To the Kditor of the *Nontu-Curxa Day News, Sin,—Every member of the community is more or less interested in the welfare of -our public institutions, but in none more deeply than that of our hospitals, where we are liable to be confined for indefinite periods whenever overtaken by sickness mowing that your paper always stands ready to advocate anything which conducees to the public welfare, I shall ask you to kindly give insertion to the following remarks upon the above theme.
Thave been for the past few weeks, and still—though rapidly convaleseing—patient in the above hospital, where I have been the recipient of the most unremitting care and attention from the sisters, who seem to be indefatigable in their efforts to receive their patients back to health; but their efforts are seriously handicapped by the nerve-destroying, ear-splitting, and almost maddening; noises from the boats on the creek immediately opposite, which usually start in with the rising of the sun and continue with variations until the going down of the same, when I presume some other Deity or Demon has to be propitiated or driven away, and huge bombs are exploded, resembling salvos of artillery, loud enough to arouse the dead. Add to this the shrill whistle or shriek of the tug boats, which seem to make a point of letting off all their pent-up steans between the two bridges which enclose the hospital, and I think you will admit. that the poor patients have covent reasons to complain. Fancy a oer creature, who for days and ights has and upon whom at last the merciful mantle een racked and torn by pain unceasing,
of slumber has fallen, being rudely awakened and brought back to all his suffering by some of those dreadful noises. Oh, tis cruel, cruel Thave been informed that the attention of the ' Powers that be" has been directed to this abuse more than once, but without avail. Now, we have in our midst organisation whose objects are praiseworthy and philanthropic. I allude to the "Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals." If I am correctly informed, any member of this Society is authorised to arrest and prosecute persons guilty of cruelty to damp animals' Is it not possible for this Society to spread its sheltering aegis over the poor, helpless human anitnal also, whose mental sufferings, caused by the noises complained of, are quite as acute as the physical sufferings of the half-starved, ill-used beast of a brutal In the name of humanity, let those in whom the authority is vested take this matter up, and put a stop to a practice which causes much suffering, and greatly retards, and in many cas-s must seriously Jeopardise, the recovery of patients.
usting you will lend your powerful aid in the suppression of this abuse, and with thanks, Tam, ete., A. Brake.
22nd November.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.