NURSE'S DEATH.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19376, 31 July 1928, Page 9

NURSE'S DEATH.

j OOSPIT AL BOARD i enquiryHEARD bearing adjourned. '' against the matron Public Hospital 'J*? at a special meeting <C Urdny. Attbomeetthe Board on Wednesday last a was carried asking the Ho,jJJaunjttee to investigate the cirthe death of .Nurse ™ re^Mr J : "U 5 ■ . Mrs A. E. Herbert, Mrs Of"? Mrs E. McCombs, Dr. H. T. V A q. Armstrong, F. Horrell, W. KLr.X T. Smith, D. McMillan, iSison, H- H. Holland, W. Jind F. Bowell. Psdiairman stated that although fad been referred to the ho considered that ' fff&of the importance of the case charges made against the matslmldßtaken in open meeting in ' tte fullest possible publicity ; fiL li given to it. Owing to the for Health, Dr. Valto attend, he was Dr - T. Fletcher [Sj Medical Oificer for Health for i&'Cbi&arch^ 'district. It was abso. ■ j.'h luicessary, went on Mr Otley, •-W w&toua charge of neglect' was a person that person "Shire full rights to state her side !lr ( W J. Hunter bSweWnt a? counsel for Miss Muir. 'again ■ state how sinceiely aSAsire for Mr and Mrs Jones in Sftss," added Mr Otley. H. Holland moved that the Ij&fceef ihe chairman in arranging enquiry to be taken in open iM&S confirmed. i^piras'agreed to,

Kggaaant.of Counsel. R/vMcGombs, who had the matter on Wednesday, the resolution that the case 'the -"Hospital. Committee objected to Mr Hunter ed.to uri as-suggested. It a -expensive Blatter if. Board quagm uad to v engage counsel, she dijfW' J. he would jjEoMecfc* «o%aauilWß;presence so ie did tat.couanct, the case. m shanld be »llo*ed/>to'Remain and a, pnnIS? 'lt i| |ad bepn "pres6riPit^e^&ifln" the to that, a certain ect to it what \ve i solution ake those ing, and > only oil m or anyiuggestion ant. the statewitli this: i training Prior to orward toil entering ked nursto become (musical, ne and a the social She .took ry. About and asked U being a lao sufferewas pre}ld to go report"toOn May. well; she • uniform- 1 jutside in ; too unhere was i mination jo to t-he

give her a good slapping. The nurse was very much upset as the result of this interview. ... • ' "A few days after this interview Dr. Mark Brown was called in, and he advised the mother that the nurse was in it serious condition. He also advised that Dr. Blackmore should be consulted. "On being told that Miss Jones was a nurse, he advised sending her to hospital immediately. "She was very reluctant to go, because she felt that the authorities there had done nothing for her previously. "She was persuaded to go, however, and in less than a week she had sunt into a state of coma."

.General Charges. "And in another two weeks," Mrs McCombs added, "she* was dead. 1 'will call Mrs Jones." Mr Hunter said that he would like to point out that, according to the newspaper reports, other charges of a more general nature hati been brought —that the nurses were afraid to report when sick and were unsympathetically treated. "I have gone into those charges with great care," .Mr Hunter .said. "I presume you will give me an opportunity to call evidence on that matter." Mrs McCombs submitted that in one particular case the charge that she had made was proved. The chairman: I don't quite understand you. "1 mean that this particular nurse was snubbed," explained Mrs MoCombs.

The chairman: Oh, well, you can'tsav that beforehand. "No, but I mean to ca.ll evidence." Several remarks were passed and the chairman said that if they wanted another enquiry they could have it. He had called that meeting, however, and if there were anything wrong with the staff they had to put it right, but thev could not put one side before the public without presenting th^other side, and they must have any case that Mrs McCombs put before the public. Mrs McCombs contended that if it had been the intention to extend the scope of the enquiry she should have been informed. This was the case she was concerned about, and this was the one that had a bearing on everything concerned. She was not going to permit this case to ho side-tracked, although that seemed to he the intention of the meeting. The chairman : You. shall have every latitude to call your evidence. Mrs McCombs (nuietly): All right now. You can call your evidence.

