The Hospital Commission.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 57, 4 September 1885, Page 2

The Hospital Commission.

The Commissioners took their seats at 10.30, the Hon. W. Beeves, M.L.C., in the chair. Dr. Henry deposed that he wai a member of the Honorary Medioal Staff at the Wellington Hospital. As far as he wm per•so/ially aware of the alleged irregularities at the institution, he only knew what was generally known, that Dr. Chilton waa given to exceeding in liquor, and was therefore unreliable. Had never seen him drunk, but had noticod him suffering from liquor. Boeing him in this oondition frequently, caused him (the witness) to believe tho reports oiroulated. These oiroumstanoes led him to oonolude Dr. Chilton was unfit for the position he held. As to the oharge of untrustworthiness, Dr. Chilton on one oooasion telephoned, regarding a femalo patient, that Dr. tirabham had direoted her removal to the Asylum as the only means of preserving her sanity. Tha witness telephoned back that if this was Dr. Grabham's opinion, of oonrte it should be acted upon. Subsequently on see* ing Dr. Grabham, the case was mentioned, and Dr. Grabham indignantly denied that he had given any suoh opinion or direotion. This woman's oase waa one of those familiar to the publio as causing tome stir. He did notdeßire to use his visits to the Hospitelasa means of deteoting faults, exoep* anything was glaringly wrong. His opinion with regard to the letter of the nurses, for whi«h thoy were dismissed, was that they had been grievously misled, and this had proved to Be the case. Be experienced a general feeling ot uneasineis, as a member of tho Honorary Medioal Staff, that some fatality might happen some day through the irregularities of Dr. Chilton in the way mentioned. Could give no opinion on Miss Marsdon's management, and had no knowledge ti)i lately of the Btate of her relations with Dr. Chilton. Lately she had appeared unhappy in her position through some tension between herself and tho dootor. Miia Maraden op one oooasion had oomplained of the existing Btate of things, and, he considered, justly so. Had never seen Dr. Chilton aotualjy drunk, but in such a Btate in to be unfit to perfornl any delioate operation or deal with a'serionft emergency oase. Dr. Hutohinson, duly sworn, said he was a member of the Honorary Medioal Staff of the Wellington Hospital, and was awaro of the resolution forwarded to the Hospital Committee. The points on whioh the staff lost confidence in Dr. Chilton woro hia ohronio alcoholism and untruthfulness. Had never seen the Resident Surgeon drunk, but had repeatedly noticed the effects of drink npon him, and therefore considered him unfit for tho position. There were also many instances of untrutbiulnesg on Dr. Ohilton'i part, and he would instance this by Dr. Chiton's statement to himself with regard to the improper oases admitted to tho Hospital that ho had not blamed tho Honorary Staff; whereas Dr. Chilton had reported Jo tba Colonial Secretary that the profession waa to blame, and the consequenoe was the insulting oiroular forwarded to the staff. An. othor point of blame was the excessive use of stimulants in tho Hospital contrary to the treatment of the Honorary Staff. Tho action taken by tho staff was meant in a friendly way to give Dr. Chilton notice of the opinion held by the staff, and to afford him an opportunity of withdrawing quietly from tho position. Had never had oomplaints regarding treatment made to him by Hospital patients, and hod no personal knowledge of the oiroumstanoes attending the nurses' dismissal other than what waß generally known. As a matof faot, it was duo to the untruthful representations made by Dr. Chilton to the nursea concerning Miss Marsden that misohief was made. The manner of dieralsenl w*s illjudged and harsh, and oould not be justified, but the dismissal itself was justified in tbo case of those who refused to retraot the statements made in their letter. Dr. Cahill, also a member of the honorary medical staff, gave evidence to the effect that the immediate oause of tho resolution being sent to tho Hospital Committee was some returns of liquor and improper cases sent to the Hospital, supplied by Dr. Chilton, both of whioh were distinctly nntruo. Had known Dr. Chilton to improperly set a broken limb. This waa through carelessness, not ignoranoe. In his opinion, moreover, the oase was an improper one for admission. Had himself sent to the Hospital a oase of malignant diphtheria, the patient, a child, auooumbing to the disease, though the dootor denied at first that the oase was a diphtheria one, and throughout showed reluotanoo to procure proper nursing for the child. He found fault with Dr. Chilton for nntruthfulncaaj and also for drinking habits, whioh, of course, might become confirmed. Had never, seen him drank, bnfc bad noticed him under the influence of drink. Patients at the Hospital had oomplained to him, but not his otb patients, and thereforo h« had referred them to the dootors who had ordered their admit* sion. Knew nothing of the oironmstanoes of tho nurses' dismissal, and had nothing whatever to do with the Hospital management. When he noticed drink upon Dr. Chilton at the Hospital, he considered him then unfit to undertake any duties. Dr. Gillon, another member of the Honorary 'Medioal Staff, remembered the resolution forwarded by the ot4ff to thi Hospital Management Committee. The staff hod, at a mooting on 7th August, agreed that Dr. Chilton was guilty of frequent drunken* nesß at the Hospital, of supplying false re« turns of liquor, and of general untruthfulness. Had never seen him incapably drunk, but had seen him "muzzy" and shaky from drink. Had reoeived no complaints from patients at the Hospital. Considered the management of the Hospital sinoe Dr. Chilton'i taking offioe was faulty, There shonld not, for instance, be a dispenser at an institution of that kind who bad not passed the Pharmacy Board examination. Had never solicited Dr. Chilton' s advioe or assistance at the Hospital because he did not consider it safe owing to the doctor being so frequently, moro or leu, under the influence of liquor. With renrd to the liquor returns, had checked hfs own dietary cards and found that 40 ounoes of wine had not been accounted for in one month. The staff attended very regularly at the Hospital. In hia opinion there was great extravagance in the manag«ment of the Hospital. '1 he coat was far more now than when the City Council controlled it, though the number of patients waa not greater. He alluded, of oourse, to the cost of maintenance, for which the Resident Sur. geon was chiefly responsible. Other members of the staff were issuing orders for wine at the same time as witness, but did not, ha thought, date the oards^se aa tokeop a oheok. There waa a greaf deal of liquor 'supplied to the patients lately. Knew nothing of thi oircumstanoes connected with Miss Marsden's management or the dismissal of tho nurses. ' •< . .. Dr. Levinge deposed that he was the iesident Medical Officer in oharge of tho Asylum, and recently of the flpspital. Waa previously in oharge of the Hospital for a month last December and January, and from enquiries and personal observations th«n made considered the management wasteful and extrayagant Was at the tim» wheymg Dr • Chilton, who, jt was said, wanted a holiday. Thought Dr. ChUtpn a very capable maw, thoroughly up in hip profession. Knew, however, h» drank but never a*w him unfit for his work. Waa of opinion he was generally Buffering from his intemperate habits, thongh not to tha extent to render him incapable of hia work To put it personally, he wonld not like to place himself under Dr. Chjlton's caro. Had heard one or two out-patients complain of their treatment at the Hospital— that is of roughness and general want of careful treatment. Had objected te the double duty at the Asylum and Hospital when he was first inftrmed that it was probable he would have to undertake both, but had expressed himaelf ready to do so if so ordered. In duo oourse was instructed to take over charge at *u e JSP"!* 1 ' snd dH "^ nnder Protest, on the 15th August Dr. Chilton objected to move out of hia quarters, but witness obtained a room in the Hospital ponding Dr. Uhilton s removal, which took place on tho following Tuesday. With rogard to the fZT 1 Mi f- 8 Mftredan "Presented to him that nho believed the nurses wor?

