THIS DAT.

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

THIS DAT.

The inquiry into the administration of the Christchurch Hospital was resumed at 10.30 a.m. to-day. Mr Caygill, who was engaged at the Magistrate's Court, was not present. Nurse Ewart (re-called by Mr Joynt), said that since the inquiry began she had been interviewed by the House Surgeon on Sunday night about it. A message was left for her that he wanted to see her, and when she went to hi 9 room he asked her if she had ever seen him drunk, and she said "No ;" if ehe had ever seen him emoking in the wards, and she said " No." He asked if he had ever given her an ord r for convaleecent patients to attend the service. She replied that he had told her to tell the convalescent patients, who were not Catholics, to attend the. service. He had Baid nothing previously to her about the passes. Mr Joyut said that he wished to ask the witness a few questions about a case which had been referred to.

The Commissioner said he did not think ib was open for Mr Joynt to do this. He intended to put some questions to the witness himself. All he wanted to do was to put a limit to irregularity. Mr Joynt submitted that there was no irregularity in what he proposed to do. The Supreme Court would allow it. Some additional matters had come to light, and it was very desirable that they should be cleared up. The Commissioner said that the better plan would be for Mr Joynt to finish his case first, and then recall Nurse Ewart. Mr Joynt said there were other matters in which he wished to question the witQess — Miss Graham's and the girl Kennelly's cases, that of the witness Henry and the belladonna cases.

The Commissioner said that this was supplementary evidence, and he would recall Nurse Ewart after the case had closed, whether the questions were put by Mr Joynt or himself.

Ethel Griffiths, called by Mr Joynt, deposed that she had been a nurse in the Hospital for over five years. She joined as aa assistant nurse, and waa now in charge of No. 6. She had known the probationers to attend operations ■on men. She had received an order, in the matron's handwriting, for the patients to attend divine aervioe. She read it out to the patients in No. 6, and then destroyed it. It said that all patientß, except, Catholics, were to attend divine service, or their passes would be stopped. Witness had been moßtly in the women's ward, and women were not so hard to please about their food as men. They were not bo ready to complain. She was satisfied with the food, aa r rule, except the fish occasionally, and she had spoken to the matron, who had always tried to put it right. The soups and puddings were fair, en the whole. The nurses' food waa all right as to quality and quantity, ' but the cooking was bad. On a Monday the fiah would Bometimeß be a little tainted. Complaints, generally, as to the cooking, had been made to the matron, who had always tried to remedy it. Daring the last few months the nuiraeß Had . been requested by Dr Murray-Aynaley to Btand up when the doctor or matron entered the room. It had been suggested to her as a good idea with a crosa child to squirt water in its face to stop ita crying. She had . not carried it out. The doctor had first spoken to her on Sunday night about the inquiry, .asking it Bbc had-erer Been him drunk or smoking in the ward?, and she Baid " No." He alao asked about the squirting, but not about the . order to stand up. Witness had been called as a witness at the inquest on the girl Kennelly. There were two beds in No. 2 ward, and the out-patient's bed empty, when the girl waa refused admission. The changing of nurses round was made when witness was away on her holidays. The probationers had complained sometimes about the food, bhe did not know that food had been brought in for the nurseß from outside. Babbit had been once or twice supplied to patients instead of either chicken or fieh. Tbe nurses had a dish which was called, in fun, " terrible Jimmy." She did not know exactly what it waa composed of, and had never taken any of it. They only had it once or twice. Witness had no intimation, only hearsay, about the probability of her being diß-

pensed with. There had not,, that ahe

knew of, been any combination among the older nurses to impede or thwart the administration of the hospital. She had never known any nurses, old or young, to endeavour to thwart the administration. The statement to that effect in Dr Macgregor'a report came on them as a surprise. They could not think what it could be.

To Dr Murray- Aynsley : The House Surgeon usually spoke to the nurse in charge of a ward as to the discharge of patients, and to the medical man in charge of the case also. The-equirting of water into the Guild's face was not meant as a punishment, but merely to check its crying. The House Surgeon's manner to the children was very kind. She had never seen him drunk or smoking in the wards. . ... **

To Mr Maude : She could not remember that the probationers were requested to stand in the presence of the sisters when on duty, or whether it was to show respect to the office rather than to the person. The food had been very good Bince eha had been ,at the Nnrsea' Home about a fortnight ago. To the Commissioner • The nnrsea had been asked to always sband in the presence of the doctor and matron, and not only when on duty.

