THE HOSPITAL

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 18, 22 January 1927, Page 13

THE HOSPITAL

FEOM 1847 TO 1851

HISTORICAL SKETCH

GOVERNOR GREY'S IDEAL

(By Dr. D. Macdonald Wilson, Medical Superintendent.) ,

It is eighty years since the first general hospital was established at Thorndon, Wellington, and in view of the completion this year of two important additions to the Hospital, Wellington South, it may be opportune to put on record some of the main features connected with the growth and history of the Wellington 1 Hospital. . '

In 1841 there was some popular agitation for a. hospital, as hitherto the New Zealand Land Company had taken upon itself the responsibility for the treatment of the sick, but it was now felt the colonists should.do something for themselves. However, apparently nothing materialised until six years later.". Prom all we can gather from written" .records the first public hospital in Wellington was established as the re-i suit of Sir George Grey's foresight; v Governor Grey arrived in Auckland at the end of 1845, and set about" the^ task of enforcing law and order. Thesettlement fat Wellington at that time \ was living in fear of Maori uprisings,' for Bauparaha: and Eangihaeata were a source of trouble which terminated in the Boulcbtt Farm affair in 1846, and: the fighting at Pahautaftui and Horokiwi. Grey realised that to have" permanent peace between Maori and European, each must learn to under* stand' the other. To this end he sug-" gested in his dispatches to Lord Grey, Colonial Minister in London, the formation of hospitals, where European and-Maori could alike be received.. Thus the first public hospital in the"-

colony was-established, that the sick of the two peoples, Maori ana 'European, might, be treated together anfi a bond of friendship formed between them. There was little public outcry for a.hospital,.and for once an official"appears to have realised the needs of the community- before the people themselves. Indeed, five years before the opening of the hospital such an institution would have been a "white" elephant'^ if we are to believe Mr. Brady who in 1842 wrote to the editor of the' New Zealand Journal in London concerning his experiences at Wellington: There cannot be a'finer climate or a more healthy .or productive one in the world; as a proof of this the doctors are compelled to turn either farmers or publicans, ; as they have .nothing to (lo but to attend .upon lying-in women." .". ,• : • .

THE COLONIAL HOSPITAL I OPENED. f '

The Colonial Hospital at Wellington .was opened on 15th September, 1847. Dr. Fitzgerald; the Colonial Surgeon, was in charge. At the time the hospital was opened thi total white population of Wellington and. outlying districts was approximately 4000, and besides Dr. Fitzgerald there were five medical men practising, only two of whom were fully qualified practitioners. The -Maori population, including the Wairarapa and Manawata :. districts, was probably not more than 700.0. We have a record of the earliest work done in the hospital, as fortunately the first report of Dr. Fitzgerald, dated 21st January, 1848, is preserved. A copy of this report was enclosed in Sir George Grey's dispatch - to Earl Grey of .6th March, 1848. ..' 'Governor Grey's high opinion of the report and the; work : accomplished can be appreciated from his: letter to Earl Grey, Secretary of State for-the Colonies. Sir George Grey wrote:— v ."My Lord,—l have -the honour to enclose, for your Lordship's information the copy of a, report which I have received from Dr. Fitzgerald, the Colonial Surgeon of New Minister, detailing the results which have already been effected by the establishment of a public hospital in which Europeans and Natives are alike received. In my previous dispatches to your Lordship upon the subject of the efforts which are being, made at once to gain the attachment and to promote the civilisation of the Natives, I stated my belief that very good effects would spring fronv the establishment of these s hospitals; and I think that your Lord-' 1 ship, will find from the enclosed interesting report that the anticipations I formed are likely to be fully realised."

THE FIBST BUILDING. Dr. Fitzgerald describes the hospital. The ground floor comprised a surgery,one -ward capable of holding in emergency sis patients, one large and one small storeroom. Behind the hospital ■was a temporary wooden kitchen and servants' room; He writes: "At the top of the first flight of stairs there is a steam, bathroom with shower bath, and-;a room adjoining in which, tho patients 'sweat after being in- the steam. On the, upper story there is' a large ward capable of containing eight ..patients; but in case of emergency it will hold ten; there is in addition a small ward for two people, a small store-room leading to a large cistern and water closet,: The building is of brick, plastered with Eoman cement outside, the, plan being made for the addition 01 two ■ wings which 'at a future ■ time will, properly speaking, constitute the hospital, 1 the present part being then used (as intended) principally as offices and nurses' apartments." The "steam-bath room" and "sweating room" mentioned above were evi"dently put to much use, for the report describes ■ the system adopted on first admission of patients. "They are, if'strong, enough, put fnto the vapour bath and the skin well, cleansed with soap and water; if they are not able to bear the vapour bath, they have a warm one instead. . They have., then their hair cut and are placed in a comfortable bed with clean sheets." When we remember that the majority of Dr. Fitzgerald's patients were Maoris admitted direct from their pas, tho steam vapour bath would appear an essential.. • ■ ■

DR. FITZGERALD'S REPORT. Tho wisdom of Sir George Grey in making the hospital a "mixed" one is amply borne out by Dr. Fitzgerald's report. The doctor was evidently a philosopher and student of human nature, for his report is more than a mere record of statistics. He writes: "The plan originated by His Excellency the

Governor-in-Chief, of mixing the Natives and Europeans in the same wards, I have carried out with the most perfect and satisfactory results, as can be seen by any person visiting the institution; although I was at first doubtful of the practicability of such a plan I am now firmly convinced that nothing is more easy and that it is attended with the very best effects, particularly as regards the Natives. . . ..-.■ I con-

tend that a bond of reciprocal good feeling will be formed between Native's and Europeans, moulded and cemented to a certain extent by this institution under the mixed system and which will not be easily broken, for we all know what feelings of sympathy and friendship spring up between individuals att tending upon each other's ailments; and I now speak from experience when I say that, since the Hospital has been opened, nothing but harmony has existed between both races, each and everyone ready to assist the other, without any distinction. So far, then, this plan of mixing has been attended with beneficial results." APPBECIATION BY MAOBIS. .

