INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2884, 23 September 1916, Page 3

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

1 NURSE EVERITTS SIDE OP THE CASE. Nurse Evcritt forwards the following , as a copj' of a. letter she has sent to the Wellington Hospital Board:— •' "I am writing you this letter that it may he placed before your board at its next meeting as a protest against my beiugj condemned unheard at the meeting.!)! the board held on August 17. At that meeting there were fortunately present some members- who knew and recognised the work of my assistants and myself in connection with the' Children's Hospital; and to them I am indeed grateful for their defence of me. However, I feel that in fairness to myself and my assistants I must place my position before you, and tbo members of the board can then judge whether or not I have been unfairly dealt with." "Somo nine months ago I offered my services and that of my assistants as honorary masseuses to the board, and ■ invited members of the board and medical superintendent to attend a demonstration, so that the worth of om work could be judged before our services were accepted. My offer resulted in two members of the board, Dr. Platts-Mills and Mrs. M'Vicar, calling on ine, and informing me that the board w'as only too pleased to accept I the services of my assistants'with myself as supervisor, and on this basis we undertook to give our services. The member of I tile board who waited on me well knew that I was fully engaged with my own practice, and could only give my services as a supervisor, and the board readily accepted my offer, fully acquainted with tho position. Our..-work continued on this • footing down to the outbreak of .' infantile paralysis some five'months ago, When, . on/account, of,.the gravity of.the outbreak, I did not merely. .continue supervising,, but 'worked with my assistants continually, to the great detriment of my own private practice. I didl not grudge this, however,-as I realised' the seriousness of the position, and the allimportance of constant attention to.the stricken little ones. Our work continued until- the arrival of Miss Bevilaqua; who during her term at, the hospital, took absolute charge, and niy asistants contimiod to work -under her. As after Miss Bevilaqua took charge I did not continue- to supervise, I must dcclino to take ;fho responsibility for the. non-success or otherwise of the treatment given to the patients wliilc she was in charge. From her letter to your hoard one would think that my treatment of the infantile paralysis patients was an' absolute failure, hut you and your board must in justice recognise that my assistants and myself effected splendid results in our treatment before Miss Bevilaqua- arrived. I 'do think that tho considering of Miss ' Bevilaqua.'s. letter, without giving mi an opportunity to answer.it, was a most unjust proceeding—unjust for tho ■ reason that myself; and my assistants wero not paid servants of your board. Wo bad given our time and exertions fully -honorary for a period of nine months, during five of which the work was unceasing, but happily not unsuccessful. Our work, or rather my work, was then condemned in the letter written by Miss Bevilaqua—a letter which . apparently some members of your "board approved, judging by the attitude a-fc the.meeting—a "lottor containing- inaccuracies, and in particular tho very unjust-, insinuation that my, assistants did their work without a leader. . "The above review will, I hope, place my position in its true light before your board, and its members will nov be hotter able to judge tho nnfairndss of tho t'rcatme'ut meted out to me in oonucetion with the matter.' - '