PSYCHIATRIC CASES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24850, 23 March 1944, Page 6

PSYCHIATRIC CASES

ADMISSION _TO_ HOSPITALS WARNING TO DOCTORS "I want to give a warning to the medical profession," said Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., at an inquest yesterday into the death of a married woman, Janet Ronnie Miller Mitchell, aged 51, who died in the Auckland Hospital on February 18, The verdict stated that the cause of death was poisoning. "There is a growing tendency to send psvchiatric cases to private hospitals, due no doubt to the antipathy of people to properly constituted mental hospitals,' 7 said Mr. Luxford. "There may be psychiatric cases which can bo treated in a private hospital, but certainly not without the fullest disclosure of the patient's background and history being made by the medical prartitioner to the person in charge of the hospital." Evidence was given by a registered nurse in charge of a private hospital that deceased was sent to her by a doctor for a week's rest. Witness asked the doctor if the patient would be noisy or troublesome and received a negative answer. The doctor did not tell her that she was suicidal or mental. The hospital did not accept mental cases, but the doctor said the patient was not a mental case. As the result of certain peculiar tendencies, witness told the doctor that deceased would have to be placed elsewhere, and it was agreed that she should leave on February 18. On that day. she seemed depressed and in the afternoon became violent]v ill. She was admitted to the: Auckland Hospital. Since then, witness had learned that deceased had been a patient in the Wolfe Home > several times, and had attempted suicide. Medical evidence was given that deceased died the day .she was admitted to the Auckland Hospital, and a postmortem examination revealed the presence of poison, suggesting that a lethal dose had been taken. There was nothing to indicate how the poison had been taken. "I do not know what knowledge the practitioner concerned had in this ca.se," said Mr. Luxford. "as ho has not been called as a witness. Nor do I consider it necessary to have him called. My remarks are addressed gen-, orally. It- is a matter where extreme care'should bo taken by the medical profession."

SALE OF HOTEL RECENT AUCKLAND CASE MINISTER ON DECISION (S.H.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday T!ie decision of the Auckland Urban Land Sales Committee recently in connection with the sale of the Exchange Hotel, Auckland, was the subject oi a written reply hy the Minister of Lands, the Hon". C. F. Skinner, in tl'O House of Keprescntntives to-day to a (piestion bv -Mr. F. Ltngstone (Government —Waitnarino). Mr. Langst.ono had asked the Minister whether his attention had been drawn to the committee chairman having advised the seller that in order that the committee would approve of the sale he should amend Ins sale proposal into parts showing the price paid by the purchasers for the furniture, stock and fittings at £ISOO and the price for the goodwill at £72.50. The Minister said the facts were that the purchaser was buying a lease which had less than five years to run, the goodwill of the licence and the furniture, stock and fittings, the total price being £8750. Apparently permission was granted by the committee for the agreement for sale and purchase to be amended so ns to show the correct position .

The committee no doubt would consider every aspect of tin; case before deciding to grant its consent to the transaction, tlio Minister continued. It. must therefore be assumed that the committee was satisfied there was no breach ol' the provisions of the ActConsideration would be given to the rectification of any anomalies revealed in the operation of the legislation.