The Mother's Evidence. • Shortly afterwards Mrs Jones was called and was examined by Mrs MtComhs. She said that her daughter had- been in training two years and three months. Did she like nursing?—lt was always her wish to be a nui-se and she had quite settled her mind to nursing. She took her atinital leave in February and first reported sick about Monday, May 31st. ; Asked what the symptoms were, Mrs Jones said that the nurse had a cough and her ankles were swollen. "Was leave granted?" Mrs McCombs asked. "No; it was stated that it was impossible to give it." Witness added that on the 22nd her daughter fainted as she was making her way to the bathroom. She reported to tlie submatron, who told her- to 'go out and sit in "the-sun. Mr Hunter: I may point out. this evidence; is mere; hearsay. , ; Mrs McGombs: Precisely.' The girl s dead.'' The examination proceeded., ' Witness said" that she felt, that there was something more than the swollen ankle that was the matter with her. Her daughter had told her, however, that the doctor had examined her chest and had/found; nothing wrong,' and she (was coming . out> on.JTucsdajt. On. the Wednesday -she was. to,kern put to the country.", ... , When she reported to .the. matron did she have to, go in . uniform?—l understand she (lid. ' * „ » Did tho matron look at her ankle? —No. ■ \ : ' . Witness said that she dressed the., ankle with .liniment and thermogenic': wool and bathed It in soda water. The girl was in .great pain, but the' treatment Soothed her. After all she had done she had felt that there was something else, and that was why she asked for an examination., .. For tho first week in the she seemed to improve. In the interview with the matron witness's idea •was that the girl should be examined, j and no trouble was to be saved. Matron took the nurse into the room a lope. The matron had suggested; to her- that the girl- was really bored with hospital life, and should -resign. Witness told the matron: there' was. more ' than thpt arid that the girl was really ill. i Did your daughter dislike nursiug? .—Certainly not, ~ else, she would 'not have stayed. ■ '' Did you hear, the matron say ..that if the nurse were, her daughter she would give her. a , good smacking?— That was tlie last - Remark we heard, and,,my daughter said: "That's all youVget when you've done your best." 'Mr W. J. Walter . Wasn'.t it' said as'a joke?—No, the girl didn't take it as a joke. That interview took place on the Wednesday,-witness,proceeded, and on the Monday she was brought hackShe was .very reluctant to " enter as she felt they, had not given her the treatment they should have. > "We felt we-had ben very harshly treated," Mrs [ Jones said. "I think the girl had done i her, duty, and I had no complaints - that she If she was , wishing to leave we were quite willing ,to let her send in her resignation."

How soon after, she went in was she in a state of coma?— She war brought to tho Hospital on a Tuesday evening, and when I saw her on -the Monday she was uv-tt semi-comatose state. When did she die?— Sixteen days afterwards. Cross-Examination. Mr Hunter : She had always been a healthy girl P—Yes. I .had no comI plaints. ■ i And she hkd : a thorough examination before she went into tne Hospital P She passed that? —Yes. - Mr Hunter : Slfo was really in dread of theatre work P—Noshe, was _ not ; Would you be surprised to^ know that in May,_i927, she went to Sister Houston, assistant matron, and said she did not like her work, and wanted to give it up P—lt would surprise me very much. . . . • So vour daughter did ,not tell yon everything?:—-I do not suppose she did. Mrs Jones added that her daughter was .worried about another matter outside the Hospital, and . wanted, very much to go away from Christchurch. • Mr Hunter asked if the girl had asked for days off and been told that she could not b© allowed off at once, but would be given a tonic Mid allowed off later if possible, would Mrs Jones complain about it? Mrs Jones made no answer. Mr H«nter: I take it that you have no complaint. Mr Hunter stated that Nurse Jones was "warded" at the Hospital, and examined by Dr. Fox, the Medical Superintendent, who found no illness in her chest. . . , , , Mrs Jones stated that she regarded j the incident as a slap in the face. Do you know that .die was also examined bv Dr. Davidson, assistant medical sivnerinterident?—No, not that Tarn aware. .. ' , Mr Hunter: Regarding this alleged "slaopfnsr." was tlie word not : spanking? Did the matron not say. the girl deserved a spanking for being out in the country, nursed in a private home, instead of coming into the Hospital to

