The Hospital Commission.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 58, 5 September 1885, Page 2

The Hospital Commission.

The Commisiionera took their staU at 10.45, the Hon. W. Beeves, M.L.C., in tho chair. Before prooeoding with the evidence, tho Chairman made some remarks, eipeoially for the reporters of the proas, the subatanco oE which appears elsewhere. The Rev. Father Moore then deposed that he sometimes visited the Hospital patient*. Had never seen Dr. Chilton aotually dtunk, as stated, bnt he was under tho inflnenoo of drink on tho oooasion referred to, when witness was attending a dying girl at the Hospital. Was not able to give an opinion as to tbe dootor' b fitneßs to attend to his duties. Kennie Macintosh deposed she was a nurse at the Hospital, and was night nurse on the 3rd August last. Remembered Father Moors attending a dying girl on that night. Dr. Chilton was there also, and wa» " oertainly ' the worse for drink. Ha A been nearly oight months attaohod to the Hospital. Wai not one of those who had signed a letter to the Lady Superintendent. Had several times seen Dr. Chilton "when he had liquor-," that i i, in the Hospital. Had no complaint to mako of the Hospital officials exoept the particular case instanoed. The dootor had on one oooasion refused to oome when callod at night by witness. Wu aware of no irregularities in the institution exoept thoso in oonneotion with Dr. Chilton. Had only hoarsay acquaintance with the ciroumstanoes attending the nurses' dismissal. Had several times Been Dr. Chilton very rough with patients, and on one oooasion douse a patient with oold water and order witness from the bed, leaving the patient to lie in wet sheets, Ac Dr. Chilton had had some drink on that oooasion. Remembered the giil Maria Higgins leaving the Hospital. It was a little before 7in lhe morning. Her reason for going was Dr. Chilton's treatment of her. She stated so, and seemed afraid to remain. Another girl named Litsie Maodonald ran away, having been treated in an uncouth manner by the dootor. When witness called Dr. Ohilton on the night mentioned, ho refused to oome down. Tb« case was one of pneumonia, and therefore a serious one. 'The doctor was aware witness oalled him, bnt ho bad drink she thought." Margaret Sheedy deposed jihe waa dio penser at the Hospital, and bad bean there a year and three months. Was not aware of the oironmstance attending Dr. Ohilton'i dismissal. Knew nothing against Dr. Ohilton exoept by hearsay. Had never seen him under the influence of drink, and had never noticed any roughness or nnktndness on his part to the patients. Did no nursing work, only dispensing. Wai not aware that the doctor had ever refused to attend a patient when summoned by the nurses. On one oooasion was absent with the dootor, but left her keys behind, although there was a duplicate bunch. The Lady Superintendent wanted spirits of wine when witnosß was absent, but there was r\ two- gallon jar of the spirits outside the ward door on her return. The nurao attending the particular oase at tho time was a atrango one. It waß not the only time witness had been out, but the keys were always left in her drawer where they could be found easily. Signed a letter asking for enquiry into false statements by Mies Marsden. These false statement! wore to the effeot that the nurses always Bpoke of the dootor as " that drunken man ;" also she bad told witness that the nurses had repeated statements made by witness to her (the Lady Superintendent's) disadvantage, but the nurses had assured witness this waa untrue. Was tho only one who saw Misi Marsden's letter to the dootor, complaining ot the girls being taken out, and inatruoting him not to take them out in future except in her oompany. Miss Maraden had talked of tbe drinking habits of the doctor, this being false, and had also on one occasion countermanded the doctor's orders. The statement made by Miss Marsden that the nurses were otherwise than happy, and that she had been left helpleßs by tha dootor being away, and taking with him the nurses, was not true, beoauso the steward was in. Had oomplaints to make of Miss Marsden'a management. She had no consideration for the nurses, calling them, on one oooasion, to work all night, af tor a tiring day ; on another oooasion Bhe had not tat on proper precautions to prevent inf go tion from a nurse attending a diphtheria oase. The nurses diatinotiy denied at any time Blinding to tho dootor at "that drunken man." The steward was Miss Marßden's superior officer by oflioial position in the Hospital. Nurse Doherty was, she believed, the one who complained to witness of being made to got np after tho day's work and resume nursing. Considered Miss Marsden's letter to Dr. Chilton reflected on the nurses. Preferred to go out with the dootor without Mrs. Chilton or Miss Marsden being present. Witness. waa in the habit of leaving word where the keys were when she went out -but, anyway, there was a duplicate set. When the spirits of wine was wanted it was to be found in the storeroom. There was no necessity for the keys, exoept to go to the poison oupboard. Lizzie M'Donald gave evidence to the effeot that she was a patient in the Hospital for three days on one ocoasion. Did not remember the date. Was attended by Dr. Chilton— that is, " a kind of attendance." Her treatment there had been very rough. When feeling faint and sick, owing to eating fatty soup, the dootor and another medical man oame to her bedside, and the former, Dr. Chilton, said, /f Oh! she's going into hysterios now. chuck a jug of cold water over her and she 11 bo all right." This was not done, but on tho day after the dootor ordered her to get up ana do kitohen work on the following morning. Witness accordingly left the Hoapital. Was under Dr. Cahill still, and was considered a fit patient for admission to the Hospital. Miss Manden did not know she waa leaving. Experienced roughness from Nurse Hope and another, as well as from Dr. Ohilton. Charles Edward Dudley deposed that he was lately steward of the Hospital. Wai aware of the objects of the Commission. Considered himself unqualified to spy whether Dr. Chilton was a fit person for the position he held. Had never seen him drunk, or seen him drink, but hod noticed him in a very exoited state and very shaky, but would not like to say it was from drink. When in that state he was not fit to perform his dntiei. Had general charge of the stores under Dr. Chilton, bat had nothing to do with tha patients or medioal affairs. If left in charge at the Hospital would not, of course, incur any responsibility over the patients. No irregularities had oome under his notice except what Miss Marsden had told him. She had tried to get witness to make a statement to the effeot that the doctor was the worse for drink. Three or four r urseß were the most taken out at any time by Dr. Chilton. These nurses were off duty. He also took the dispenser. On these occasion! the patients ran no risk, in his opinion, by the absence of the doctor and the nunea. In case of emergenoy the head nurses and dispenser were quito competent to deal temporarily. Wished to correct a statement mads by Miss Marsden that ha was in the habit of going out with Dr. Chilton. As a matter of fact, witness had never been out with the dootor, but strictly . observed his offioe hours. Had nothing to ■ dowith the^ linen department. Agtoat'oanai^ " of insubordination in the Hospital wai Miss Marsden's praotioe of trying to «et one section of the officials against the other. There were numerous cases of this. Miss Marsden would oome to witness, for instance, and complain of the dootor'e drinking, and ask shonld she report him. Than she was extravagant in her own eating, and witness, being responsible for expenditure, was thus placed in a false position, having to oheok her, and thus incur her displeasure. Wished to state emphatically that he was not the instigator, a* had been alleged, of the letter signed by the nurses. Did sign the letter of the male employes asking for an enquiry. Would like to say that Dr. Grabham had expressed a high opinion of his ability in his position ; also, that having at the request of the authorities taken over supervision ef the kitohen he had effected a saving there of £117 in a month. His was redout mended by the Inspector and committee for an inoroase in salary, aa he was grossly underpaid. Had not reoeived any increase, but instead waa suddenly diamiaaed without any known cause for such treatment, or any previous notice. Had meant no insubordination in signing the letter ; it was merely to obtain an enquiry aa matters had gone io far. Kept a diary to prove that he kept his office hours, and never left otherwise except by special permission of the doctor, and then on business. Possibly might have been away on business when the dootor waa also absent, but utterly denied that he waa ever out boating or pleasuring in offioe hours with the dootor. Remembered the spirits of wine being wanted, and witness at once obtained it in a drum, properly Libelled, which he plaoed outside the ward door. Mias Marsden could have easily had the drum tapped if ahe had gone about it properly. Tke doctor must lave known of the waste in the kitohen. « The saving witness effeoted in the kitohen A department waa done without impairing its efficiency ; bnt wu notioeable in that the Asylum pigs, instead of being luxuriously fed aa before, reoeived only the ordinary porcine food. Desired to particularly state that he had never touohed a drop of intoxicating liquor sinoe taking his position ia the Hospital. Maggie Hope, on oath, said Bhe had bf en a nnrse at the Hospital for a year and eight months. Was one of those who signed t^a etter asking for an enquiry. Sinoe then had written a letter recalling that. HaiX never seen anything wrong at the Hospital with the dootor in regard to temperance, | bnt he was scarcely kind to two patient! who oame in. In one of these enses, the dootor thought the patient was shamming, and ordered her to work, and also directed the nurses to throw oold water over her. In the other case he waa only rough in speech. The patient was a sister of the former one. The reason witness signed tho letter was the rnmonr that Mis* Marsden had complained to the Colonial Secretary of the dootor being too familiar with the nuraea. Never saw suoh a letter, and merely acted on.

