Indexed at front. Includes papers of various committees, including Improvement of Funds Committee, Provision and Bill Committee, Financial Committee, Building Committee, Advisory Council etc, also Sterilizer and Roentgen Ray Apparatus Committee. Also, pasted between pp. 265-266, letter re drainage and ventilation from the Medical Officer's Department of the Borough of Cambridge 30 Nov. 1903; pasted between pp. 443-444, ms lists of linen and crockery required Apr 1904; clipped to p. 473, report of the medical and surgical staff on the heating system 13 May 1904, 3pp ts; and pasted between pp. 487-488, printed report of Ladies' Committee on the Domestic Expenditure of the Hospital 26 May 1904.
29 Jan 1903. Printed financial report states that the increase in workload is not being balanced by any increase in income. Recommended that appeals should be made to a wider public.
29 Jan 1903 ‘Mary Jane Tindall, late a caretaker of the Mission Room in Cambridge Place and a patient at the hospital at the date of the recent fire by her will left £31-15s-7d, the residue of her estate’ to the hospital.
23 Feb 1903. Recommended that certain exit doors be provided with glass boxes and keys [for emergency exits].
4 Mar 1903. Resident medical staff might now have their names painted on the narrow board in the hall at their own expense.
11 Mar 1903. A report on the case of George Larkins who has been an inpatient since April 1902 with fractured spine and wounds. Two nurses are required to change dressings. His benefit society gives help of 8/- a week for twelve weeks and 4/- a week for the next six months but nothing afterwards. Mr Wherry is asked for his opinion on 18 March 1903, ‘ If he could have obtained the necessary help elsewhere I should have discharged him long ago. He would probably very soon die if removed to the Caxton Union Infirmary.’ Wherry opines that the hospital should ‘bear the burden of this calamity’ and it is agreed that Larkins remain a patient for the time being.
18 Mar 1903. Lloyd Jones writes to explain why he admitted a case of diphtheria to the hospital instead of the sanatorium. An emergency tracheotomy was needed before the sanatorium could admit him. The action was approved.
21 Mar 1903. The purchase of X-Ray apparatus and a sterilizer is approved.
25 Mar 1903. Matron (Miss Morgan) writes about the difficulties in getting sufficient numbers of probationers, all other hospitals offer more advantageous terms than Addenbrooke’s. Even where a premium is expected, a salary is paid. Last year 250 requests for our terms were received but no applications for posts. (See statistics information from other hospitals, pp 89-90.)
27 Mar 1903. A printed report of the Advisory Council (pp.53/4) notes that a new scheme for the management of the hospital is now before the Houses of Parliament to propose a new bill.
30 Mar 1903. An order that the annual average costs of each patient day per occupied bed and length of stay be given to the Quarterly Court.
6 May 1903. A report following the inspection of flues and fireplaces to prevent the possibility of fires. The recommendation is approved.
28 May 1903. An inquiry to be made by a sub-committee into the lack of applications for probationer nurses and grievance of sisters (see 25 Mar 1903 above).
11 Jun 1903. Mr Humphry chairs this inquiry (see the preliminary report 22 Jun 1903).
26 Jun 1903. A meeting of Select Governors and Medical Officers proposes that improved methods of instruction and training of probationers is now urgent. Quarterly Court agrees to adopt (see 29 Jun 1903).
22 Jul 1903. Friends stopped from visiting patients owing to an epidemic of smallpox.
5 Oct 1903. Thanks given to the Charity Commissioners for their help in framing a new scheme for the management of Addenbrooke’s Hospital which has recently received the sanction of Parliament.
7 Oct 1903. Miss Noble writes about the trees in front of her house which looked dangerous during a gale: ‘I should have written sooner but have been dangerously ill from the shock and chill I took on the night of the gale’.
14 Oct 1903. £1 paid to the Charity Organization Society for the benefit of Frederick Newman from the Samaritan Fund.
16 Nov 1903. 365 Governors recorded their votes for the General Committee listed in the minute book under A) Borough Candidate, B) Candidate, C) University Candidate. Of these the largest number of votes (281) was for Austin Leigh and second (226) for Professor Clifford Allbutt.
17 Nov 1903. The first meeting of the new elected General Committee is fixed and minuted (p. 242). Dr L.A. Tham to be Chairman of the committee for the ensuing year.