be treated properly?— The remark was put in that way. The cross-examination had prooeeded some little way when Mr Clyde Carr interrupted, saying that counsel was judge and jury. '"Well, I wouldn't like to try a case with Mr Carr," retorted Mr Hunter. Mr W. J. "Walter (heatedlv) : I object to that. I object to that. We are the bench.

The breeze eventually passed over. Mr Hunter remarking "that he should not have made that remark. "Thank you. I accept your apologv," said Mr Carr. "And you made a remark vou shouldn't have." returned Mr Hunter smilingly. Dissatisfied with Treatment. Mr _ Hunter asked witness when she first- felt dissatisfied at the treatment her daughter -n'as receiving at the Hospital. I felt dissatisfied when I saw the girl declining when they had nn opportunity to see more than I did," said witness. did you first become dissatisfied. At the- examination on June 4th. Then vou were dissatisfied before she died ? —'i es. Then how do you account for this advertisement? (Mr Hunter then read a newspaper acknowledgment of the attention that had been given by the hospital staff to Nurse Jones before she died.) Mrs Jones: Mr Jones inserted it, and when he read it to me it made me feel cold. Mr Jones: I'll answer that, sir. An Aunt's Evidence. Evidence was given by Mrs E. A. Christian, an aunt of tfie late Nurse Jones. Mrs Christian .said that she had a feeling that her niece had not had a severe enough examination. To Mr Hunter: The girl was depressed owing to her illness. Witness gathered that the girl was suffering from.a trouble which the doctors had not "spotted." She was not present at the interview between the girl and the matron.

Did you niece give you to understand that the matron had tried to persuade her into resigning?— Yes, she' did. Did your niece not make it quite dear that the matron said it was for her to'state whether she would go on or not?—No, she did not. Tlie Advertisement. J. R. Jones, father of the girl, said that lie was totd by Dr. Fox that he had; examined the girl and found that there was nothing wrong with her chest. Ho was surprised later when told by Dr. Davidson that there was very little hope, for the girl. As for the .advertisement which appeared in the newspapers thanking the doctors and nurses "for what they had done for his daughter, this was in'reference to the ■ treatment she had been given after being put in hospital for treatment. She had been given excellent treatment during the last fortnight before her death. Are you satisfied that Dr. Fox examined her?—l took his word for it. In answer to Mr Holland, Mr Jones said that his daughter had a dread of j returning to the Hospital' and begged him not to take her there again. ! Mr W. P. Spencer , asked if Miss Jones had complained of the work at the Hospital, "Mr Jories answering in the negative. • Another Mother. Mrs A. Risden, mother of a'nurso who had died some time ago, was at i this stage given leave to make a statement. She wanted,to know why.it yvas that nurses on , duty f in the Hospital were not observed by the medical staff .when they were-wasting'away through sickness. Her own daughter, she said, had gone into the Sanatorium aind died, arid two other nurses had died in similar circumstances within the past three years. She. could not' understand how could waste away from 12st 91b to 7st, and. her condition not be noticed by the medical staff. Mrs Risden said it was absolutely necessary that nurses should be given a respite from their work occasionally. They should not be, expected to carry on without a spell. • . "DoCto.rs are not infallible," commented the chairman.

