HOSPITAL INQUIRY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2088, 2 November 1880, Page 3

HOSPITAL INQUIRY.

The fits'; portion of yesterday's sitting of the inquiry wjb given in our issue of yestord.y. The following evidence concluded the inquiry:— Dr. Irving was called to give evidenoe respecting the complaint of Maggie MaUldon, who was one of the patients attended by him and referred to by Dr. Nedwill as having typhoid fever. He distinctly stated that her complaint was gastro-enteritis and not fever. He hud remonstrated with the surgeon for reporting oases as typhoid which were not. Dr. Nedwill asked, as he was going to be examined, and the Board of Health would not then bo represented, that Mr Cowlishaw be allowed to appear as counsel. This was agreed to, Dr. Campbell maintaining it was not honest. Richard Brown, head wardsman of the Hospital, who had been acting in that capacity, examined by Dr. Prins, said that the clothes of deceased patients were only burned when they were too far gone for further wear or were covered with vermin. There was no fever ward in the Hospital. He considered that the patient McLaren was suffering from delirium tr'ement. It frequently happened when patients were admitted that the friends who brought them said they were suffering from something different to what proved to be the case. By Dr. Nedwill—Witness oould not say whether he told the dispenser that Mrs Keetley bad fever. Dr. Prins put in the bedhead cards of George Kirkhouae and Mary Keetley to prove that neither bore the name of the disease from which they were alleged to be suffering. Dr. Campbell wanted to examine Dr. Nedwill regarding a case which Dr. Skae refused to allow, as not being relevant to the enquiry. Dr. Nedwill, examined, said he was house surgeon four or five years ago. Mr Pridgeon was then dispenser, and most of the entries in the day book were made by him. Witness, as house surgeon, never made any entries in that book, nor did he give any instructions about them; that would be in the department of the dispenser. He remembered a case in whioh himself and Dr. Powell sent a man to the lunatic asylum as insane, and on a postmortem examination being made by the medical officer of the asylum, death was proved to have been caused by typhoid fover. He did not remember at what period the system of stating the diagnosis on the cards was done away with, but if during his time he fancied he would have been opposed to it. Dr. Prins remarked that he did not believe the books had ever been kept properly sinoe he left in 1866. If they had eontinued to have stated the disease on the oards there would not have been all this confusion. By Dr. Skae—He thought the dispenser's book had merely been kept for his own guidance, and matters had prooeeded in a most unsatisfactory way. This concluded the enquiry, and members of tho staff and Dr. Nedwill thanked Dr. Skae for his forbearance.