Dr. Fitzgerald further describes the good effects' of the ilaoris in hospital seeing-'Europeans' submit' to treatment 'and discipline and how' the Maoris carried back-,to. pas. habits of cleanli"iress '•and' ■dfet'whieh the.'-Maoris adbpt--eft/'and; for .which, they admired^ the European. Many would give up,blankets for European clothing, and it is interesting to' read in the first 'admission bo.ok^which is still, preserved in the Wellington Hospital a note against the entry of' a Maori. .' "This man refused 'to go out-'in- the blankets In'which he ;had come ■Jtiut bought himself a. suit of European clothes.".-,

Dr. Fitisgeralcl relates how'"the old chief Hiangarere (of Waikanae), who was operatedi.j!tt> and; cured in the hospital, .was lecturing Ms people as •to what was fionducive t'o'their health and-what':was prejudicial, and the :old , ; ehjef rthrew away.:some stinking karaka "berries, which" a boy was going to eat, saying that when he was in the hospital 1 -ihe' doctor .told "him such food .was bad.'?v -. ... ;'. ■. . ,

That the'work done in the hospital

and treatment' given were appreciated is evident from the fact that'the institution :was always full. From the published statistics'evidently Maoris came for treatment from as far afield as Eangitikei, Wairarapa, and Queen Charlotte Sound. . .'.':.

The first Maori patient admitted was the Chief, Hiangarere from Waikanae, who was successfully operated upon '"for a large tumour . between the shoulders." To the student of; the History, of Medicine in New Zealand Hhis operation is of special interest, as Dr. Fitzgerald J3tateS;th^' 'patient /was. "put under the influence of sulphuric ether." When ; we'remember that the discovery of this anaesthetic Was not announced to the world until November, 1846, in an American medical journal, that the great Edinburgh surgeon Syme did not use it until 1847, and the isolation of New Zealand from the rest ,of the world, it says much.for the enterprise and skill of -Dri Fitzgerald and his unnamed associate that a Maori in 1847 received the benefit of the new discovery.' That the Maori -and his relatives were highly grateful for the treatment given is evident from the letter Dr. Fizgerald:received, a copy of which is attached to his report. . The first patient treated in the hospital, and who was admitted on 1 the opening day was a woman who died as a "result of 'lockjaw complicating a compound fracture y of_ the leg. Since those days medical science has advanced as a result of the work of Pasteur and. Lister to give us antiseptics and a prophylactic serum to protect the patient against the onset lof lock-jaw. /..;.-, '■■

EARLY STATISTICS. The published statistics of the number of patients treated wero:—From 15th September, 1847, to 31st March, 1848, 45 in-patients, of whom 29 were Maoris. Out of 113 out-patients, 105 were Maoris. ■ From 31st -March, 1848, to 31st March, 1849, there wero 100 inpatients, 60 of whom were Maoris, while the total number (97) of out-pati-ents were all Maoris. Evidently the Europeans made use ,of tho Hospital when bed-ridden, but did not seek outpatient treatment. Dr. Fitzgerald's difficulty was the want of accommodation' for women and children—he could only accommodate two women, but-no children under any possibility. Apparently it "was the Maori women he was especially concerned about, as he could only give what aid ho could under their native pa surroundings. That Dr. Fitzgerald was enthusiastic to see Sir George Grey's experiment pf a " mixed" hospital succeed there is no doubt, and that it had succeeded ho was certain. In finalising his report, he suggests that a visitors' committee be formed and this committee to have a large Maori representation upon it. The names of the Maoris he suggests as being most suitable are contained'in his report, and it is interesting to see tho districts to bo represented as giving us an idea of the localities whore the Maoris were resident. He recommended 3 from the Petono pa, 3 from Waiwetu, 2 from Ngahauranga, 2 from Kaiwarawara, and 10 from the three Wellington pas, viz., Pipitea 3, Kumutoto 1, and To Aro 6.

FORTBAIT OF QUEEN VICTOEIA. TlfatEarl Grey in London was synii pathetic with tho scheme is evident, for in 1849 he presented a fine engraving of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, handsomely framed, to Dr. Fitzgerald! as a present to the Colonial Hospital at "Wellington. A collection of books was also sont by Earl Grey as a contribution to the library of the Hospital. ■>" We understand," stated the "Spectator" newspaper of 3rd March, 18-49, "that Dr. Fitzgerald has also received from .the./ Noble Secretary for tho Colonies, through the Governor-in-Chief, s, very gratifying acknowledgment'of the efficient manner in which he has conducted the hospital, and by his ability rendered it an efficient instrument in civilising the Natives and in promoting their welfare. Those who are acquainted with Dr. Fitzgerald 's management of the institution will feel that he has fully earned this honourable approval of his services." '

It may be mentioned that Dr. Fitzgerald concluded his report to His Excellency by eulogising the work and self-sacrifice of Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs, the Hospital attendants.

In October, 1848, one year after the opening of the Hospital, an earthquake, with intermittent tremors extending ever four days, partially destroyed the Hospital building. The ■ south-east

gable was thrown out and the front upper story also; the walls were cracked on all sides.

Patients were in the meantime houtcd iii Government House and private residences, and it is not until 14th June, 1851, we read in the "Australian and New Zealand Gazette" that "a colonial hospital is to be erected on the site of the former one at Thorndon." The site of the original hospital was in Pipitea street, on the land now occupied by the Girls' High School. In another article a further stage in the history of the Wellington/Hospital will be outlined.