I Mr Hunter's Statement, . When the enquiry resumed in the afternoon Mr Hunter said that nurses .entering the Christchurch Hospital understood from the beginning that it was desirable in their interests and in the interests of the Hospital that if they* were feeling ill or a trifle "flat" they were to report it. He then spoke of the circumstances of the early stages •of the girl's illness and said that, on May 22nd, Sister Houston interviewed Nurse Jones, who said that her ankle was<not painful. Sister Houston told her that she would not put her on duty and suggested that she should rest in the sun. After Nurse Jones went home the matron had no further word of her until Wednesday, June 30th, when she rang up. On June 4th Nurse Jones reported and was warded for examinla"tioii. From then she was in the hands of the medical officers of the Board, and Miss Muir had very little to do with her. She was seen by Dr. Fox, who thoroughly examined her chest arid found no clinical signs. The same evening/ however, Dr. Fox saw her .sitting in the corridor to speak to Miss Muir and noticed that she looked

"seedy." He asked Matron Muir to tell Nurse Jones's people if she was not feeling better to come in in a f todays.,. She did Both Dr. Fox and the matron advised-that the nurse should be brought back in a few days' time if she was not feeling better. For three weeks or more there was no further examination except by Dr. Brown on July 2nd. On June 22nd Nurse Jones saw the matron again. She looked ill and depressed and said that she. oould not bear tihe thousht of returning to the ward work. Mr Hunter suggested that the trouble was that she was dreading the thought of theatre work, and if a girl got that on her mind it would do 1 her harm. Tho matron had discussed the matter kindly with the girl, who said that that .was her fixed mind. The matron suggested to her that she should send in her .resignation, fix her mind on getting well, arid remain as an in-patient. The girl wanted to go home, however, and the matron felt that she had no option but to let-her go. On July 4th Mrs Jones called on her in, a very worried state and the matron advised her to send her daughter in. She was sent in and X-rayed. The X-ray examination disclosed the fact that she had acute mitliary tuberculosis, or what was commonlv known as galloping consumption. Mr Hunter submitted that this was a trouble that might happen to anybody, and there was no one to blame. Looking back, the parents naturally thought something'must have been left undone, but that was absolutely wrcng. They had done everything they could to-save her., Onoo she had got this acute diseaso she was doomed.

"A Gross Mis-statement." "We were told by Mrs McCombs when she gave her opening statement, Mr Hunter went on, "that Miss Muir expressed t}je opinion that Nurse Jones should have a good slapping for humbugging and pretending to be ill. when she was not. It is a gross mis-state-ment of fact and it cannot be scotched too quickly. The position was that the matron was worried that the girl was being nursed at home and was_ no under supervision. She said, as a P~ular remark, that she was a naujjhty girl and deserved to be spanked. shocking charges have been maae. Mrs McCombs : Why wasn t Nurse Jones examined that day. - Mr Hunter: Because Nurse Jones insisted' on going home. The matron could not keep her here. It is simply not true

that the nurses are unsympathetically treated by the matron or anyone efee. There are times during the day when any nurse can go to the matron and report any little illness, and they know that if there is any subject on which they want help they can go to tho matron, who is kind to them. This is a training school for nurses and it is recognised as one of the best in Zealand. I understand there is «• committee to hear any complaints from the nurses.

Mrs McCombs: That's the first I v ' 3 heard of it. The chairman said that such a committee had been set up, and Mr Can disputed tho statement that its function was to hear complaints from the nurses. The chairman: I say most emphatically that the committee was set up for the internal management of the Hospital and everything connected with it. Nurses Indignant. Mr Hunter went on to say that if statements like this were made and went out to the public they would be injuring the nurses, the nia *~ ron, and the medical staff. They were undesirable. He bad interviewed 60 nurses who had been ill, and thev would say that they had been treated by Miss Muir with nothing but kindness. They viewed these proceedings with nothing but indignation. He also had four nurses from St Helens Hospital who had been trained at Christchurch Hospital and he had asked them to come and give evidence. Mrs McCombs wanted to know if all that had anything to do with the case before them.

