AN INFLUENZA WORKER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1623, 28 April 1919, Page 11

AN INFLUENZA WORKER.

CLAIMS FOR WORK DONE. A HOSPITAL BOARD SUED. There was an echo of the influenza epidemic in a case heard leforo Mr 8. E. McCarthy, BJI, at the Magistrate's Coirt this morning. The plaintiff was Florence Martha Lewis (nee Parker), ami the Ashbnrton Hospital ami Charitable Aid Board was the defendant. The elaim was for £l6 for work which plaintiff had done as a nnrse at Ike Methven Temporary Hospital during tlie epidemic. A counter-claim was entered for £2O, the price of 42 mattresses, 65 pillows, and a carpet runner, which it was alleged plaintiff had wrongfully burnt whilst at the hospita". Mr C. S. Thomas appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr C W. Purncll for the board. A good deal of the evidence in connection with the case had been taken «n commission at Ashburton. Mr Thomas said that the claim was for nursing work at the Methven Temporary Hospital during the influenza epidemic. The plainfiff was a certificated mental nurse. She had come to Christchnr.'h in October last, about 4he time the epidemic was starting. Plaintiff nursed in connection with the epidemic, first at Rangiora, where she worked for nine days as a night nurse. For this she received £."> 10/-. She was then sent by Nurse Maude as an ordinary nurse to the Methven Temporary Hospital. When plaintiff arrived at Methven there was a matron there, ■but this matron left almost immediately, and plaintiff was left in charge. Plaintiff was in charge of the hospital for al'Hit two and a-nalf weeks, and. during taat time, .there were no deaths there. Bfce was the only qualified nurse in the district. After leaving the Methven Ho-j iral the plaintiff received a salary of £lO 10/- a week, so great was the acar-ity of ncr.-es. The ordinary workers at the hospital received £3 10/- a week, but, as plaintiff hail been in charge of the hospital and had worked practically day and night, she felt she was entitled to more than this. ll<*r claim came to about £0 6/- a week. At the time, owing to the tremendous itreas, no definite arrangements as to pay were made. With regard to the counter-claim for the cost of mattresses, pillows, and a carpet runner that plaintiff had burnt, Mr Thomas contended that the plaintiff, being in charge of the hospital, had a perfect right to burn these ar'icles it she eoasidered they were infected. Further, plaintiff stated that she had received permission from Dr. Todd, the doctor at Methven, to barn the articles, although Dr. Todd, in evidence taken on commission, denied that he had given fuch permission. Mr Thomas said that in the military hospitals during the epidemic all mattresses were burnt. The plaintiff gave evidence on the fines of Mr Thomas's opening. She said the had been offered £4 4/- a week for ker services', but bad refused this. She had got that salary at Rangiora, but the was not in charge there, and the work was not nearly so hard. (F'rocceding.)