THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JULY 1, 1879.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1673, 1 July 1879, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JULY 1, 1879.

Saturday's isue of tlio “ Star ” contains another cf that journal’s brilliant attacks on Dr. Chilton, evidently written under the nsua inspiration. The Resident Surgeon’s lovcments appear to possess a species c fascination for certain members of tho id Staff. It would seem as if these individuals immediately throw all tho ordinary business of life to tho winds directly Jr. Chilton’s name is brought before the public. Tho physicking of patients isat once abandoned for tho inspiring of aticles, and the mixture of drugs passes iutantaueously into the mixture of facts. VYe have not, as yet, been able to ascortin whether a cordon of detectives has ieen placed round the Hospital, or whether the individuals above alludd to take it in turn, in fair weather and foul, to watch the precincts, hut, whihover of these processes is adopted, tho ’osult is much the same. Dr. Chilton cw hardly raise his hand to his mouth rithout the “ Star”

alluding to his “ extreme youth,” his ■“ rashness,” his “ desire of innovation,” and his want of reverence for the happy days when the late Staff flourished and physicked within the walls of the Hospital. The articles which have been written by the “ Star” in this one strain would, if hound together, make a moderately sized volume, which might well ho dedicated to the memory of the departed functionaries, whoso amiability ’it would so well disclose. It should he observed that all notice of anything that might tell to the credit of the present management and the Resident Surgeon is, in these productions, carefully omitted. That the handsome sum of £250 has been raised for a destitute patients’ fund, that a convalescent home is in a fair way of being established, and that a thoroughly trained matron is about to ho added to the establishment —all these facts are passed over in silence. Nay, more than this—the “ Star” wilfully distorts anything that is done or said by the Resident Surgeon. Take, for instance, one assertion in Saturday’s article. Dr. Chilton is made to consider it infra dig to pay regard to subpoenas from inferior Courts. The real facts of the case are these:—When oue drunken loafer knocks another down, ho is immediately taken off to the Hospital by the police with the request that the head of the first drunken loafer may be properly bandaged. If the interesting individual who has been assailed chooses to claim damages on account of injuries done to his valuable person, the Resident Surgeon is dragged off to the Police Court to give evidence and the whole work of the Hospital is hung up for the greater part of the day, or until such time as the Surgeon’s evidence has been taken. It was against this waste of time that Dr. Chilton protested to the Bench. Such trivial cases are not taken in at the Hospital and the police might well carry the wounded loafer to some private practitioner, say to some member of the old staff.

But we will pass from the not oveprofitable (ask of reviewing the “ Star’s ” late article to a more general consideration. Without any reference at all f } the gentleman who at present holds the position of resident surgeon, it would he well to see 'whether that position, as at present constituted, is one which presents such inducements as would load a competent practitioner when once he had taken it, to remain satisfied therewith. It is evident that, unless the post is made sufficiently attractive, competent men will not remain long at the Hospital, and it is equally evident that the principal losers thereby will bo the public. What the latter requires is that a clever and energetic doctor should be induced to remain at the Hospital, for, apart from other considerations, conj stant change is sure to affect the efficiency of the institution. In order, then, that the post should bo made to possess sufficient elements of permanency, the Resident Surgeon should, wo think, have an ex officio seat on the Board. It need not result from such an arrangement that the Board should lose, in the slightest degree, its proper control over the Hospital or bo hampered in its freedom of discussion on its affairs. But if the public is to keep the services of any really good medical man, that gentleman may well expect that his medical status should have duo recognition. Besides, who can possibly be so well acquainted with the working of the institution as the Resident Surgeon ? Is it not therefore most desirable that he should be able on all occasions to lay his views freely before the Board. If it is hold to be undesirable that the Resident Surgeon should bo able so easily to ventilate his ideas, if it is thought that he should hold an inferior position to an ordinary medical practiouer, all we can say is, that no really competent man will ever accept the post as a permanency. And as a complement of our proposition it would be a necessity that the salary of the Resident Surgeon ' should bo raised. At present this officer may be said only to got an ordinary clerk’s salary. Even compared with other Resident Surgeons he is underpaid, as he absolutely does not get as much as the Resident Surgeon of the Hospital at Timaru, whore the work is nearly three times as light as it is in our Hospital. With a good salary and an assured position, we hold that a clever and energetic man would find it worth his while to look upon his appointment as a permanency. We do not advocate the curtailing of the power of tho Board, but we do advocate tho securing of the best available talent for the use of the public. Tho whole matter hinges on this consideration. Is the post of Resident Surgeon one to be filled by medical men as a more halting-place on the way to town practice, or is it to be a recognised post of honour in tho possession of which a competent man may rest satisfied ? This consideration is at tho root of the whole question. Holding, as wo do, that the post of Resident Surgeon is a most important one, and that it is most desirable that the best available talent should bo procured to fill it, wo are strongly of opinion that tho Resident Surgeon should be a well-paid official, with a recognised official position. It is all nonsense to class a resident surgeon with ordinary secretaries. A man hovering between life and death is brought into tho hospital; can the case bo referred to tho next meeting of the Board ? Why, frequently there is not even time to call one of the medical staff for consultation; measures must bo instantaneously taken or the man dies. As long as tho status of tho Resident Surgeon is what it now is, wo fool confident that no competent man will over remain at tho Hospital for any length of time. Before tho abolition of tho provinces, our Provincial Government had intended make the post such a one as wo have to suggested that it should bo, and if tho public is alive to its true interests, it will not remain satisfied until the change has been effected. Wo fail to see that the position of a resident surgeon should bo one wit inferior to that of a town practitioner, unless, indeed, it is admitted that tho life of a poor man is loss \ valuable than that of his more fortunate follow-creatures.