Mr Hunter: It has. The charge, is that the nurse was snubbed and_ I proposo to call evidence that it is incredible. I say emphatically that there is not a jot or tittlo of truth in any of these charges. Counsel then called Miss Muir, matron of the hospital. Miss Muir's Account. .Miss Muir said that the first intimation that Miss Jones was not well reached her on May 21st, a Monday. The nurse came to her office and told her she was not feeling well. She asked for a tonic and a few days off. The tonic was given, but witness said that she could not see her way to give her a few days off. The following day it was reported to Ijer that Nurse Jones had felt faint on rising and that her ankle was painful. Witness detailed unhesitatingly the circumstances as outlined by Mr Hunter, up to the time of the medical examination by Dr. Fox.' Witness rang Mrs Jones and told her that Dr. Fox had found no definite signs in her chest, but advised that if Nurse Jones felt no better she should come back to the Hospital and be examined. Witness had heard that the girl was not fond of her nursing work, but that she was trying and doing her best, which she was. She made the statement to the girl's people that if she thought the work was worrying her she did not have to return. Nurse Jones came in on June 27th, with her mother and aunt, looking very ill, and she said in the course of her conversation that she could not bear the thought of returning and continuing her ward work. She liked the medical work, however. Witness told her there was ho necessity for her to continue if she did not want to and was unhappy, and then suggested that she remain as an in-patient. She implored her to be allowed to go home, however, as she felt better. Witness could see that the thought of her remaining as an in-patient was distressing her. She had no alternative therefore but to let her go home. "In the course of trying to make the child feel a little' better," Miss Muir continued, "I said she was a naughty girl and needed spanking. ,It is a re mark I have often used, and I am exceedingly sad to hear that it has hurt her." She added that she was worried that the girl was not under supervision in thfi Hospital. On July 4th witness had a, ring from Mrs Jones, who said that she was very worried about her daughter, who was suffering from pains and. looking very ill. Miss Muir told the girl's mother that she must bring her in at 0 o'clock that evening, and that was done. "I was shocked at her appearance," the matron continued. ''She was an ill girl. I reported immediately to Dr. Davidson, who examined her that evening, and the next day I rang Mr Jones and asked him to call and see Dr. Davidson that day, because her condition was very serious. Each day she became worse, and she died on the 19th." ,

Did you s«ggest that she should he examined?— She had come in for investigation. Question of Discipline. Mr Walter, speaking about discipline in the Hospital, asked if it were true that when Miss Muir entered a bedroom or any other room where the nurses were, they had to stand up? Miss Muir replied that when she entered a room in which an older woman than herself waa- present she always stood. Mr; Spencer: If you are not on duty' and a nurse is sick, can she report to the sister on duty?— Yes. Tp Mr Holland witness said that Nurse Jones had herself told her that surgical work was distasteful to her. Mr Horrell: Unless nurses complain of being ill, is no notice taken of them? —Not necessarily. If I saw one of them ill, I would take notice of her at once. ' Mr Evans, stated that a committee was set up some time ago to go into conditions at the Hospital. The nurses could have approached the committee at any time they chose..In answer to Mrs McCombs, Miss Muir said that it was made clear that the nurses could approach any member of the committee.

Dr. Pox's Evidence. Dr. W. Pox, medical superintendent, said that on admission to the Hospital on June 4th, Norse Jones made a statement to him that she had suffered from rheumatism some years previously. He examined her and'found that the girl's ankle , was swollen. An examination "of her chest showed nothing abnormal except a few noises at the base of the chest, so that the examination was not perfunctory as stated. Her temperature was normal. Witness later told Miss Muir tkat Nurse Jones looked much worse up than in bed, and that the girl had developed tubercular infection. She was allowed to go into the country, and when she returned her illness was very manifest. She lived only 17 days afterwards. The class of tuberculosis from whieh she suffered was different from most types. There was no evidence of the existence of disease in the chest at first and then suddenly it lighted up and all was soon over. Later, witness saw Mr Jones and told him that there was no evidence of the existence of disease in his daughter's chest, but distinctly stated that he had fears that something grave was coming on, Dr Davidson subsequenlty saw witness and told him of the girl's condition. Witness then saw her again and later she became unconscious. He had told the parents that although the disease had not been diagnosed at first, the girl nevertheless could not have been saved. What she had suffered from was an incurable form of tuberculosis. He heard later that the father was not satisfied with the treatment given to the girl, and, on asking him if such were the case, was told that it was the younger members of the family who thought that she had not been well handled.