To Mr Joynt: No person but the doctor had spoken to her lately about the inquiry.

To the Commissioner : The doctor had asked the nurse in charge, probably at the bedside, if a patient who was to- be discharged had a home to go to.

Sarah Davis, called by Mr Joynt : Deposed . that Bhe had been nurse at the Hospital for four years. She was certificated, and had been in all the wards except the convalescent men's; and had been present at many operations during the first two years. For the last two years it had been the practice for nurses to be present at all operations on both men and women. The food was good, but not always well cooked. The fish was frequently not sweet. A good while ago she had noticed mutton on the nurses' table showing signs of ulceration. The food had been much better siuce " Tongariro's " letter, and the cooking of the nurseß' food had been better since they went to the Home, about a fortnight ago. There was a separate cook for the Home. The cooking for the patients had been better for the last few monthß, The fish had been sometimes bad - smelling up to a month ago, since which she had not seen it. The fish was generally coarse, often large conger eel. She had never known fish sent up with scales on. The patients sometimes complained of the fish and the soup, whioh was watery. The vegetables were not always well cooked. .The nurses had complained, Bhe thought to the matron, about the bad quality and cooking. The nurses and probationers, bat not the sisters, were changed from ward to ward every three months. She had never had 'occasion to complain of negligence on the part of any of the other nurses or probationers. On last Sunday night she went to the doctor's *,OQm by his invitation, and he asked if she had seen him drunk or smoking, ana she said, " No." He asked her about the food, and she repeated what she had now said. He asked if ahe had heard him give an order for squirting water in children's faces, and she said she had not. She had never known of any friction between the nurses, nor that any nurses had endeavoured to promote friction, or combined to thwart the administration. She considered that Dr Macgregor's report was not borne out by faotß. It had surprised them all. Bhe had never seen water squirted into a child's face.

To Dr Murray-Aynsley : At her interview with the House Surgeon not the slightest attempt was made to influence

ier evidence, or to suggest what evidence >he should give. William Munro deposed that he met with an accident at Cheviot on May 13, L 894. He jumpod on a broken bottle and iplit his heel open. It bled all the day he jot hurt. An ambulance man bound it up, rod he came to town next day. The police met him at Addington with a cart and book him to the hospital. When he arrived there he saw Dr MurrayAynsley, Mr Brown and Nurse Medlam. The doctor looked at the foot, and Mr Brown asked him what he would do, and he said, "Bandage it up till morning." This was between 6even and eight in the evening. A bandage was put on it. Witness told the doctor he had jumped on a bottle. The next morning the doctor asked witness how he was getting on, but did not look at the toot. He said something to the nurse. The doctor never looked at the foot at all. The nurse washed and syringed the foot, and the third day witness was ordered to No. 2 ward by Nurse Medlam. He was in the Hospital three weeks altogether. When he left the Hospital the toot was painful, and he could not rest on it .for a fortnight afterwards. Witness went to Mr Lomas and told him he was quite as bad as when he left Cheviot. Mr Lomas agreed to forward a letter to Mr Smith, the chief surveyor, to keep his work open for him. A fortnight after witness left the Hospital he went to Dr de Behzi, who told . him to put the foot into hot water ; that it might be a corn in the wound. The wound had healed up, and witness did as he was told. Two days later Dr de Benzi opened th» wound, which was poulticed, and a piece of glass as big as a pea, and some bits of gravel or dirt came out of it, beeideß a lot of matter. It was impossible for the glass and dirt to have got in after witness went to the hospital. The wound then healed up— in about a fortnight or three weeks. The food in the hospital was all right somefcimeß, but sometimes it was not cooked very well. The nuiees were very attentive add kind to him, and so waß the matron.

