enlarged. A small payment, weekly, is looked for, if the patient can
afford it, but a fair number are admitted free, and a much larger number
visited, the average number of patients being nearly 5,000 per annum.
Information given on enquiry.

_Hospital for Women_.--This establishment in the Upper Priory was opened
in October, 1871, for the treatment of diseases special to females. No
note or ticket of recommendation is required, applicants being attended
to daily at two o'clock, except on Saturday and Sunday. If in a position
to pay, a nominal sum of 2s. 6d. a month is expected as a contribution
to the funds, which are not so flourishing as can be wished. The
in-patients' department or home at Sparkhill has accommodation for 25
inmates, and it is always full, while some thousands are treated at the
town establishment. The number of new cases in the out-patient
department in 1883 was 2,648, showing an annual increase of nearly 250 a
year. Of the 281 in-patients admitted last year, 205 had to undergo
surgical operations of various kinds, 124 being serious cases;
notwithstanding which the mortality showed a rate of only 5.6 per cent.
As a rule many weeks and months of care and attention are needed to
restore the general health of those who may have, while in the hospital,
successfully recovered from an operation, but there has not hitherto
been the needful funds or any organisation for following up such cases
after they have left Sparkhill. Such a work could be carried on by a
District Nursing Society if there were funds to defray the extra
expense, and at their last annual meeting the Managing Committee decided
to appeal to their friends for assistance towards forming an endowment
fund for the treatment of patients at home during their convalescence,
and also for aiding nurses during times of sickness. An anonymous
donation of £1,000 has been sent in, and two other donors have given
£500 each, but the treasurer will be glad to receive additions thereto,