Regarding the procedure of nurses when ill. Dr. Fox stated that nurses must first report to the matron, who used her discretion as to whether she

should report to him or not. Miss Muir and witness alwavs discussed matters freely. ' "It is inconceivable," said I>r. Fox, , when asked if a nurse was expected to carry on when ill. There was a suffii Cle ntly large staff in the fEospital to I enable a nurse to go off duty when ill.

Dr. J. G. Blackmore. Dr. J. G. Blackmore, in charge of the Sanatorium at Cashmere, gave eviT> e n Ce r *° effect that the form of f j which Nurse Jones had suffered was practically incurable. In c ° UI 'se of time it set up a discharge, which sometimes, if near a blood vessel, discharged into it, this being distributed all over the body. The discharge formed minute spots of the disease and practically did not get beyond such a stage, because the patient did not live Jong. The symptoms were vague and hard to define. Frequently there was no cough accompanying the complaint uor an J" sputum. An examination of the lungs afforded little evidence of the presence of the disease; indeed they were little more than those of trivial bronchitis. The disease was one of the most difficult to diagnose in its early stages. When it was found, the patient seldom recovered. , Dr. Davidson, assistant medical superintendent at the Hospital, stated that when he first examined Nurse Jones he could find no cause for alarm in her condition, and on J*ine 4th he ordered a prescription consistent with that given for rheumatism. Miss Jones told him that she had not brought up any sputum. When nest he examined her, her condition was very much worse. She told him of having night sweats when in the country. Other symptoms indicated to him that the girl might have developed T. 8., and an X-ray examination showed this to be only too obvious. Even on July sth it was impossible to get a sample of sputum suitable for examination. On June 4th there were no symptoms about the girl to indicate that she was suffering from T.B.

Nurses' Protest. A protest from the Hospital nursing staff concerning the allegations made against Miss Muir was then read. It was as follows: We, the undersigned members of the nursing staff .of the Christchurch Hospital, wish to protest against the insinuations made by Mrs McCombs against our matron, Miss Muir, not only at the Board meeting of July 2oth, but at various intervals during the last year or so. The statement made at the Board meeting of July 25th in particular is so grossly untrue that we cannot too strongly express our indignation against it. The chairman stated that there were 200 nurses altogether on the staff, and all on duty had signed tho petition.

Mrs McCombs: I would ask if it would bo expected that any nurse would refuse to sign it?

Letters from the mothers of two nurses expressing appreciation of the manner in Thich Miss Muir had treated their nurse daughters when ill were read to the meeting. Mr Hunter then intimated that lie had been approached during the lunchhour by a number of nurses from St. Helens Hospital, 'who were desirous of giving evidence concerning their treatment while nursing in the Christchurch Hospital. Mrs McCombs objected to this course, but the chairman overruled her, and stated that she could, if she wished, call any nurse to give evidence on her behalf. Mrs McCombs said she -would certainly not do so, as such a nurse would be marked. ,

Nurse Pickett said she went through her training on June 25th of this year. She was never ill, but on one or two occasions Miss Muir stopped her and took her into her office, where she gave her a toriic. She never had any fear of. Miss Muir. It was the duty of nurses to report when ill. Mrs McCombs: I suggest that .this has nothing to do with the case. The chairman: "Well, I do." He added that certain charges had been made by Mrs McCombs, and, such being the case, it was right to bring evidence refuting them. Procedure Questioned. Nurse Arrison, a St. Helens trainee, who left the Christchurch Hospital at the end of last year, stated that she had been ill on several occasions, and had received nothing but the utmost consideration and kindness from Miss Muir. Mrs McCombs protested against this evidence, on the ground that it was side-tracking the main issue. Mr Hunter said that it was a shocking thing that Mrs McCombs should make such grave statements. at the Board meeting—statements that were published—and yet cavil at his calling evidence from the nurses.