To Dr Murray- Aynaley : Mr Brown did > not do more than put bandages on the foot when he went in. In the morning the nurse dressed it. Brown never dressed it j at all. It was not poulticed, in the hos- ; pital. • ' i Some of Mr Joynt's witneßßes were not ! present, and as be could not conclude his i case without 'them, Mr Loughrey said he j would call come evidence in respect to the i charge of drunkenness against the doctor. ; As some of the reporters were present, he would call them. '••• Oswald Walters Exall, of the Lyttelton Times, deposed that his duties took him pretty frequently to the hoepital between 8.30 and 9.30 p;m. He generally saw the doctor, and had never seen him drunk, incapable, or the worse for liquor; He had had conversations with the .doctor when he called, and had the doctor been intoxicated he would have noticed it. A reporter .from the Times called at the hospital every evening. '■ ' ' George Reynolds Allen,' reporter on the Press, deposed that his duties had taken him to the hospital between eight and ten i in the evening frequently,' and sometimes in the afternoon, up to "three or four months ago. He caw the doctor when he called, and the doctor was always ' Bober. Witness had gone there nearly every evening. A reporter from the Press went to the hospital every evening. ' " William Whitebouse Collins, called by Mr Loughrey, depoßed that he had not been at the hospital at the laying of the foundation stone; , He had reoeived no invitation. He had visited the hospital' frequently, and had seen the doctor, who was always as Bober as he was at the present moment. Oh one occasion the doctor had said that the hospital was for people in poor circumstances. - To Mr Joynt: Witness considered that the doctor • would not be justified in turning away a person who was well able to pay and who was extremely ill. He thought th&C the hospital was chiefly for poor people. To the Commissioner : There were cases which could be better treated in a hospital, even though the people were able to pay for. treatment. To Mr Loughrey: Witness understood that Dr Murray- Aynsley ropant that in rwgard to the admission of patients, the poor should chiefly be considered* Mr Joynt produced the bylaws making certain charges for the treatment of private patients. Dr Murrayr Aynsley stated, in reply to the Commissioner, that he bad nothing to do with the oharges. He understood that chRT" t were made.

he otewart, called by Mr Joyafc, deposed tba'. he had been practising in Christ* church for twenty years, and had been on the honorary staff 'of tba hospital on the surgical aide for twelve yean, and was how honorary consulting surgeon. He* retired from the visiting staff at the end of laßt year. Only two of the hospital staff— Nurse Medlam and Chief- Wardsman Brown —were on the staff when witness first went to the hospital. The members of the nursing staff were in the habit of making their complaints and representations to witness. He had attended a great many operations. He knew that young females had been present at operations on men and women during the laßt two years. Previous to Dr Murray-Aynaley coming to the hospital the. head nurse, Nurse Medlam, was the only nurse who attended operations, but she did not attend quite all. Miss Steel, the former matron, attended some, but generally used to leave the room after seeing that all preparations were made. It was, he thought, objectionable,, or not very wiee, to have the younger probationers at delicate operations; it was not at all necessary, and could not, he thought, do them any good. They used to have to hand instruments, &c, to the doctor, and hold the patients' hands, and legs. Witness had not been consulted as honorary consulting erurgeon, bat he had been telephoned for once when he was not at home. He had had repeated complaints about the quality, quantity and cooking of the food. He had not seen the nnrses' food, but had seen the patiente' food. Qt At times it was good and well cooked and nicely served, but at times the vegetables were scanty, the soup thin and the fish coarse and stale. Frequently the smell from the kitchen was simply a stench. Just before he left it was abominable. It must have come from what was being cooked. Some time ago the nurses were continually looking ill and breaking down, and he asked Nnrses Ewart and Medlam and the other head nurse as to the reaso*. and was told that they were starved! He went to some of the under nuraes, and they said that they did not get enoup v food, and that what they got was often spoiled in the cooking. This waß two or three years ago. Witness spoke to Mr W. D. Wood, the Chairman, about it, and went with him to the hospital without giving notice to anyone, and all the nnrses they Bpoke to said that they often had to send out and get food for themselves. Mr Wood brought the matter before the House Committee, and the cook was dismissed. Matters were better for a time after that, but since then he had heard that they were not at all satisfactory. Frequently no notice was given to the Honorary Staff of operations, and he had known on two or three occasions of major operations having been performed without notice to the staff. An amputation of the leg and two cases of abdominal section on women were performed without the Btaff getting notice. A n?an named Clark had been operated on for fistula by Dr Murray-Aynsley without witness knowing anything about it till afterwards, when Dr Murray- Aynsley told him. Clark had come into the hospital specially to be operated on by- witness, who, after the operation, refused to take any responsibility in the case. He thonght the contract system of supplying food to an institution suoh as the hospital was thoroughly rotten. If a steward, with practical knowedge, were appointed to purchase all the supplies in tho open market, and to thoroughly examine every ounce of food, supplies of the very best quality would be obtained for the same money as was now expended in contracts. These duties w«uld take the whole time of the steward.