23 Nov 1903. Letter from House Surgeon regarding patients George Larkins who was admitted eighteen months previously with a fractured spine, paralyzed below the arms and with no sign of improving. He is now using ‘insulting and abusive language’, disobeys nurses’ orders’ and ‘behaves indecently in the ward’. The secretary is requested to write to Caxton Union to remove the patient from the ward as an incurable. He was removed to the Workhouse Union for the Infirmary on 28 Nov 1903.
23 Nov 1903. A typed report on the condition of electric lighting in the hospital.
7 Dec 1903. Mr Arthur Cooke is elected as Assistant Surgeon.
14 Dec 1903. The Medical Officer for Cambridge Borough sends a typed report on the state of the drainage in the children’s ward section, having found drains and inspection chambers to be in ‘a foul and slimy state’. The Works Committee is ordered to do what is necessary to amend ward drainage and to arrange for periodic inspections. Children to return to the ward when the work is done.
16 Dec 1903. The Works Committee consider it ‘highly important…to leave the fireplaces as they were in case there was a failure in the new hot water system. (Details of which fireplaces have been removed and which remain are to be found on pp. 269-70.)
21 Dec 1903. Dr Lloyd Jones recommends the following lectures to probationer nurses in order to qualify. This include: 12 lectures on practical nursing by Matron; 8 lectures on Anatomy; 8 lectures on Surgical and Accident Nursing given by a surgeon; 8 lectures on Physiology and 8 lectures on Medical Nursing to be given by a physician, and ‘Sick Room Cookery’. (p.300 has further details regarding the sub committee discussions about teaching probationers.)
4 Jan 1904. Workman’s Compensation Act considered as to how it may affect the hospital, for instance laundry works. (See also details on pp. 337-8.)
11 Jan 1904. General Committee. Rev. Austin Leigh is elected Chairman and Dr Latham Vice-Chairman for the ensuing year.
18 Jan 1904. A sub-committee to be appointed to look at hospital expenditure on servants and laundry workers to see if any savings were feasible in the Domestic Department. A letter regarding the convalescent arrangements for discharged patients states, ‘what this poor woman would have done if we had not been able to take her in, I don’t know Of course if Mrs Nightingale gets worse it may be necessary to apply for re-admission’.
18 Jan 1904. Mrs Susan Nightingale was a washerwoman from Coton who fell off a ladder referred to medical staff for a report [result p.354 severe bruising only discharge justified].
18 Jan 1904. Lord Peckover donates another £1,000 for repairs to the Nurses Training Building.
1 Feb 2004. Matron reported that John Fuller now at the Sea Bathing Hospital, Margate. His term expires on 9 Jan 1904 and the surgeon recommends he stays there for another four weeks at a cost of £2-8s-0d. It was agreed by the House Committee that the money to be paid from the Samaritan Fund.
15 Feb 1904. Resolved that ‘persons be invited to tender for the hire of lawns in front of the hospital for viewing the Royal Processions on the 1st March 1904’.
29 Feb 1904. Resolved in future where there is no amendment to a motion, the proposers’ and seconders’ names be omitted from the minutes.
29 Feb 1904. Medical Officer of the Borough inspects Hope Ward and the ‘grave like odour’ from the cesspool below the floor. At one time the mortuary and post-mortem room was on this spot.
7 Mar 1904. A letter of complaint regarding the delay in examining a small boy who had fallen down stairs. A lengthy reply from the Junior House Surgeon details an unusually busy day.
14 Mar 1904. Guards for the laundry machinery discussed following a factory inspector’s report elsewhere.
11 Apr 1904. A donation of £100-2s-9d, the proceeds of two performances of ‘Liberty Hall’ by the Cambridge Bijou Amateur Dramatic Club.
9 May 1904. Miss E. Lyneham who was a patient donates £1-1s-0d by way of thanks.
9 May 1904. Samaritan Fund will pay for C. Frank Everett to stay three weeks at Dovercourt, he paying the other half.
11 May 1904. Meeting of Probationers Committee. New scheme of training and lectures to be made public by adverts etc.
13 May 1904. Report by medical and surgical staff on problems of over and under heating by the new central heating system.
23 May 1904. Visiting Governors want Outpatient Department improved. Referred to medical, surgical and dental staff.
30 May 1904. A printed report from the Ladies’ Committee on Domestic Expenditure which gives a good snapshot of domestic practices, provisions and laundry etc. in 1904. An expanded report on Domestic Expenditure containing comparative costs under sub-headings from eleven other provincial hospitals.