Jcl.—3lb.

22

[T. CHAMBERLAIN.

She replied " No." I asked her on the second day if she had been seen by a doctor. She said " No." The third day was the first occasion, so far as I know, of attendance on her by a doctor. 1 went to see her as usual on the sixth day. She then told me that hot fomentations had been put to her breast; that was to put the milk away. She also told me that some of the stitches had been taken out on that day. She did not say how many. I never learnt afterwards if the others were taken out. I had no conversation with the Matron on the sixth day. Later on than the sixth day the Matron told me that my wife was getting a temperature. She (wife) made no complaint about the room about this time. Nurse Way was at this time in attendance on my wife. I do not know when she was first placed in charge of my wife. My wife told me about the sixth day that Nurse Way had to attend no other patient or wash any other patient but herself. I noticed one objectionable thing about room No. 3 —that was, that the room was made a thoroughfare of for getting to the balcony. My wife told me of this. I continued to visit my wife every night right up to the time of her death. She continued under Nurse Way till the 23rd August as far as I can fix the date. It was about that time that she was removed from, the building to the separate isolation ward. Nurse Way was removed with her to that ward. I saw the Matron that night, and discussed with her the question of my wife's temperature —the question of her condition. 1 was told on the occasion of the removal that Dr. Inglis had examined her. The Matron told me she was suffering from a bad chest complaint. I told her that 1 could not believe that, as she had never had any chest complaint that I knew of. The Matron also told me that the temperature was very high at that time; she said about 104: or 105. She asked me if I knew if my wife had been a healthy woman before she was married. I told her Yes, as far as I had known. So anxious had 1 become that I decided to call upon Dr. Inglis that night. I called on him at his house in Ponsonby Road. I told him I was the husband of the young woman, Mrs. Chamberlain, who was confined at St. Helens. I asked him if he could tell me what was the matter with her, as she had not sat up. He told me that he had examined her, and all he could find wrong with her was chest complaint of long standing, with a tendency to tuberculosis. I did not feel satisfied with this. I went the next day, in consequence, to my family doctor, Dr. Brockway. In consequence of our interview, Dr. Brockway rang up Dr. Inglis. 1 heard what Dr. Brockway said. He told Dr. Inglis that I would like him (Brockway) to go along and visit my wife. In consequence of the conversation, I went to see Dr. Inglis. I told him I. would like to get Dr. Brockway to see my wife as he was our family doctor. Dr. Inglis said he would not give Dr. Brockway admittance. I asked him why, and he said, for the first reason, he did not belong to the British Medical Association. I asked him if I could fetch along a British Medical Association doctor. He said " No." I asked the reason why. He said it was not required, and when it was required he would call in doctors, but he would select his own. I told Dr. Inglis that the reason why I wanted Dr. Brockway was that I was not satisfied about his diagnosis of the case. He told me that other men were always satisfied with their wives under his care. He said, " You are making a great fuss about your wife. You seem to think that she is of some special consequence." He asked me what I meant by getting doctors to ring him up all round the town. Things went on without being any better at all till the 31st August. On that day I went straight to the Matron in the evening. I told her I was not at all satisfied with the way things were going. She told me she did not think my wife was seriously ill. I told her I was not satisfied, and that they would have to make a move and get doctors in to hold a consultation. The Matron told me to go along and see Dr. Inglis. I told her I had seen him, and that he would not allow me to get doctors in. I told her that if they did not make some move I would do so on Monday—that I would go and get a solicitor's advice on it. Next day Dr. Goldstein took Dr. Lindsay along. Dr. Goldstein was temporarily in charge of the home. 1 did not see him on the Ist September. I saw him on the 2nd September. On the Ist September my wife was looking very ill and weak. From the eighth or ninth day after the confinement I noticed that my wife was looking very ill. It was in consequence of what I saw myself that I paid these visits to Drs. Brockway and Inglis. In her ordinary health, nvy wife was quite the reverse of despondent. On the Ist September I could see that my wife had made no progress towards health—she was going down all the time. On Monday, the 2nd September, I went along and saw the Matron. I asked her if she could tell me what the result was of all the doctors. She told me to go round and see Dr. Inglis or Dr. Goldstein, and that they would tell me pretty straight what was the matter. I went at once to Dr. Goldstein. I asked him what the case was. He asked me if Dr. Inglis did not tell me that my wife had chest complaint. I said, "Yes." He told me that he was of the same opinion—that he had taken Dr. Lindsay round, that he had examined her, and was of the same opinion too. He asked me if my wife had always been a strong woman. I told him that as far as I knew she had. I then asked him if there was any blood-poisoning about the case. He said he did not think so —that if I wanted to know any more I had better go round to Dr. Inglis, as it was his case, and that he was only working there a few days while Dr. Inglis was off sick. He also told me there had been a blood test taken from my wife, that it was taken to the public Hospital, and they would perhaps know more the next day. I did not see Dr. Inglis that night. I called on him the next morning. I told him what Dr. Goldstein had said. He told me that I had the advice of three doctors—himself, Dr. Goldstein, and Dr. Lindsay—and that they were all of the same opinion—that it was chest complaint of long standing. I asked him about the result of the blood-test. He told me the result was that the blood was as pure as could be —that there was no septicaemia, no erysipelas, or any other blood-poisoning. I saw my wife that night. She seemed very weak. Nurse Way was there till the 2nd September; then Nurse Adams, a trained nurse, was put on. She remained in sole charge until the end. I saw nothing at all from the 2nd September to lead me to think my wife was making any progress towards recovery. She had got very thin and weak, and very pale. I noticed an offensive smell about her. I noticed this about the eighth or ninth day after confinement. I remarked on it to her. I did not mention it to the Matron. My wife told me she thought it was from