THE MANAGEMENT OF THE HOSPITAL. OFFICIAL ENQUIRY.—EIGHTH DAY.

Evening Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 42, 8 September 1882, Page 2

THE MANAGEMENT OF THE HOSPITAL. OFFICIAL ENQUIRY.— EIGHTH DAY.

The enquiry into the management of the Wellington Hospital was resumed and concluded at the Counoil Chamber last evening. Present— Councillors Allen (in the ohair), A. W Brown, Greenfield, Logan, Newman, S. Brown, and Danks. Dr. Henry, who attended at the request of the patient Staoe, said that he saw from the paper that Dr. Diver's treatment of Staoe differed from his. There were many medioal men who would have agreed with Dr. Diver's opinion, that the patient would be better in the oountry air, with generous, diet, Ac Witness thought it better, however, to treat him in the Hospital, and believed it would be neoeseary for him to remain there some considerable time longer. In reply to Councillor M'Kenzie, witness said he had had many complaints of the food, but when he examined it he found it was not bad. It was very possible that the food might have been had when he had not seen it. He did not think all the persons who oomplained to him would have told him ULtrutha. The nursing had never been perfect. When he first joined the institution it was very bad ; now it was somewhat better. Sometimes, owing to tho frequent ohanges, there was some fault to be found on account of the want of cleanliness in the Hospital. By Mr. Shaw— Considered Dr. Gillon, as Besident Surgeon, had been very attentive, zealous, and energetic Ho endeavoured to carry out faithfully the Re-organisation Report. Deoidedly he (witness) did not think that one woman oould discharge efficiently the duties of both matron and head nurse. He thought, however, these were questions which he should not oa asked individually, but that they should be referred to the honorary medioal staff for their joint opinion. Witness added that he saw by the papers that an allusion had been made to honorary medical officers having reoeivod fees from patients, and that this had been spoken of in a fearful manner as if it was a subjeot to be dropped as soon as possible. He, therefore, wished to mention that during the time he had been in the Hospital he had asked for his fees from three of the patients. In one case he was told, after the patient had left, that he was a servant of a wealthy company (the New Zealand Shipping Company) who always paid for medio-vl attendance on theu men. He acoerdingly sent in his aooount, but was told by the local manager (Captain Rose) that the oompany never paid for medioal attendance on their men in the Hospital. He (witness) explained that he had j been told it was the proper thing for him to { do to send in his aooount, and the matter ended there. The oompany, he might mention, paid 30s a week for the man's maintenance while he was in the Hospital. Ihe a week for his maintenance, who died in the Hospital. Witness heard accidentally that he j was a person of considerable wealth, and he accordingly sent in his bill, but had not yet received an answer. That person, who possessed considerable property, availed himself of the hospital to the detriment of lodginghouse- keepers, tradesmen, and medioal men outride. He (Dr. Henry) mentioned this instanoe because he intended to send in his account again. He thought it wrong that suoh people should make use of an institution intended for the siok poor. The third case to whioh he referred was that of a gentleman who paid four guineas a week for a private ward, and who paid witness four guineas. He (witness) accepted the fee, and there was nothing wrong in his doing so, so far as he oould see. He ako expected the legal representatives of the deoeased patient to pay him his fee. He wished to put this distinctly, because there teemed to. be an idea that the hospital staff were making a very good thing out of foes, and were demanding fees from everybody who oame to the hospital. When speaking of the nursing, he did not mean to sty that all the nurses were bad There had been some good nurses, and they had one very good one at present. Dr. Gillon, re-examined, said Clara Valentine was admitted on the 14th June, 1882, by order of Councillor Newman, arid placed under Dr. Collins's care. In a few days, he deoided that it was probably a case of hystero-epilepßy, and witaess was requested to watoh for epileptio fits. Neither lie nor Dr. Collins ever saw an epileptio fit, although they saw several hysterio fits. On the Tuesday before eke died, witness used the oold donohe to bring her out of an hysterio fit, and when she recovered he told the nurse to change the girl's clothes, and make her comfortable for the night. The patient was violent and noisy for some time after the donohing, and, witness believed, struck some of the other patients Next day, on account of her violence, she was removed to a private ward, and the treatment was altered. On Thursday she died, a pott mortem, was made, and it was found that death arose from natural causes. Witness then detailed the circumstances under wfaioh nurse Robertson was ciimissedj when she refused to appear before Dr. Collins to give an explanation as to her treatment of Clara Valentine. liy Councillor Newman— Death in the case of ulara Valentine was certified to bo from hyßtero-epilepsy and cerebral congestion. Considered that b o was properly treated. The disaffection among the staff, in his opinion, was due to low wages and overwork. He believed the wages were relatively about the same as those paid in other hospitals in the colony, but the other hospita's wero not nnder-officered as this one was. Attributed the presence of vermin in the children's heads to neglect on the part of the matron. It was net his placs to olean the children's headß. It was his place to see that oleanliness prevailed in the hospital, and he had frequently spoken to the matron on the subject, and on one occasion went in himself and ont off the hair from a child's head. Some of the children were tuff ering from parasitio disease in the head, and it was in some instances particularly diffioult to keep them free from vermin. Many persons admitted to the hospital were of the lowest class, and brought vermin into the wards. The treatment of patients was entirely in the hands of the honorary medioal staff; witness only carried ont their instructions. Mr. E. bhawthen addressed the oommittee on behalf of Dr. Gillon. It might be said, he remarked, as many people had said, that this enquiry waa needless. - He asked the committee, however, to reflect on the state of affairs a fortnight ago, when the hospital committee declared that it was advisable that the wholo Council should investigate into I the mismanagement of the Hospital. It then behoved Dr. Gillon to take one of two courses — he might have waited for a oouttmanaA) to eit upon him, or he might have invited it. In acoepting the latter alternative, Dr. Gillon took the only course open to » professional man with any seme of pro-

priety. Unfortunately, at the outset, he was met with the difficulty that no one oould be found bold enough to make any specific oharges against him, and * oto a great extent they had been fighting the air. He (Mr. Shaw) appealed to the oommittee whether any charge jrhioh at all affected Dr. Gillon in his professional conduct as a dootor, or as medical superintendent of the Hospital had been in any degree substantiated against him. At the oonolusion of Mr.- Shaw's speech, the enquiry terminated, and the oommittee were left iv private to deliberate on their report. Ultimately, we learn, a sub-committee was appointed, consistiagof the Mayor and Oorincillorß Logan, A. W. Brown, Allen and Greenfield^to draw up a report to be submitted on Monday evening to the general oommittee, whioh will in its turn report on the whole matter at the ensuing meeting of the CounoiL