THE HOSPITAL INQUIRY

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5283, 14 June 1895, Page 2

THE HOSPITAL INQUIRY

Thxtesdat, Junk 13.

Aftbenoon Sitting. Nurse M'Robbie's examination was continned.

Witness remembered Probationer Harper giving a man in No. 5 an overj dose of belladonna. Witness reported her f r»r it, and the matron said that it wan a serious mistake, and they would reprimand her. The matron said that it would be better to say nothing about it. The attendance of young nurses at operations began two years ago. Patients ordered chicken sometimes got rabbit instead. Patients were sometimes waked up at night to carry other patients out of the wards. There had sometimes not been enough milk and soup, Rud witness had complained to the matron. More milk and soup were then sent up. Witness reported a wardsman named Hancock for having struck a delirious patient in the face. She had not seen him do it, but Probationer Harper reported it to her in the morning. Witness told the matron, who was very angry, and said she would speak to the Bouse Surgeon. Witness was shifted two months ago from No. 5 to No. 6, and the doctor told her that Mrs Neill had told him to shift the change nurses round. Witness could learn something by going to No. 6, because she had not been there before. She had reported Probationer Harper for neglecting a child in the ward, and the probationer was spoken to about it. Witness alwaya endeavoured to keep a little spare stimulant for emergency at night. No cabal that she knew of was formed among the nurses, and she did not know anything about the nurses conspiring to thwart the authorities. There was dissatisfaction among the nurses with the food, and she bad heard some of the nurses— old, young and probationers — say that they did not consider that the institution was well managed. She did not think that the older nurses encouraged a feeling of that kind in the younger nurses. Witness had not received any intimation as to being dismissed, and she did not think that she was one of those selected for dismissal.

To Mr Caygill : Last Tuesday night the doctor came to her ward and asked her to go to his room. She believed that others were sent for in the same way ; one at a time. He asked witness if she had ever seen him the worse for drink, and she said " No." He also asked her about the food. The complaints about the food had been general, and had come from the probationers decidedly. She could not give an opinion as to whether the change of nurses was beneficial to the patients.

To Dr Murray- Aynsley : Witness was on night duty for two or three months, and had never Been the doctor drunk or smoking in the wards. The House Surgeon very rarely interfered with the ophthalmic caaes— Dr Manning's cases; Dr Manning, with witness's help, did most of the dressings. The House Surgeon nearly always spoke to the sister in charge of the ward about discharges, and told her to write to the patient's friends. There were often ohildren in the ward, and the House Surgeon was very kind to them as a rule. His suggestion as to squirting: water was made good-naturedly. Children often injured themselves by screaming a long time, and the squirting t was done to stop screaming. The man in No. 5, who was put on l bread and water, was a prisoner whose term had not expired. The House Surgeon had not made the slightest suggestion as to what evidence she was to give.- Remembered the House Surgeon coming to the ward kitchen one night, when Nurse Henry was present. He was angry about some charitable aid oaseß which were crowding the place. He was not drunk. Nurse Henry afterwards said that she thought he was under the iufiaence of drink. Witness replied that he was excited, but that she did not think he was drunk.

To Mr Maude : Before the appearance of " Tongariro's " letter, some of the junior nurses had said they did not: like to be present at theue operations. Some of the nurses complained to the matron about the masseur being present at operations, as he was not a qualified mm. She supposed a nurse ought not to raise any objections to an operation on account of delicacy no matter what it might be. Probationers who had been admitted on the staff were admitted to all operations. Tho3e on trial were admitted to minor operations 0n1y. ,.

To Mr Stringer: Witness did not know, except on hearsay, of any unpleasantness between the nurseß. She had heard one or two of the junior probationers complain lately of their treatment by the older nurses. There was, she believed, some unpleasantness, when the question o? Nurae Cameron's dismissal arose. She was away for her holiday at the time, and the unpleasantness had pretty well quieted down when she came back. She could not remember any unpleasantness at the meal table. She did not think there waa any ill-feeling between the old and new nurseß. She did not know that the old nurses looked upon the new ones as being likely to turn them out. Just before the appearance of "Tongariro's " letter the question of the food was discussed, but she did not remember anything about doctor or any of the other matters referred to in the letter being discussed at the table.

To Mr Joynt: . There had been a discussion at the table on the subject of beef, because they had had no beef for aome weeks. They had had cold beef, which had been at one of the other tables. She did not know how the doctor knew that she was going to give evidence. She had not received a subpoena.

ToMrCaygill: She did not think the probationers were : compelled to attend operations. She might, have heard the phrase "lady nurseß" used after Nurse Cameron's affair, but not before. When the doctor came to the ward kitchen he might have had a glass, but he was not drunk, and was quite capable of doing his duty. ' To the Commissioner : She thought that some of the probationers objected to be present at the operations, whether the inaßßeur was present or not.

Harry Gahagan called by Mr Caygill, deposed that he was a patient in the hospital for Beven or eight weeks twelve months ago. He had seen the House Surgeon in the corridor one evening, and thought he had had a glass or two. Witness spoke to him about his case, and he did not seem to remember it. Witness told another patient that he thought the doctor was a "bit tiddley." .

To Dr Murray-Aynsley : He did not remember the day. He had been in with an abscess on his back.. He saw the doctor on the day after he had been moved from No. 6 to No. 1. It was just after tea, but he would not swear to the exact time. He did not remember the patients who were present.

To Mr Loughrey : The food did not trouble Mm much, and the attention was good. The abscess was not properly cured in the hospital, and he went to Dr Busaell.

To Dr Murray- Aynaley : No one had come to see him about his evidence. Nurse Cameron had asked him if he had said that the doctor had been " tiddley," and he said, "Yes." He then received a subpoena. : .

The Commissioner asked how many more witnesses would be called in support of the allegations. ;■

Mr Joynt Baid that be had three or four, and thought that he would be through by lunch time on the following day. Mr Lough rey said that he had two or three witnesses whom he wished to have examined on Friday afternoon.

The Commissioner asked if it was not intended to call Nurse Cameron.

Mr Joynt said that the lady had merged her identity in that of a husband, and it waß very doubtful if she could be got to give evidence. They were not aware of her or her husband's whereabouts.

The Commissionor said that, in that case 1 ,, the evidence referring to her simply dropped through.

Mr Joynt said that they had not heen aware of the disappearance of Nurse Cameron until the Saturday after the in-

quiry had opened* They all regretted it very much. At 4.15 p.m. the inquiry adjourned to 10.30 a.m. next day.