KUMARA HOSPITAL

Kumara Times, Issue 2011, 8 February 1883, Page 2

KUMARA HOSPITAL

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of tho Hospital Committee was held at the Secretary’s Room on Tuesday evening ; present—Messrs Campbell (in the chair) Burger, Harris, Spyer, Morris, J. White, Montague, Stockman, ; and Mansfield. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

The Wardsman’s Report for the mnoth of January was read and adopted. It showed that the total number of in-door patients treated was five ; two were discharged cured ; and there were three remaining in the Hospital. The patients still under treatment were—Wm. Menzies, Wm. Murphy, and Chas'. M'Keegan, the last-named suffering from a fractured arm and injuries to head and ribs. The Secretary replied that a Night Wardsrnan had been engaged for a week. CHARGES AGAINST THE WARDSMAN. Letters from John Martin and Edwin flendy were then read, charging the Hospital Wardsrnan with neglect of duty, &c. The following are copies : The Secretary Kuraara Hospital Committee. Sir—l, the undersigned John Martin, beg to report to your Committee as follows : That I have been for the past twenty days attending William Menzies, at night, at the Kumara Hospital. That the Wardsrnan, Mr Ross, has been absent from the Hospital almost every night during that time, from two to four o’clock a.m., to the injury of the Hospital patients, and especially to the injury of William Menzies. That on one night last week he (Mr Ross) left the Hospital about 8 o’clock p.m. for the purpose of seeing the doctor in reference to the patient Wm. Menzies (who was then in great agony) and did not return till half-past two in the morning. Wherefore, I most respectfully request that your committee will cause an inquiry to be held into these charges, which I make solely for the benefit of your institution and those patients who may happen to be located there. John Martin. Kumara, January 4, 1883. The Secretary Kumara Hospital Committee. Sir—l, the undersigned Edwin Hendy, beg to report to your Committee as follows : • That on the night of Doctor Bakewell’s visit to William Menzies, the Wardsrnan (Mr Ross) left the Hospital at 11 o’clock p.m. and did not return until half-past four o’clock next morning. That during the following week and on the day Doctor Porter operated on the patient Norman M £ Leod, who was delirious and wandering about the ward, the Wardsrnan was absent during that afternoon, and when Mr Voysey went to look for him he inquired of Doctor Porter who told Voysey he knew nothing of him ; but told him to look for him at the Empire Hotel. Wherefore I most respectfully request your Commmittee will cause an inquiry to be held into these charges which 1 make, solely for the benefit of your institution and those patients who may happen to be located there. Edwin Hendy. Kumara, January 4, 1883. The Chairman inquired if the parties concerned had been notified to attend. The Secretary replied that he believed they were all waiting outside. Mr Alexander Ross, Dr. Porter (the Hospital Surgeon), and Messrs Martin and Hendy were then called in, and Martin’s letter was read over to Ross, the Wardsrnan. The Chairman asked the Wardsrnan if he had any statement to make in reply. The Wardsrnan : Yes; in the first first place the general charge of being out is not true ; I do not recollect ever leaving the Hospital at 2 o’clock in the morning. Concerning leaving at 8 o’clock, on that occasion Menzies was rather ill ; I went out for the doctor, and saw him. The doctor said no more could be done for Menzies that night; and so I did not return. I suppose I am not required to attend twenty-four hours in the day ? In reply to committee-men, the Wardsrnan stated that on all occasions when he went out from the Hospital, there was someone looking after Menzies ; they were in charge of him. The Chairman then asked Mr Martin if he had anything further to say in substantiation of the charge, Mr Martin stated that the Wardsman was not home sometimes till daylight. His charge was that he did not return till 2 and 4 o’clock in the morning—not that he went out at that hour. The patient Menzies had a stoppage, and was very troublesome. In reply to committee-men, Martin stated : I gave Menzies drink once. T never ' 1 vone that I gave Menzies a p 1 : : id, I forget. I consider u- constipation—a little of it. I outained the brandy from outside the Hospital. I never saw any harshness manifested by Mr Ross to

any patient, nor did he ever refuse assistance that I know of. I was in charge of Menzies on the particular night referred to. I knew that Ross was out, but I did not require him. I could not say if he was on duty that day; I should not expect him to be sitting up that night if he was. That was the only time that I know of any liquor being given to Menzies.

