71

H.—22a,

You mean they should go together?— Yes, if they were sufficiently good friends. (Laughter.) Mr. Reed: Have you any other suggestions?—l think the present relations between the resident and honorary staffs in the Auckland Hospitals are preposterous. I object to the position either thrust upon or arrogated by tho Senior Medical Officer. His contention is that the honorary staff have thrust upon him certain duties which he should not be called upon to perform. It appears to be arguable on the other side, and it seems with more likelihood of success, that he has arrogated these functions to himself, and that the Board has connived at it, the result being the present mess in which we find ourselves. But, according to the letter sent to the Board in 1901 by the honorary staff, they seem to have acquiesced in that position?— Yes, apparently; but what they were thinking of lam unable to understand. You think that in that case the profession wrongly advised the Board?— Yes, not only wrongly, but, what is worse, stupidly. (Laughter.) What should be the duties of the junior residents?— They should undertake the whole work of the institution under the supervision of the honorary staff. Do you think there should be no Medical Superintendent at all? Dr. MacGregor (with emphasis): No. The Hospital is not large enough to justify anything of the kind. Mr. Reed: Do you agree with Dr. Inglis that a business-man or secretary should be the really responsible man in the Hospital?—No, I do not, because a layman would be absolutely helpless in directing any department. Mr. Reed: Do you think there should be a senior medical man in charge?— Yes; if you have three residents—l cannot myself agree that more than two are necessary—and one of them proved capable, you could give him extended powers in regard to supervision. I think he could do with one assistant. Dr. Inglis said it was hard work, but I would like to know exactly what he calls hard work. People can make work for themselves, you know. Would you allow the man in charge to perform operations?— Yes. Could he attend to fractures?— That word "fractures" is a most dangerous one in the hands of a lawyer when he is trying to trip up a witness, but lam not going to be tripped up. (Laughter.) Could he set fractures? -That term also is old-fashioned. He could set some fractures. Should he be responsible for fractures?— Responsible to whom? To his employers —the Board?— How could he be responsible to the Board for setting fractures? Could he do major operations?— That is another out-of-date term, and I object to it. Persons who have allowed themselves to be tripped into the use of it have placed themselves in a false position. Supposing the senior resident was performing an operation, and his only assistant was administering the anaesthetic, who would attend to patients seeking admission?—ln such case the duty should be delegated to some other capable officer. It only requires a little commonsense. It would be a very unusual thing for both doctors to be occupied as you say. I have performed operations and given the anaesthetics at the same time, with no one to help me except some old woman. " Operation " is a very indefinite term, and some can easily be postponed or interrupted when there are more important matters to be attended to. Dr. Roberton: Do you think it would be an advantage if the members of the Board had a medical education?— That is a double-barrelled question. Fire one barrel at a time. (Laughter.) Matters may come before the Board of a technical nature. Could a Board with no medical knowledge deal with it satisfactorily?—lt would depend on the expounder or the writer of the letter, if it were in the form of a letter. Would it not be an advantage if a member of the Board could explain the medical terms?— That is the other barrel. Are you going to fire it now. (Laughter.) You were formerly a professor of mental science at the Otago University ?—Yes. Do you find that knowledge of advantage?— Well, yes. Most oi the time that I held that position I was in charge of the largest asylum in the colony. I am now the oldest official in connection with asylum work in the colony. You have, I suppose, found it advisable sometimes, even when dealing with an insane person, to give a straight answer?— Well. Socrates once asked whether a man w-as justified in telling a lie. 1 think a medical man sometimes is in speaking to a patient. Still, you would condemn a medical man who did tell lies?— Yes, if done unnecessarily. Let us return to the point if we can? If you can, you mean. (Laughter.) Witness, in answer to further questions, said that members of the medical profession did not always make good members of local bodies, but he thought that the chairman of the honorary staff should be in communication with the Board. Mr. Reed: You have said that the Board has got into trouble through listening to the medical profession. Have they not also got into trouble through not listening?— Very likely. Mr. Reed: Do you think hospitals should be restricted to the sick poor ?—That is what hospitals are supposed to be for; but in defining "sick" and "poor" there has always been a difficulty. I have seen Eeople driving up to the outdoor department of a hospital in their own uggy and pair. I think that if people say they cannot afford to payit should insure instant admission into any hospital.