21

H.—3lb

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE. Tuesday, 14th January, 1913. Thomas Chamberlain, sworn, saith. 1 reside at 246 Ponsonby Road, Auckland. I am a timber-worker. I was husband of Laura Elizabeth Chamberlain. At the time of our marriage my wife was aged nineteen years. I had been acquainted with my wife for three years before our marriage. During those three years her health was the very best. Except on two occasions, she was very vigorous. She had a cold in May, 1912. She was better of that in a few days. She was not attended by any medical man for it. She had a slight complaint of the kidneys. Dr. Brockway told me that was due to pregnancy. He gave her medicine for it. She was all right in three or four days. She was a fine big strong young woman —bigger and stronger than 1 am. On 10th August, 1912, my wife went into St. Helens Home. The time was between 10 and 11 a.m. The child was born about 5 a.m. next day. My wife had made arrangements for her admission about two months beforehand. The child born was a male —a full-time child. My wife told me the weight was either 6£ lb. or 6| lb. —I forget which. I first saw my wife after her confinement about 3 in the afternoon of the same day. She was in, I think, room No. 9. There were two beds in the room. My wife was the only patient there —that is, in that room. [Witness is asked to state the conversation he had with his wife. Mr. Mays objects, on ground that no nurse was present. Evidence admitted, subject to decision later as to how it is to be used.] I made no note of our conversation. I speak from memory only. I asked my wife how she got on. She said, "Very fair." Shortly after this she started to cough. I said, "By Jove, you've got a bad cough." She said " Yes." 1 asked if she had caught cold. Her reply was, " Yes. I got a severe chill on the labour-table." She used those words. I asked her how that happened. Wasn't she well covered up. She said that she did have a covering over her, but it was very light. She complained about, it being very hard on the board—that the cover on that was very scant. I asked her what it was. She said it was a waterproof sheeting. She told me she was shivering when she was removed to the bed. She said she shivered in bed, and that there was an injection inserted into her hip while in bed. She told me it was very wet on the table. She also told me she was torn during labour, and that the Matron had put in four or five stitches. She told me that during confinement the Matron had not laid a hand on her till after the baby was born, and that one of the nurses in attendance on her met the Matron at the door as she was coming in and said something to her (the Matron), but she (my wife) did not hear what she said. The Matron replied to the nurse, "You should not have done that." The Matron attended her then, and put in those four or five stitches. She said the shivering continued for some time after she was put to bed. My wife's legs were not tied at that time, but she told me they were going to be tied. That is about all that took place between us on this occasion. I went along to the Hospital again the following evening. I went to my wife's room, and saw her. No nurse was present. It was in the same room. I asked her how she was going on. She said all right, but for a throbbing pain where the stitches were. She told me that the Matron told her that the stitches would be coming out on the ninth day. She seemed bright and all right on this occasion. I had not up to this asked her if she had been seen by the Medical Officer. The time was shortly after 7 o'clock. There were no other complaints that day. I visited my wife again on the following day at about the same time. I asked her how she was getting on that evening. She said, " Oh, lam all right, only for the throbbing pain of the stitches." She told me the doctor had seen her that day—Dr. Inglis, she said. She said that the Matron and doctor had stood at the foot of her bed speaking in a low voice. She said she did not hear what the conversation was. She said the doctor walked up to the bedside, took hold of her arm, and felt her pulse, and asked her if she was nervous. She replied " No." She said that he said " That is all right." I asked her if he had examined her otherwise. She said "No." That is all that took place that day. The next day I found that my wife had been shifted to another room. Ido not know the number of this room. [Witness points out room on plan (room No. 3).] I asked her. how she was doing on that occasion. She told me all right, but those stitches were still throbbing. I told her if she had any complaints to make to tell the Matron —not to tell any of the nurses, but to tell the-Matron. At this time the child was at the.breast. This was the first occasion I had seen the child at, the breast. I noticed nothing on this occasion when the child was put to the breast. My wife's condition was all right but for the pain of the stitches. I went on■ the fifth day at the usual time to see my wife. .She told me .the baby had been taken off the.breast that day. I asked her why, and she said she did not exactly know.. She said, she thought; it was because her left breast was sore. On the fifth day my wife pressed her breast. There was black blood and matter issued from it. I saw this myself. It was done in my. presence. . The, child was not allowed to continue on the breast after the fifth day that I know of. My wife told me that injections were made in her arms daily by the nurses. She told me on this day that the Matron had been pressing on her stomach, and told her that she seemed to have a lot of wind in her stomach. She said the Matron asked her if she suffered from wind in the stomach before she entered the home. She said she told the Matron "No." I had no conversation with the Matron on the fifth day. Luncheon adjournment. I had spoken to my wife before the third day as to attendance on her by a doctor. I asked her on the day of the confinement if a doctor was in attendance, or if she had seen one later on.