Dr. Porter: Martin, my professional friend, says I was abrupt with him. I confess I did speak to him rather short; he so often complained about nothing. I have always found the Wardsman at his post in the daytime; it is not customary for a Wardsman to be on duty 24 hours. He was on duty the day in question. I remember Mr Ross calling on me at the time referred to. Menzies was delirious nearly all the time Martin was attending him. Drs. Morice, Bakewell and myself were opposed to Menzies having brandy ; that is what he was suffering from. It is true that during this time the sheets of the patient’s bed were tied at the corners. Menzies was very restless, and continually kicking the clothes off; they were tied for the purpose of keeping the clothes over him. I have no fault to find with the way the Wardsman treated Menzies j it is a very troublesome case. Martin said he disagreed with my treatment; that, I suppose, is the reason of his making complaints.

The Chairman then asked the Wardsraan if he had any witnesses to call. The Wardsman replied that he had.

Mr Chisholm was then called in and the charge against the Wardsman was read. He said he was a patient in the Hospital at the time mentioned, but he did not recollect that particular night. The patients were well attended to. He did not recollect the Wardsman being out on the night in question ; he had been within the walls whenever he required him. Martin told him that people gave the patient Menzies brandy. He told him that he himself gave him pills, to open his bowels. In reply to Martin, Chisholm said: You told me so yourself that you gave Menzies brandy, over and over again. You told me that on one occasion you heard the doctor coming and you took a nip yourself that the doctor might smell your breath and think it was you taking the brandy and not Menzies. —[Laugh ter.]

To the Chairman : I have never heard patients complaining of the Wardsman. I have heard several speaking very favourably of him. Mr Davidson, another patient who was in the Hospital during this time, said Mr Ross, the Wardsman, was a perfect stranger to him. He must say that he was everything that could be desired as a Wardsman ; he was kind and obliging, he was always there when he was wanted. He had been up with him till 12 and 1 o’clock in the morning. He could not wish for better treatment. He must give him the best of names; he was a perfect stranger to him. Mr Ross attended him, he thought till halfpast two one morning. He considered he had exercised great patience with Menzies during the time that he was at the Hopital. There were nearly always two in attendance on Menzies. He never saw any spirits given to Menzies.

Martin here questioned one of the committee, Mr Morris, who said : He knew Menzies was tied to the bed; it was necessary to tie him. He tied him himself loosely. If he were not tied, you could keep no clothes on him, nor yet keep him in bed. Mr Hendy’s charge was then read over, and the Chairman asked Mr Hendy if he had anything to say in support of it. Hendy replied : He went to look for the Wardsman to attend (the late patient) Duckworth ; he was at the Hospital from 8 till 11. Twenty minutes after that the Drs. Bakewell and Porter left. He did not call Ross in then ; the patient was easier. In reply to questions, Hendy said : He knew persons were not expected to be up day and night; he did not know much about the Wardsman other times. He never gave Menzies any liquor except one small glass of ale. He was in charge of Menzies on the night that a patient named M'Leod was delirious. Mr Ross was in the ward after that, at about 10 o’clock.

Mr M'Leod, another patient in the Hospital, at the time stated ; He had no complaint to make against Mr Ross; he had received from him every attention ; could not wish for better, and knew he could get no better attention in Melbourne. He very often came in to see him at 10 and 11 o’clock at night, and replenished his diet. He never saw any harsh treatment manifested by Ross towards patients, or in particular towards Menzies. He dressed me between six and eight o’clock that evening. The Wardsraan, in reply to Hendy’s charge, said Hendy did not tell him

that Duckworth was ill. With regard to M'Leod, when he heard of his sudden illness, he went and treated him, and then went and fetched the doctor. The doctor came, and M'Leod was set right. Replying to questions, the Wardsman said ; He never left the Hospital without acquainting the Matron that he was going out. If there were any serious case ho stopped and attended to it himself, unless- there was someone specially to attend. This closed the investigation. The witnesses and Wardsman then retired, and the Chairman said it was desirable some member of the Committee should make some motion dealing with the matter. A motion was proposed which, after several alterations and amendments had been made in it, was eventually worded as follows:—“That after a searching examination into the charges preferred by Messrs Martin and Hendy against Mr Ross, the Wardsman, for neglect of duty, the Committee are fully satisfied that no neglect of duty had been proved.” The resolution was unanimously carried. GENERAL BUSINESS. The ordinary business of the Committee was then proceeded with. The Chairman proposed that a Committee consisting of Messrs Spyer, Burger, and self wait on the Laundress of the Hospital to have an understanding relative to duties. Mr R. Toms was appointed a member of the Committee, vice Mr Dinan resigned. Several subscriptions were handed in. Accounts to the amount of £B7 14s 6tl were passed for payment. This concluded the business.