MRS DOOCEY'S DEATH

Evening Star, Issue 15481, 1 May 1914, Page 3

MRS DOOCEY'S DEATH

THE INQUIRY OPENED. ; The Hospital Board last evening in- j quired into certain allegations that have been made in connection with the death of Mrs Thomas Doocey in the HcspiUlBefore the inquiry was opened the secretary read a letter from * Mr J. F. Woodhouse (solicitor for Dr ShorO and Mr J. B. Callan {solicitor for Mr Thomas Doosey), -who wrote under date April 28 to the "secretary as follows: — "We learned from you this morning that the witnesses whose*names havo been supplied bv Drs Falconer and Short have been summoned bv vou to attend the meeting on ThuTsdav'night. the 30th inst. As yon have alreadV been advised. Dr Allen cannot be p-esent, and that, being so. we are :>otb of opinion that it would not do to with the inquirv further than by taking the evidence of Dr O'Neill, as he :s coins awav from Dnnedin for a time. und wilt not be available at the same time is Dr Allen. We sh*ll both attend op behalf of our re?r«cHv<> clients on Thursday evening, and shall both suggest that the inqnh*v" should not be with in the absVnce of Dr Alien, except to the extent c: taking Dr O'XeuTs evidence." Dr Macd.mald moved—"That the innuirv be pnv*i*ded with." No rharcc was 3iad*> agamsi Dr Allen, and th* inquiry ihould be proceeded with in his absence. Mr STver* seconded the motion. If •M>ca««£rv. the iiiquirv could be adjourned .'o tak° Dr Alien's evidence. Mr Scwrr suggested that the letter be heid o>'er tuMil counsel for the parties ■were before the board. The rrotion was earned. Mr Callan and Mr Woodhouse were both 3re*ent wh»n the innuirv opened. The Chairman said that the members _of the board were anxious that the innuirv should be proceeded with. The whola of th<» ir«ri)b»r! of the board were and the witness?.*, with the exception of Dr A'W. were also present.

Mr Callan considered that the inquiry should be adjourned until Dr Allen returned.

Mr Wiif.iihou?e sunrorted Mr Callan. Re did not =ee how tV inquiry could be colluded without Dr Allen.

The inquiry was then proceeded with. The Secretary read corresoondence from Dr Short (following the publication of Mr Dooccv's letter)'asking for an inquiry; a J-tter from Dr Allen stating that his evident-? would not be important, as he was clear that the pressure was deep-seated, and that any operation would have been of no avail;, a letter from "Mr Dooeey asking for a postponement of the inquiry until Anril 30: a letter from Mr Doocey withdrawing his statement that one "hour had elapsed before T)r Short attended to the case, accepting the doctor's statement of the time, apologising for having made the statement, and askimr for a further vliournmeut until Dr Allen's return to Dnnedin: and a letter from Dr Evans statins: that he could not see that any cotvl would be done by his presence at the innuirv.

The Chairman said he had drawn tip an order of reference, based on Mr Doocey's letter a* follows: "(1) With reference to my late wife's death, I wish, in the first instance, to refer to Dr Short's evidence at the inquest. where he stated he saw the deceased d'rectiv after admission to the Hospital. This is far from correct, as one hour had eTaosed before Dr Short attended the rate." Charge: That Dr Short committed periurv at the inquest in regard to the time he saw the deceased after admission to the Hospital.

" (2) At the inquest Dr Short testified to not being able to get any particulars from hit danchter, who was present at the Hosnital. as she seemed "hvsterical. Yet,

in the Hospital Committee's report mention is made of having obtained particulars of the history of the case from my daughter. Surely "these two testimonies from Dr Short clash seriously. My daughter positively states that she gave no particula-s to the doctor, as she was not in possession of any." Charge: That Dr Short's testimony at the inquest clashed with his testimony at the Hospital Committee's inquiry. " lo) I am strongly of opinion that the B»djcaL.suie,rt«tendeDt. and; some other qualified practitioner, should have seen to the case, and not leave my wife for nearly seven hours to the tender mercies of a tnnipr house surgeon, with practically very little experience." Charge: That Dr Short was not qualified to attend to the case of Mrs Doocey. " ; (4) I cannot help thinking that if a qualified man had been in attendance upon my late wife as the time of her admission

to the Hospital, and the operation which Dr Allen speaks about had been performed then and there, a very different result might have taken place." Charge: That, bad an operation been performed on Mrs Doocey at the time of her admission to "-he Hospital, a very different result might have taken pJa.ce. The Chairman said he understood the first charge wus withdrawn. Mr Callan said that Mr Doocey had unreservedly withdrawn the first statement. The second statement wae then taken. Mr Callan compared the evidence at the iiiquest with that in the Hospital Commitce's report, and said he had advised Mr Doocey that no importance attached to the matter. There was no attack on Dr Short's veracity. Mr Woodhous?: Then the statement is withdrawn. Mr Callan: We withdraw the statement that there is a clash between the two. A written statement was produced by Mr Woodhouse, shewing that, on the at'terr.oon on which Mrs Doocey was admitted. Dr Short had wi-itten it after a Conversation with Miss Doocey, about 3.30 p.m. Mr Callan said it was clear that Dr f hort had had a conversation with Miss Doocey, and repeated that there was no eiiaree of lack of veracity against the doetor. " The Chairman: Then Mr Doocey is satisfied that what Dr Short said is corlecf* Mr Callan: Yes. The third statement was nest con sideredMr Callan objected to the way in which it was framed. It was plain from the letter that the point was this: Was it right that no medical man but Dr Short saw the patient for seven hours, and that Dr Short was a junior house surgeon with little experience? The charge was that if Dr Short was the only ruedicaJ man who had seen the patient for eeven hours there was something wrong. It was not right thdt nobody senior in experience to Dr Short should have seen the case for eeven hours.

