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218 transferred from the Octagon to its present position in 1866, and in the months of August and September the difficult task of removing the 124 inmates was successfully accomplished. Previous to this, the insane patients, who had increased to about 20, had been located in the Lunatic Asylum. With all the alterations, however, the King street building was ill adapted to the purposes of an Hospital; but in the course of years since then, it has, by the outlay of large sums of money, undergone great improvements, and as a curative establishment been brought to a high state of perfection, in spite of its architectural defects.

In 1887 a much-felt need was supplied by the formation of two children's wards, with twelve beds; but to make way for them the removal of the maternity ward was necessitated. The latter is now in the Benevolent Institution at Caversham. In the same year another important addition was made by the erection of a large and fully-equipped operating theatre, at a cost of £1600; it is a substantial and handsome structure. As a medical school, Dunedin Hospital, with its operating theatre, is invaluable. Large numbers of students daily walk the wards, and receive from the honorary medical and surgical staff lectures based on the great variety of cases dealt with; and already several medical gentlemen trained in the University and in the Hospital are in practice in the colony, while a goodly number who elected to finish their course in the universities and hospitals in the Home Country were fitted by their well-grounded elementary training here to acquit themselves with marked success. Further advancement, in the shape of a gynecological ward and of a Nurses' Home, have for some time been under consideration, a considerable sum of money having been subscribed for these purposes; but in respect of these matters there seems to be a lack of unanimity, and, judging by newspaper reports, a disposition on the part of some of those concerned to make the money the nucleus of a fund for the erection of an entirely new Hospital on the most approved principles.

Since the Hospital was established in 1851 its management has undergone several changes. Dr. Williams, a city practitioner, was its first medical officer, by appointment of Sir George Grey; but after a short period of service he was succeeded