'being interfered with by certain parties in the Hospital in suoh a way as to be subversive of diaoipline. Witness represented this in turn to the Colonial Seoretary, and the upshot was a visit to the Hospital by the Under Seoretary and the Inapeotor ef Hospitals, onlminatiog in some of the nurses and officials being dismissed. The written inati notions to do bo promptly and at once were given by the Hon. Randal Johnson. Mr. Johnson distinctly said they were to be diamUeod that night. Did not make any enquiries as to where the nurses hod to go to when turned ont. Considered that duty lay with the person giving the order for dismissal, witness's duty bemtf only to carry ont that order. Held that Mr. Johnson's visit to the Hospital at 6 o'clook that evening was intended to imply tho nurses' dismisaal that very night. We moat distinotly denied asking for their dismissal, aa stated by Mr. Johnson. Was under the impression thatmiß-ropresontationß had been mado to theao nursea, several of whom have now returned, and appear quite satisfied, nad aakod permission expreaaly to bo ■allowed to reinstate those whom he thought fit, and that permiseion had been granted. One of the nurses dismissed had been very ill, but had been up for two days, and she left although given the option of staying. Another, who had been out, came in late and was given the option of remaining, but she elected to go. Believed the intention was to dismiss the nurses in the afternoon. The patients suffered no inoonvenienoe, though, of oonrse, the staff was short. The arrangements for combining a training school with nurses at the Hospital did not meet his viowß. There waa plenty of room for improvement in the arrangements there. The Resident Surgeon would be perhaps responsible for the state of affairs, or it might £>• axx error of system. This concludes the evidenco of the honorary medical staff and Dr. Levince. The proceedings were then adjourned to 10.30 a.m. to-morrow, when the evidence of Mr. Dudley, lato steward of the Hospital, Boy. Father Moore, R. Hancook, Mrs Kheedy, Misa Maria Higgina, M. Hopo, Nurse Macintosh, and Miss Lizzie Maodonald will be taken.