A Private Asylum Inquiry.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 229, 31 March 1896, Page 3

A Private Asylum Inquiry.

1 O™ "" j (Per Press Association.) Dunkdin, March 30. kn inquiry was commenced before Judge Ward to-day into the management of the Ashburn Hall private asylum. It arose oat of a recent suicide, C. H. Macahster, an inmate. The charges were that deceased was improperly treated and insufficiently attended ; that Colonel Hume, the superintendent, though paijd for the entire services of a skilful attendant, placed deceased under the care of an unskilful attendant ; that though known to be suffering with suicidal mania, not sufficient precautions were taken ; that deceased was treated on more than one occasion with great unkiudness; that after deceased iuflicted a wound on himself, not sufficient means ■were taken to save his suffering or prevent bis death; that medical trcatmeut hastened the death of the deceased ; that the attendance was insufficient and the attendants not qualified ; that there ■was not sufficient medical supervision ; that there was no medical attendant, and though the asylum was three miles a distant from the nearest medical man, no telephone was provided \ that the asylum not supplied with the medical and surgical appliances necessar y ; that the supervision and attention during the night are insufficient. Mr W. C. Mac Gregor opened in support of the charge, summarising the evidence he intended to lead. Witnesses were examined in Bupport of the opening statement. Tho enquiry is likely to last the whole week.