It was unsatisfactory that the office of steward should be combined, aa, at present, with those of seoretary and treasurer. He was sure, from what he had seen, that the present holder of the positions wm not fulfilling the duties satisfactorily. The man on whom the House Surgeon operated for fistula ought to have been operated OB by one of the visiting etaff. Dr Mearee had to operate on him. The oaae of the man Burt, who was at first refused admission for paralysis, was, from the first, unquestionably a fit oasa for the hospital. Remembered the case of Pearson, who had a broken leg and fractured tbigh. It was one of the switchback accident caees, and ooourred on a Saturday. Witness saw him on the Monday. The leg was in splints, and four or fire weeks afterwards witness told Brown to put on a casing of gum and chalk. Two or three days after witness, on putting the legn together, found that one leg was shorter than the other. Witness examined the thigh, and found a swelling there. Witness said to Dr Murray-Ayrmley that there must be a fracture or dislocation there, and the latter replied that had the man complained of any pain or drawn attention to it it would hare been discovered. The man was put under chloroform, and a fracture was discovered. ' It was treated, and now the leg was as long as the other. If the man's leg was orooked it would not be from the shifting of the splints, which had been necessary; The leg appeared to be straight when be went oat. It was perfeotly straight when tbe casing of plaster of Paris was put on. When witness went into the hospital to 1 see a broken leg, and the House Surgeon ' reported to him on the' extent of tho injury, he accepted th»'t report, but if there was any blame in this case, he was quite willing to take his tjhare of it. , Except in an emergency, an anaesthetic : should be administered by a medi> ' oal man, as the administration of

it was sometimes attended with serious results* He thought that the practice of the administration of ante*thetica by the matron had been carried too far at the hospital. He fancied that when post-mortems were ordered in the hospital, it was the House Surgeon's dnty to make them, unless the Coroner ordered some other medical man to do so. He was not practically in charge of the case, but the membar of the visiting staff was. The House Surgeon had no interest in not reporting correctly as to the cause of death. If there waa a blander, medical or surgical, causing death, it was allowable for the person directly or indirectly responsible for it to perform thepoßt-morfcem. For one reason, because he would be able to see how. to avoid the mistake in the future. Another person might be disposed to make too much of the mistake. Probably the best course lay between the two. ' Mr Joynt said that he thought that it would be a proper matter for a recommendation by the Commission that, as a . matter of principle, the House Surgeon should be disqualified from making pott mortms in case of an inquest. The Commissioner said that he hardly thought that came within the scope of hie present commission. The post mortetna for inquests were alwayj ordered by the Coroner. Dr Stewart (to Mr Joynt) said that he bad had to order persons out, of the wards who were scrubbing the floors near mid-day. It was much better for scrubbing to be done early in the morning. The nurses at Christohuroh hospital were excellent. Undoubtedly old experienced nuraeß , were absolutely necessary in a hospital. Nurses Mediam pid E wart a^nd the other old nurses here cou'd not be improved upon in nursing and skill. The nurseß were always willing to do. their best. He had better acquaintance with the nurses and the hoßpital than Dr Macgregor, and never even gueised that such a state of things as stated in Dr Macgregor's report existed. He knew of no cabal or any oombination against authority among them. Witness saw Dr Murray-Aynßley on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone of the Nurses' Home j he was perfectly sober then, and waa always perfectly sober when witnoßß saw him. Witneeß did not approve of squirting " water in children's faces to stop them from crying. There wero plenty of medical comforts in the hospital, but witness had heard complaints as to the difficulty of geUixu? ttJwUPs&t night. He had heard that tUy had,«s*A.J? ne occasion, had to send to Mr Millers \bi>use for them<Stimulants should be in inkwgo of a dispenser in tW institution. TheFBlfSM a. very considerate improvement in the way&. in which the grating-room was kept since Miss Maude* came, and also in the serving-np of the patients' food, which was now cent in on hot- water diohes, and for this Miss Maude deserved great credit. What was wanted was a trained housekeeper. Miss Maude was excellent as a- nurse and in some other ways, but was not a housekeeper. The. food question had been a burning ono for many year?, and could not. be put on a satisfactory footing until a trained housekeeper was appointed to look after the food and domestic arrangements.