Mrs McCombs: I take objection to the Board's attempt to sidetrack Nurse Jones's case. The chairman said that Mr Hunter had never brought any evidence other than to show that the nurses were sympathetically treated. Mrs McCombs: Not Nurse Jones. The chairman: Surely you don't suggest that Nurse Jones alone was not treated sympathetically. Christchurch Conditions Good. Sister Houston (assistant matron) said that Nurse Jones had told her that the longer she remained the more distasteful, some parts of her work were becoming to her. Witness saw Nurse Jones on May 22nd this year, when the nurse reported her ankle had been painful. Witness had not specially noticed that Nurse Jones looked ill, although if she did she would probably have mentioned it to Matron Muir. To Mrs McCombs: Nurse Jones did not report to witness when she fainted. Witness had not been at hand then.

Mrs Oppenheim, who had been a sister and night superintendent at' the Hospital, said that Miss Muir had been very kind to them. They all loved her. She had always treated the nurses very fairly. Witness thought that, if anything, Miss Muir was overlenient with the nurses. She thought if any nurse were in trouble she would go to Miss Muir. Compared with other hospitals, the conditions at Christchurch were very favourable. One nurse who was in Nurse Jones's class said that Nurse Jones had several times stated that she did not like her work. She had never mentioned the surgical work. She. had also said that she was carrying on to please her parents. Another nurse testified on the same lines, while a third said that there was no hesitation about reporting when any of the nurses felt ill. Nurse Jones told her several times that she did not wish fo stay, but that her people wanted her to go through with her training. One or two others gave evidence, all very much ou the same lines as that given by the previous witnesses.

"A Lovely Letter." Mrs McCombs wanted to read a letter she had received, and Mr Hunter raised a strong objection to tbis. There was a good deal of argument on this point and the question of procedure was raised. Finally, on the vote of the Board, Mrs McCombs was allowed to read the letter which, she said, had been forwarded to her by a nurse at the Rangiora Maternity Home. The letter was a rejily from Miss Muir to the nurse who had written in complaining at the hours of work, and at having to work 16$ hours at a stretch. "I want to read this letter just to show yon what sort of a reply she got," Mrs McCombs added. The letter was couched in the following terms:. "In reply to your letter

of March 26th, and re your hours* of duty and conditions under which you are working, you must remember that you are under the matron, and it is she who delegates the nurses' duties and is responsible for the hospital management. An eight-hour _duty has never been the rule in any private hospital. The day'off a week provided by the Act only affects the nurses in training. If a day off is granted to any nurse in private hospital or nursing home it is done by the matron at such times as the duties permit her. extending such privileges to her nurses. In regard to the transfer of a patient from one hospital to another, that is entirely the matron's responsibility, and a nnrse js not sent if the patient is accompanied by a member of her own family. You must remember that after you have taken a training and accepted the responsibilities of a nurse you must be prepared to work cheerfully and well and not feel aggrieved with the administration of either the home or ward if it does not fit in with what you think should be done. You are there to carry out your instructions and to do as you are told, and if you do not care for the condi- I tions under which you are working, there, is always the alternative, that is, to try some other hospital. I will write to the matron and send her your letter, and I horpe that you will never more feel aggrieved at what she is doing, but will try to help in every way in the cheerful administration of the hospital and care of the mother and her baby, and remember that it is your privilege to add to the happiness of the community or to- mar the pleasures of working." Far from provoking cries of indignation, the letter was loudly applauded by nearly all present, while one member was heard to say: "A lovely letter." Miss Muir then read another letter on the same subject, which indicated that the 16J hours referred to Was an arrangement between two of the nurses. Mrs McCombs: Is it not a fact that the whole of the nurses who complained at that time have been dismissed? The question was objected to. ''Well, I will state that they have," said Mrs McCombs. Shortly after this stage, the enquiry was adjourned until 10.30 the following morning.