SAD END OF JAMES M'GILL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9694, 23 June 1917, Page 3

SAD END OF JAMES M'GILL

HOSPITAL SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT.

At last meeting of the Wellington Hospßal Board the following report on the case of the late James McGill was received from Dr Barclay, medical superintendent: —lt is regrettable that a patient suffering from cerdbro-spinnl meningitis should have been brought to this hospital and sent aiway again. But I think a consideration of the facts will make clear that no blame can be attributed to the house surgeon, who saw the patient' in the ambulance at the door. The symptoms in cerebro-spinal meningitis vary greatly, and often in the early stages , the diagnosis is by no means clear or easily made. Both Dr Cahill and Dr Gilmer had seen the patient before he arrived here, and apparently neither of them suspected cerebro-spinal meningitis. Had they made this diagnosis and sent a note to this effect with the patient ho would have been admitted promptly. But, on the contrary. Dr Cahill at least considered the patient should be sent, not to this hospital, but to Porirua. If, as Dr Oahill wished, the patient had been removed promptly to Porirua, the scandal would have been avoided; as far as the patient was concerned, treatment would have been as efficacious at Porirua as here, and from the virulence of the disease in this ease, I think the patient would have died equally soon ■ oven had he been promptly removed to cither institutions. But he was not promptly removed, and the resulting scandal empliasises the need for less cumbersome arrangements for the speedy removal of patients to Porirua Mental Hospital, a subject on which X have already reported to tills board.”