The annual meeting of the New Hospital for Women, Euston Road, was held last week. Sir Thomas Smith, consulting surgeon of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, referring to the surgical work done at the capacity did not justify him in speaking of the acknowledged reputation of the medical staff of that hospital, but he was qualified to say a word or two about their surgeons, and he might say that that hospital had given them an opportunity of testing their capacity for performing and carrying to a successful issue all the more important operations that were performed on womankind. That test had been applied, and the result had been that they had gained there a reputation for good surgery. They had dissipated all prejudice which existed before and they now had a sound reputation. There had been attended at that hospital upwards of 1,900 cases of maternity. Up to within a short time of that meeting he could have said that among those 1,900 cases there had been no deaths, but in view of that meeting of course a death took place. But he might mention that that death could in no way be connected with maternity. So really they had 1,900 cases of maternity attended from that hospital without a death. He was informed that what was called the normal fatality of those cases was one in 500. That in itself was an enormously improved result compared with what it was before the antiseptic method was introduced. In the aggregate 577 major operations were performed there with a mortality of under 6 per cent. He had been allowed personally to attend the operations in the operating theatre of that hospital, and he had very great pleasure in stating that he had nothing but admiration to express for the great dexterity and celerity with which the operations had been performed. He would not be discharging his duty if he did not refer to the admirable discipline and excellent training of the nurses in the operating theatre.
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