Afternoon Sitting.

Dr Stewart was cross-examined by Mr Loughrey, who first asked if he knew anything about the letter of " Tongariro." Mr Joynt objected to the question, as being irrelevant to the inquiry. He did not know whether or not Dr Stewart knew anything about the letter, but whether he did or not, the question of who wrote it was entirely outside the inquiry, which was into certain charges against the administration of the hospital. He would ask the Commissioner to rule that any questions outside those oharges were irrelevant.

Mr Loughrey submitted that, as the inqniry had arisen from the letter of " Tongariro," it was in the interest of the community that it should be known who wrote that letter. There had been a good deal of friction in the hospital, and the letter had evidently been written by some one with a good knowledge of what went on therein.

The Commissioner said that lie would not Bay that the question was irrelevant, but if the witness ieolined to answer it, he would consider whether or not he should be compelled to answer it.

Dr Stewart, on Mr Lougbrey again putting the question, said that he had written the letter.

To Dc Murray-Aynsley : The physician or Burgeon in charge of a case usually asked for a consultation. Ifc was possible that Dr^Murray-Aynsley might have said he would not send out notices of consultations to the staff because they did not come. Very often they did not attend. Noticeß were sent out before Dr Murray-Ayneley came to the hospital. Cards were sent to the doctors' houses. Afterwards the notices were stuok on a board in the corridor. Witness waa extremely particular about fractures, and sometimes altered the splints on patients who were under his charge. He did not remember there being no consultation on the case of Horace Lttnn, who was operated on in January, 1894, for radical oure of hernia. On Jan. 17, 1894, a man named Philips was trephined. The House Surgeon put him under chloroform, and the matron continued with ether. He did not remember that there had been no consultation over it. Remembered the case of a man named Strickland, who underwent an operation in 1886. In that case he had said that the doctor in charge of the case was the best judge as to a consultation. At an operation in the I Conference Street Homo Dr MurrayAynaley had put the patient under the anaesthetic, and the man at the Home had kept him under. That, he thought, was not wrong. Dr Murray-Aynsley had given acsßßthetics outside the hospital for wit-r-38, and had oharged for it, on one occasion— perfectly openly. Dr De Renzi had also given anaesthetics for witness outside the hospital when he (Dr De Eenzi) was 'House Surgeon, and had not oharged that witness knew of. It had been the practice for House Surgeons to administer anesthetics outside the hospital. Witness thought that Bnrfc, who had a fib in Skelton and ITroßtick'a factory, should have been at once moved to the hospital. He agreed with Hilton Faggs's opinion as to its being dangerous to move oases of fits. He would

try to ascertain the cause of the fit before ordering the patient to he moved. He knew that Dr Miokle live just opposite Stellon and Frostiok's, and that several doctors were within call. Witness bad an interest in a drug called the New Asthma Core, but did not know that it had previously been largely used in the hospital. Dr Hunt and Mr Knight-Hnnt had never been in witness house together. He might; bare read over a list of charges against the hospital to Mr Mortimer Davie {And asked him to write to the paper about 'them.

To Mr Strinnrer : "TongarioV lettes tob written in January, and witness left the hospital Btaff at the end of December. He had never complained to the House Surgeon about young girls being compelled to attend delicate operations. The House Surgeon wa9 the proper person to make complaints to. He had never suggested to •Dr Murray-Aynsley that it was unwise that the girls should attend these operations. Witness had heard that orders had been issued about the patients attending church. He objected to say who in the hoSDltal Vlftfl tnl/t him ohnnt: if ■

The Commissioner said the question was qnite in order. Dr Stewart said he thought that Nurse Knight had told him of it, and also Nurse Medlam. Brown had not mentioned it to him, and he did not think that Nurse Henry had. He also heard about it from outside. He had got information from : some of the nurses as his house, Mr Stringer asked what nurses/ Dr Stewart objected to answer. The Commissioner said it "must be answered.

