ST. HELENS HOME ENQUIRY

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1913, Page 3

ST. HELENS HOME ENQUIRY

iWMENDUD COMPLAINT. (»V TiLBOIIAPH— PRBS9 ASSOCIATION.) AUCkI/AND,' 21st , January. ' When St. Helens Home Enquiry was resumed this morning, Mrs. Allen (recalled) stated,- in" cross-examination by Mr.- Mays, that < shey was quite- satisfied with her treatment at St. Helens Home, where each' of her children "was born. The insertionf of stitches -by the matron had . done, no harm' whatever. . The matron told her tq'take her ailing child to a (chemist,, and if , his prescription did no good to take it td Dr.- Bruton Sweet, who 'was ' a specialist m chikkeri's complaints. . , Mrs. Nicol put in' aft amended complaint respecting Mrs. Porch, who, it was^ alleged, had caught a chill as' th 6 result of ' treatment, received m the Home, and had nqt been attended early enough/by ,'a doctor, with the result tha.t labour was protracted to sixty-five hours, with consequent loss of sleep* . Tlie matron .(Miss ' Ludwig), , continuing, her* evidence, said Dr. Goldstein was consulted". regarding Mrs.' Porch, and" was called in at the earliest stage, Suitable, a 'stage which he himself recommended. She had never as matron recommended a mother to take her- child to a chemist for advice,"but had -advised consultation with a doctor ".or the Public Health authorities. > • . ■, • '■'"Ttfe Cqmniissionerhere remarked 'that under- the Act the matron's responsibility ended with the, discharge of the mother and the infant," and that she was not bound to give advice "On the* rearing of children'- af terwards.. „' ■ * ' To the Commissioner : Patients , were allowed to pass' through Mrs. -Chamberlain's'room, which ? was' # the only .Way to" the, balcony, but as t soon las it wa* .discovered that she was septic 'she was .isolated and the room disinfected^ to Mrs. Nicol : Mrs. Porch was isolated in the main building as soon as it was .discovered that ehe was septic. /This was after a blood 'test had '.been taken by Dr. Frost. / Th* isolation ward was ■then occupied by Mrs. Chamberlain,, but when J.he, latter died, the ward -was disinfected, and Mrs. Porch ' removed into it. Mrs.' Nicol. her6 lr said that she must reply . to ah' insinuation by Mr. Mays that ' she was animated by a desire to blacken the' matron's . reputation.' She said that she had never-met the matron before the enquiry opened, and had' no grudge against her. . After further evidence the enquiry 'was 'adjourned. • • •