hearsay. When witness was informed there had been no such letter sont she withdrew her name. Had no idea who started the report of the letter being sent. Was now a night nurse, but formerly a day nurse. Had never seen Dr. Cbilton the worse for drink or inoopable, bnt noticed the smell of drink upon him. The Lady Superintendent did on one ocoaiion call up the nurses for night work after being weary with their day duties. The reason of thiß was that Miss Maraden meant to alter the hours to midnight. It was an attempt to Btart a new system, bnt it was not oarriod out, and did not exactly form a general complaint among the nuraes, though witnocs felt it was strange. Only onoe went out with the doctor, in company with Mrs. Chilton and several others, but thia was a picnio on a special holiday ocoasion. Maria Higgins, sworn, said she was a patient in the Hospital on the 31st July last, leaving of her own accord on the 15th of August. Was in a very bad state, and had reason to complain of Dr. Chilton's treatment of her, which waa insulting in the la«t degree. She did not consider it safe to leave her case in Dr. Chilton's hands, as he waa always in a semi-intoxioated state. The card of her discharge was falsely made out. Bebeooa Hanoook deposed she had been a nurse in the Hospital for six weeks, and was one of those who signed the nurses' letter, bnt she had subsequently withdrawn her name. Her reason for Bigning was that the had lost confidence in Miss Marsden, owing to reposts circulated, especially that one about the dootor's familiarity with the nurses. Found out that this latter charge was false, and, hearing others were going book, applied to be re-instated, but this had not taken plaoe. Knew of no unkindness to the patients or irregularities on the part of Dr. Chilton. Never noticed intemperance in him. Miss Manden wasall that was kindto her Was dismissed snmmarily at night with no where to go to, bat went with two others to cook for beds, having only 6s between the three. Believed tho other nurses were similarly destitute of friends to go to, but Mr. Dudley gave three others beds at his house. It was generally thought that Miss Maraden was false, and therefore witness believed the reports about her and signed the letter alluded to. Nurse Maodonald was then head nurse, but was not aaked to »ign the letter. This oonoluded the oyidence for tho day, and the Commission adjourned to 10.30 a m. on Monday.