HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2090, 4 November 1880, Page 3

HOSPITAL AND CHARITABLE AID BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of this Board was held on Wednesday afternoon at 4 o’clock. Present —His Worship the Mayor of Christchurch in the chair, the Mayor of Sydenham, Dr. Turnbull, and Mr Montgomery. The Hospital committee reported that during the past fortnight seventeen patients had been admitted to the Hospital and twenty discharged, leaving forty-seven patients at present remaining in the institution. During the same period five deaths occurred. Dr. Turnbull said ho wished to enter into a personal explanation before the ordinary business was proceeded with. He wished first to ask the secretary whether there was any record on the books of the Board of any resolution authorising tho alteration of tho head cards attached to the beds of the patients ? Mr March replied in the negative. He remembered the circumstance being brought up by Mr Chilton, but no order or instruction was given by the Board so far as appeared on the minutes. Dr. Turnbull—But I understand that an alteration was nevertheless made in the system of bed-head cards. Mr March—Certainly. After some further questioning and a good deal of general comment from Dr Turnbull as to the past management of the Hospital in the particular direction already indicated, _ The Chairman said that the questions having been definitely answered, he hoped Dr, Turnbull was satisfied, although at the same time he failed to see what object was to bo served in referring to these matters, and felt, personally, that they were somewhat out of place in view of the fact that an enquiry touching the Hospital management was at present, so to speak, sub judice. Dr. Turnbull—Excuse me, sir, I wish to explain. You, sir, know who you are, of course? The Chairman (laughing, in some embarrassment) —Well, I suppose so; but doesn’t some great philosopher tell us that a man hath much wisdom who knoweth himself thoroughly. [Laughter.] Dr. Turnbull (impressively) —You know, sir, that you are Mayor of Christchurch, and I must say you are a very good Mayor too. The Chairman —Thank you, doctor, but won’t you be seated. Dr. Turnbull—No, sir. I fully appreciate your polite consideration, but I am also keenly alive to your importance as the representative of 20,000 people. But you are not only Mayor of Christchurch, you are chairman of this Board, and you know that at a recent inquiry you swore upon oath that I was never instructed by tho Board to investigate the books with the object of ascertaining the number of fever oases from tho Ist of January to the 30th of June, 1880. The Chairman said what he stated was that he had no recollection of the oircumstanoee. Dr. Turnbull drew attention to the date of a meeting when the question was discussed by the Board of fever cases supposed to bo caused by impoverishment, and upon that occasion he Dointed out that a simple investigation of the jocks would enable the Board to ascertain what they wanted. The Chairman recollected something of the circumstances, though not accurately; but he still failed to see what Dr. Turnbull was driving at. Dr, Turnbull intimated that all would be made clear in duo course. He then asked Mr Ick whether he was not aware that the amenities of civilised life had been rather disturbed during recent times. The Chairman was on the point, seemingly, of confessing ignorance or innocence on this head, when he was solemnly entreated by the doctor not to interrupt the thread of his discourse.

Dr. Turnbull then continued, and remarked that it was not an unknown tiling for the opprobious epithet of liar to be applied to members of that Board. The Chairman —Well, really, Dr. Turnbull, I never used that word. Dr. Turnbull—l quite agree with you, sir. I am quite happy to say you speak the truth. But, nevertheless, the fact remains, and it isn’t nioe. The Chairman —“It isn’t nice”—faintly echoed by other members of the Board. Dr. Turnbull—Still, are you not aware, sir, that you placed me precisely in the same position at the late inquiry. The Chairman —Certainly not, Dr. Turnbull ; what I then said I would repeat a thousand times—that I had no recollection of your receiving instructions to investigate the books, and I am perfectly satisfied that other members of the Board have no recollection of it. I simply said I knew nothing of it. Dr. Turnbull—l quite agree with you, sir ; nay, I am as certain as I stand here, that you knew nothing about what you said. The Chairman (a little impatiently)—l know quite well what I said, but not of the Board’s instructions. After some further remarks, The Chairman —I think I understand what you want to arrive at. It is that if certain things had been done which were not entered up on the minute book—which has been shown to have been so—then other things might have been done in the same way. Dr. Turnbull—Precisely; but if you will let me refer to the particular meeting in question, I think I can bring the matter to your recollection, and show that the Board did give me the instructions to investigate the books. Further reference to the meeting spoken of by Dr. Turnbull called to mind that the subject of fever from the effects of impoverishment was considered thereat, and suggestions made for enquiry into the matter. Dr. Turnbull also produced an extract from one of the local papers containing an account of the meeting, and which said that it was understood the matter of these fever oases would ba further investigated. The Mayor of Sydenham thought the explanation of Dr. Turnbull satisfactory. The Chairman quite concurred, and remarked that he and Dr. Turnbull, were perfectly good friends. Here the matter was allowed to drop. The following letter was read from the medical staff : To the Chairman of tho Hospital BoardSir,—At a special meeting of the medical staff, called for the purpose of considering the coroner’s action in reference to the post mortem examination of Pearse, who died last week’in the Hospital from tho effects of a bullet wound, it was unanimously resolved—“ That the case be brought before the Board, with the request that they would transmit it to tho Minister of Justice, as they regard it as a deliberate breach of courtesy to the member of the staff who was in charge of tho case.” In explanation of this resolution, the staff wish to remind your honor--1 able Board of the fact that the coroner’s conduct 1 in transferring aj post-mortem examination from ' the visiting surgeon to an outside practitioner 1 reflects on the competence of that visiting surgeon, and they feel it their duty to ask for on , explanation. The staff farther draw the attention of the Board to the fact that no notice was 3 given to tho visiting surgeon that a post-mortem 1 was to be held, although tho coroner had expressed fta opinio# that the treatment of the

cose whilst in the hospital was likely to he questionod. (Signed) J. Ibviug, M.D. Dr. Turnbull remarked that if no member of the staff was present at tho post mortem, a breach of tho Act had been committed. The house surgeon being called in, stated that ho and Dr. Symes conducted the postmortem, and that Dr. Campbell—the medical attendant—was also present. Mr Montgomery pointed out that the letter asked that the matter should be referred to tho Minister of Justice. Therefore they need not trouble further with it than by complying with tho request. After some further discussion, the matter was deferred. The secretary presented a return showing the expenditure and receipts at the casual ward, Lyttelton, for six months ended 30th September, 1880. The expenditure amounted to £lOl lls ; receipts, £l6 10s. Daily average number of patients, 2} ; daily average cost of each patient, 4s lOd, but receipts reduce this amount to 4a and five-eighths of a penny. Mr Montgomery gave notice that at next meeting he would ask for a return showing the number of women receiving charitable aid who have been deserted by their husbands, and also the number of children receiving charitable aid belonging to each person so deserted ; also the cost to the Board per week for the maintenance of those persons at the present time. Some routine business was transacted, and the Board adjourned.