DOCTOR WARNED NOT TO BE IMPERTINENT

Northern Advocate, 21 June 1937, Page 4

DOCTOR WARNED NOT TO BE IMPERTINENT

NAPIER HOSPITAL INQUIRY

Hot-Bath Treatment Approved By Witness [Special to “Northern Advocate ”] NAPIER, This Day. An admonition by the chairman, Mr E. D. Moseley, S.M., that witness must not be impertinent, and that, if he was not careful, there would be trouble, was delivered to Dr. Harold Berry, brother of Dr. Allan Berry, this morning, when the Royal Commission which is inquiring into affairs at the Napier Hospital, began the second week of its investigations. Dr. Harold Berry said he was in partnership with his brother in a medical practice. Witness had concurred in the suggestion to conduct hot bath treatment for child patients: he had approved of it, in fact,

Ask To Help Sister, He denied he had visited the hospital on a. number of occasions for the purpose of discussing the treatment with the sister. He had certainly discussed it with her, but that was when witness himself was a patient in the hospital. Mr N. Foden (appearing for the Director-General -of Health): Did the sister come to see you in bed? —No, my brother came to see me while I was in hospital, and asked me, if I ran across the sister, to help her. Your brother asked you to ascertain if the proper treatment was being given?—Oh, no. He wanted me to see if I could make any additional safeguards for the sister’s protection. / ; “Don’t Use Loose Statements.” ..\ .. -- ' . ... y • /■ : \ Mr Foden: What do , you mean by ‘ran across’ her? —Oh, ‘ran across’ her. That is, if I met her accidentally at any time, Mr Moseley: Don’t use loose statements. Mr Foden: Let’s get this right. Don’t Argue. Witness; I was always-- crawling along, the corridor. I was in a very weak state. ... . .. \_

Mr Moseley: Don’t be impertinent. You be careful or there will be trouble. Dr, Berry: If you thought I was impertinent, sir, you were very much mistaken.

Mr. Moseley; Don’t argue with me. Mr Foden: I still want to get this .clear, doctor. Do I understand that you were convalescent and walking about the hospital?—l was to be up and about in a day or two. Witness said the sister was quite wrong when she said she discussed the matter with him on several occasions.

You were quite concerned when you learned the little girl had died?— Yes, naturally. Post-Mortem Questions. Did you think death might have been contributed to by the heat treatment?—lt might have. Did you and your .brother enter the post-mortem room together?—Yes. Who placed the body bn the table? —lt was there. At your orders?—Oh, dear no. I said we should wait until Dr. Foley came. He arrived soon afterwards. Mr Foden: The post-mortem had commenced when Dr. Foley arrived? —Yes. ’Do you know what arrangements had been made previously with Dr. Foley to hold this post-mortem?—Oh, yes. _ ' : What was said to Dr. Foley before it began?—l rang and said ‘Are you coming down?’ or something like that. Was It In Order? Did he know a post-mortem was being held?—Oh, yes. You considered it was quite in order for you to be present at the postmortem—that it was in accordance with the etiquette of the profession?—; I was interested in the post-mortem. If he was interested, no medical man would think otherwise. ~

Mr Moseley: You .know, of course, that if a coroner authorises a postmortem,- no other doctor can be present?—Yes. Mr Foden: Did you give the sister your advice?—-No. You were aware about the parents’ state of mind over the post-mortem? —Not until last Saturday. A Misunderstanding. This was an unauthorised postmortem?—The relative said on Satur day it was the first he had heard of it. Would you think your brother had misled the relatives?—l think it was a misunderstanding of the word examination.

Mi Mosley; I wish you to answer questions ‘Yes’ or ‘No,’ and then supplement them with explanations, :f necessary.

Mr Foden: Did you make any notes on the post mortem?—Yes. a few scraps. I lost them after carrying them about in my pocket for some while. Witness was also questioned by Mr C. G, E. Darker (representing parents of children), who asked whether witness would take any notice of a small collapse. Witness: Yes.

Do you not think it was important for the medical superintendent to know of the collapse?—Yes.

An Element of Risk. Questioned as to whether there was an element of danger in baths, witness j replied: An element of risk. Mr Harker: You would not say the j risk was a negligible one?—About one in 2000! Mr W. E. Bates (representing the j Hawke’s Bay Hospital Board) asked witness when he knew Dr Whyte’s patients were to receive treatment. Witness: I did not know. Mr Bates: You speak of the riskbeing one in 2000. Is that a wild guess Oi. have you statistical information 1 - 1 I have a lot of information on the matter. , (Proceeding).