To the Right Worshipful the General Court of
the Governors of St. Thomas's Hospital

We the Grand Committee appointed to manage the,
Affairs of this Hospital do report our proceedings therein since the
last Annual General Court held the 7th. day of July 1736.

Observations on the
increased Expence of the
Apothecary Shop

We having for sometime observed a considerable increase in
the expence of the Apothecary's Shop belonging to this Hospital thought
it necessary to enquire as for as we could into the reasons of it & apprehend-
ing upon such enquiry that the Increase has arisen partly from the full
Number of Patients in the House and more from the increased Number of
Out Patients & the too large dispensing of Medicines to them at a time &
also from the enlarging the Dispensatory of the Hospital both as to the
Number & Value of the Medicines which the Physicians have thought
necessary for the Welfare of the Patients. We recommended to the Physician
to be cautions of using such Druggs as are dear or may occasionally be-
come so when any other may properly be substituted in their room
And We recommended to the Apothecary carefully to avoid the dispensing
Medicines to Patients in larger Quantities than necessary either with
respect to their keeping or use till the time of repeating the same returns
And we caused such our Recommendations to be deliver'd in Writing
to the Physicians & Apothecary respectively.

We held Courts at the Manours of Helions Bumstead &
Alvethly in Essex and at the Manours of Hinton Nether hall
Comberton & Topcliffs in Meldreth in Cambridgeshire and at the
Manours of Mass worth & Denham Durdent in Buckinghams
to Mannor of Lynsters in Hertfordshire & the Manour of Crofton
in Orpington in Kent

4 New Houses built
near St. Thomas's Church

Five Houses part of the Hospital Estate in St. Thomas's
Street at the West End of the Church being very old & ruinous We
thought it for the Service of the Hospital to pull down the same & to
build four Houses upon the same Ground according to a Plann Ppared
by Mr. James Steere< no role > a Surveyor , And divers Builders proposing to
undertake the Buildings We found a Proposal made by Mr. James
Porter< no role > to be the lowest Etc thereupon contracted with him for clearing
the Ground & building such four new Houses for the Sum of £844.11..