Dr Stewart eaid that Nurses Henry, Medlam, and M'Robbie had been to his house, and also Mr Brown, and he had got some (information from thum. They were . the nurses whom it was proposed to dismiat, and they were the beat nurses in the institution. He' had not made any

vuiupwiuii io any person anout tne matter mentioned in his letter, which ho knew of hig own knowledge. Since he left the hospital he had not got any information as to what went on in it. Brown had not given him any information about operations or anything else. Witnesa had not been active io getting up evidence. He had not been round with Dr de Eenzi for the

purpose, and had hot been to see a single witneaa. Dr De Re^zi had not brought Montagu to him. Montagu had cbme to witness of his- own accord. Witness hud not particuiarly taken up the cudgels for Nurse Cameron,, but thought she had been badly treated. The nurses had been in the habit for many years of coming to | .■mm -if they had grievances; He was under the impression that the old nqraeß were in some danger of being ousted to make room for the new ones, but the nuraes had never said anything to him about ir, Mi Loughrey : Did you, remember having an accident when you were Charitable Aid doctor? Witneßß : Tea. Mr Loughrey: And Dr Aynaley did your work gratuitously? . WitneßS: Tes; heveVy kindly did. , .

MrLougbrey: And thia. is your way of repaying him P _ Witness: Ido not 'think. you should put it that way. Iwa s octnated by no personal feeling against Dr Murray- Aynaley. Mr Joynt:, But by a spaa of public duty. . ' - , Witness: Tea. To Mr Joynt: He thought the great grievance in the hospital was the system of government, apart altogether from toe House/ Surgeon and matron, and until it waa changed the trouble* would continue. 'To the Commissioner: There should; be a lady superintendent with f nil power over everything, and a trained housekeeeper under her, and a steward, without power of paying money away. To Mr Joynt : What Brown and the Horses mentioned to witness, seemed, to him to be a reasonable grievance, and not to be mentioned out of any spirit of fab-, tious oppoaition. ' To Mr Btringer : He got the information about a girl full of soreß being turned away from the hospital from the papers, that about a paralytic being refused admission, from the papers and what he heard outside. To the Commissioner: He had not.applied for re-admission to the honorary staff at the end of last year. He thought there were certain operations at which none but male attendants should be present—that waa perhaps rather strong, and he would qualify it by saying that an jOlid experienced nurse in charge of the ward might be present. The ma-ieeur need to pop in occasionally at operations ; he had been a medical student, and used to perform massage in the wards. Witness did not object to his presence at operations and did not know the girls did. Discharging patients was generally done by the House Surgeon without reference to. the medical man in charge of the case. He believed that this, waa contrary to the rnles, which provided that the House Surgeon should not' discharge a patient except for breach of discipline, without sanction of tbe doctor in charge or the House Committee, but all the House* Surgeons had done the

same.

A. statement has been circulated to the effect that Dr Giles, the Commissioner conducting the inquiry into the administration of the Cbriatchuroh hospital, is a friend of Mr T. W. Maude, father of Miss Maude, the matron of the institution. We are assured, on unimpeachable authority, that, so far from that being the case, Dr Giles has not, so far as he is aware, even seen Mr Maude, and has had no communication with him at any time.

Darin? the sitting of the Commission on Wednesday one of the witnesses, Arthur Henry, Btated that Pr Murray- Aynsley, the House Surgeon of the hospital, had told him, when he asked permission to take out his stepmother, who was a patient in the institution, that the best thing he could do would be to get a rope and hang her. The doctor asked if he had not said that the witness might us well get a rope and hang her as take her out. The witness replied : " You used the wordsl repeated,^ whereupon the Commissioner remarked: "I understood the answer in the way you pat it, doctor." This last remark, which was somewhat totto voce, was omitted in our report.