Mrs Jackson: Where was the superintendent? The Chairman : He was away from Dunedin. Dr Stewart was acting superintendent.

Mrs Jackson: Did he see Mrs Doocey? j The Chairman: No, but Dr Short re- I ported the matter to him. Mr Woodhouse said the charge was one j against the Hospital, and not against Dr* Short. Dr Short gave evidence. He said the patient was brought into the Hospital aW.t 2.5 p.m. She was in the hands of the nurses for a time, and he had compktod his examination of her by 2.30 p.m. He came to the conclusion that it was probably a cerebral hemorrhage or apoplexy. In other words, it was a deepseated hemorrhage in the brain. He examined the patient again before 3.30 p.m., and decided to have her removed to the medical ward. The information he got from Miss Doocey about that time as to her mother supported his diagnosis of cerebral hemorrhage. He examined the patient up t« 5.30 p.m. Dr Evans rang him up at 5.30 p.m., read him a history of the case, and came to the Hospital at 5.45 p.m. VTven he arrived he suggested that the history might show hemorrhage on the coverin* of the brain. Having received that suggestion, witness thought it was his »uty to get into touch with members of the honorary staff, and to give them full particulars of the case. He rang up three doctors, and at 6.10 p.m. was informed that Dr Allen would be home in 20 minutes. He rang up at 6.30 p.m., and was told Dr Allen was not in. At 6.35 '<p.m. Dr Allen rang hiiu up, and witness ' gave him the whole history of the case, and- Dr Evans's account. Dr Allen said his cowrcltiruz room wa» fulL and that

he -would be down at 1 8 p.m. _&fe 8.40 P-m. Dr Allen arrived at the Hospital- Dr O'Neill h*d seen tJue patient sshcuit 8.30 p.m. at fhe renncst-of- the-.relatives. To Mr Woodhouse: Jn a case of cerebral h-emorrhasjo an operation would, be- of no avail, but it might iii a case of hemorrhage on the coveringof the brain. Dr Falconer, medical superintendent. wa« away, on holiday at the time : and Dr Stewart was act ing in his place. About 3.15 p.m. witness consulted Dr Stewart, who agreed with witness's diagnosis. The nurses were constantly in attendance on the case, and everything that could be done for the patient was being done. No-matter how many doctors had been present nothing more could have been done. By Mr Callan: He considered, the question of an operation, and put it aside. To .Dr Falconer: Dr Evans eaw the patient about 6 p.m . but did not suggest ar operation. Dr"O'Neill, in reply to Dr Falconer, said ho considered Dr Short was qualified to attend to the case. A senior medical student could'diagnote a case of apoplexy. With such a case there was no necessity for Dr Short to eend for a member of the «cnior When lie (witness) ea-w the patient at 8.30 p.m. he found her moribund, and he decided that an operation was ont of the question. Dv Alleji knew he was going to r-.ee the patient. From wh it he now knew of ■ the case an operation would have been of no avail. Dr Roberts agreed that Dr Short, wns capable of dealing with a case of ordinary apoplexy. Tt was not leeessarv for a eerier medical officer to we t-hc case.

Mr Myers: If an operation hud been performed within an hour it would have been of no avail? Dr Roberts : lam satisfied of tl at. Xo operation could have savad the patient. An operation wc.uld probably have accelerated death. Witness also said that the pnsl-mortem, oxaminntio/i showed that the amount of brain destroved by the blcding was the cause of the rapid death of the patient. In answer to Mr Callan. Dr Roberts said that at the- inquest he had paid that' Dr Short's diagnosis wae T»tljer brilliant, but that phraoe was used on the epur of the moment. He now thought that itwould be more correct to say that Dr Short behaved very creditably under rather difficult, circumstances—viz., that the history of the case which he had obtained had been somewhat confusing. Mr Callan: Would it have ever occurred to you to use the phrase " brilliant ".with regard, to a diagnosis made under some circumstances by, say, Dr Marshall Maedonald? Dr Roberts: No. It. was agreed that the evidence covered the charge in the fourth statement. The Chairman asked what won id be the next step? The board vished all publicity in connection with the case and if there was any fault at the Hospital they wouid give it consideration. It was decided to adioum 'he inquiry for a fortnight to hear the evidence of Dr Allen or any other witness who might be wanted.