DOCTOR’S DILEMMA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23332, 26 October 1937, Page 10

DOCTOR’S DILEMMA

SCENE IN SURGERY INFATUATED YOUNG NURSE REQUEST MADE FOR KISSES By an embarrassing campaign of persecution a young nurse was alleged, in the. London Vacation Court, recently, to have made life most difficult for a doctor, whose company she persistently sought. On one occasion, it was said, in his consulting room she frankly confessed that she loved him and asked him to kiss her. He then pushed her away. The situation was described to Mr Justice Wrottesley, when Dr N. H. Seth-Smith, of Folkestone, was granted an interim injunction against Miss Elizabeth K Speller, aged 25, trained , nurse, of St. Hilda’s, Folkestone, restraining her from continuing the nuisance of which he complained. For many months past, declared Mr G. H. Newsom, for Dr Seth-Smith, Miss Speller had made it her business to make the doctor’s life a burden to him. She had greatly intensified the proceedings lately. In an affidavit the doctor stated he met Miss Speller when she was engaged at a Sandwich nursing home in 1933. Afterwards he engaged her on three or four occasions for nursing cases. He had had no other dealings with her. BECAME INSULTING He felt sorry for her as she was an orphan, but did not form a very high opinion of her capabilities, and only provided her with cases where a more experienced nurse was not required. Later she came to his waiting room at Folkestone, became insulting, and asked him for cases. One day in September last year she visited his consulting room and asked for work. Then she suddenly said: “You know I love you, and would do anything for you,” and asked him to kiss her. When he pushed her away she exclaimed: “At least be friendly with me.” That incident was a great shock to Dr Seth-Smith, went on Mr Newsom. He had no idea of the state of Miss Speller’s feeling towards him, and had never given her any reason for it. Miss Speller had special facilities for pursuing her line of behaviour because she knew the doctor’s habits and probable movements. She had been molesting him for a year. Lately she had Adopted a new and intolerable form of nuisance. She rang him up frequently, and he could not leave the receiver off on account of professional calls. She broke into the doctor’s house on one occasion, and several times she got into his garage and garden. On August 19, 20 and 22 last Miss Speller assaulted the doctor. On the last date she loitered about for him on three occasions. On August 26, after the notice of motion had been served on her, she accosted him in the street. She had also been seen in his garage and had telephoned him. ONCE BELIEVED IN RELIGION Mr Justice Wrottesley’s attention was drawn to a letter written by Miss Speller and he asked: “ What is ‘ Daily Light’? . , , , Mr Newsom: It is a devotional book which was given to her because she accosted the doctor on one occasion and asked for a birthday present. , She told him she once believed in religion, but now did not, and the doctor thought it would be good for her to read the book. Mr Newsom explained, regarding libels and slanders, that Dr Seth-Smith desired to restrain Miss Speller from publishing statements she had made in a letter to a solicitor to the effect that he acted dishonourably toward her or that he was generally a man of a dishonourable character. .... She had made a statement that she would make his name stink. That, remarked Mr Newsom, was a very serious matter for a doctor. The least breath of suspicion of this kind might do him irretrievable harm. The injunction was then granted, as stated.