANNIVERSARY MEETING HELD IN THE NEW HOSPITAL, JANUARY 11, 1847.

THE EARL OF ILCHESTER in the Chair.

The above Report was adopted and ordered to be printed and circulated.-Ordered also, that Copies of it be sent to the Clergy, earnestly requesting them to make Parochial Collections for the Institution.

The Committee were instructed to communicate with the Directors of the Railroads now in progress begging their assistance to the Institution.

The Committee were authorized to continue the present number of patients and to receive accidents gratuitously as heretofore, watching the rate of expenditure, with great care, and if they saw necessity for so doing, to convene another general meeting at Midsummer.

The Committee were authorized to expend £10 during the ensuing year in the employment of a Clerk or Accountant.

The Treasurer was authorized to balance and close the Building Account, and the Trustees were empowered to borrow the sum of £300 on the security of the Stock of the Institution, as before.

Ordered that the Incumbents and in cases of their non-residence, the Curates of the parishes of Dorchester and Fordington, inclusive of the new District, be ex officio Members of the Committee.

Ordered that all the privileges to Subscribers be continued to their Widows during the current year for which such Subscribers last subscriptions were paid.

The very special thanks of the Governors were voted to the Medical Officers of the Hospital, for their great zeal and gratuitous kindness in the more than ordering labours of the year, and to the Parochial Clergy for their increased exertions.  The thanks of the Governors were also voted to the Chaplain, Matron, and all other Officers of the Institution for their services during the past year.

Thomas Coombs, Esq., Jun., was chosen Auditor in the room of the Rev. R. Cutler.