Dunedin Hospital

Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume XV, Issue 4, 1 October 1926, Page 165

Dunedin Hospital

In August was held the Diamond Jubilee of the Dunedin Hospital, and the Daily Times," from which we take some notes, is very interesting and amusing reading. Established m 1851 it was only m 1889 that nurses were first trained m the hospital. Prior and even subsequent to that date there was no trained Matron and Miss Mawe, the first qualified nurse appointed as Matron, took up her duties m 1892, but was quickly succeeded by Miss Isabella Fraser m 1893. Miss Fraser really started the training school on proper lines after her own school at Edinburgh Infirmary, and remained m charge for seventeen years, turning out during that time many excellent nurses. For years nurses were not placed on duty m the male wards, but m 1891 the report says that "male nurses m charge of wards were replaced by young ladies who had been trained m the institution." The first Nurses' Home was built m 1891. Previous to that the nurses slept anywhere about the buildings, two of them having rooms off the children's ward. The food of the nurses was poor m the extreme. They had no sitting room and no dinner service, but just odds and ends of plates. The food was served on enamel plates, one plate of vegetables stuck down on top of another, q Dr. McGregor, when visiting the institution asked the nurses if they were satisfied with their treatment and they ventured to speak about their food, with the result that much improvement was effected. Mrs. Fraser (then Miss Fraser) was one of the pioneer nurses, and gave some entertaining instances of her life there during three and a half years. When only four months m the hospital she was m full charge of all the children's wards. The nurses had no uniforms, wearing anything they chose, but they approached the Board and requested permission to adopt a uni-

form and were told they might select a uniform for themselves, so they chose navy blue serge with white aprons, caps and belts. Evidently the Matron, not then a trained woman, took no interest m this important question. Mrs. Fraser said there were many "real characters" associated with the institution. The Matron, Mrs. Burton, was one of these, and many quaint and amusing stories could be told of her. When the nurses asked that they might have some lectures, she came m one morning and remarked with fine scorn m a broad Scotch accent: "So you're wantin' lectures, are you?" Nurse Fraser admitted the charge. "A' did'na hae ony lectures and a' got on all right. Lectures, umph!" The nurse contended that they were doing their part and the Trustees should do theirs. "Ledies," said the Matron, "A' never heard o' sic a thing." Then she wheeled about, "Here's Dr. Gordon Macdonald giving a lecture and ye're no listening," and she pushed the nurse before her into the middle of a class of students. Dr. Brown was the dispenser and was a great character. He dispensed medicine and took out teeth, and when he left several kerosene tins of teeth were found under a bench. He asked for the papers powders were wrapped m to be brought back — he could not bear to waste anything, and had been known to pick up a pill fallen on the floor and if unable to identify it and place it m its proper receptacle swallow it himself! He was very learned and had a great library of second-hand books. A well known character and one much beloved by the old nurses was Sister James, who had been at the hospital before the training days and was for many years night sister. She took the greatest interest m the Dunedin branch of the Trained Nurses' Association and loved to attend the meetings. Another character was the hall porter, Mr. William Dryburgh, who was

an old naval man and one of the Marines who carried Florence Nightingale on a stretcher to the transport at Scutari when she was ill with fever. The doctors of these old days — Dr. Maunsell, Dr. Coughtrey, Dr. Barnett, Dr. Batchelor — and others took the greatest interest m the nurses training, and Mrs. Fraser says, "I would like to emphasise what we owe to the doctors of those days. We got all our knowledge from them and not one of them gave to us with stint." Mrs. Fraser remarked on the long hours. "The Hospital undertook to provide the nurses with lectures and training, and the nurses on their part undertook to be on duty from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. They were allowed a half-day on Saturday, but lest they should suffer from their excess of freedom, they were required to make it up by remaining on duty from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday." The pay to begin with was £12 a year, and when they provided their own uniforms it was increased to £20. "Strange to say," Mrs. Fraser re-

marked with a smile, "all these first nurses are still living, so it did not kill us!" The first nurses to pass an examination, which was held by Dr. William Brown (not the dispenser, Dr. Brown) were N. M. Monson and N. Fraser with high commendation, A. Bacon, G. M. Caffin and R. G. Chapcott with credit. These nurses are now: N. Fraser (Mrs. Fraser, of Dunedin) ; A. Bacon (Mrs. Barry, m East Bengal) ; E. M. Caffiin (Mrs. Reid, of Wanganui) ; R. A. Chapcott (Mrs. Barclay, of Dunedin) ; while Miss Monson lives at Port Chalmers. There is much more of great interest m this jubilee report, but we must conclude our extracts with Mrs. Fraser's philosophy of life: — "I sometimes tell them that the only way you get real fun is to work hard for it. We five have far above the average health and are able to enjoy ourselves and do a great deal of hard work. Take it from me, that hard work will never kill you. It is discontent and unhappiness that injures people."