A MEDICAL MAN FOR FOXTON.

Manawatu Herald, Volume I, Issue 71, 2 May 1879, Page 2

A MEDICAL MAN FOR FOXTON.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MANAWATU HERALD. . Sir — In your last issue you make allusion to an attempt about to be made to obtain the transfer of certain appointments .from Dr Rockstrow to some legally qualified praotilioner, as an inducement to the latter to settle in this district. Now, sir, some of the appointments held by Dr Rockstrow ought not to he conferred upoi any medical man except in cases where there is no one else competent to undertake the duties, I allude to Registrarship of Births, Deaths. &c, &c, and the Ooronership. For some time past we have been placed in a very anomalous position here. The only medical man living here holds both of these appointments, and should he through an error of judgment administer a wrong dose, or should he neglect his patients so that they fail to recover from any sickness, through which they might have been safely brought with a little care or attention, it is in his power as " doctor," to give to " himself," as "Registrar," a certificate of death, and as " Coroner," he wonld not, of course, inquire into it. Such is the uncomfortable position, which does us no credit ; a position of extreme danger, and one out of which it is certainly our duty to strive to extricate ourselves. The Registrarship of Births, &c, should be at the Court- House, and now that we have a resident Clerk of the Court-, there is no reason why Jthe change should be any longer delayed. The Coronership should not be held by any medical man in these districts. As it is, the office which was created as a safeguard and a protection to life, is here in that respect null£and void. Fancy a medical man holding an inquest on one of his patients, who may have died under his treatment. Tour informant is in error about Dr Rockstrow giving up practice. He may be going to do so, but as yet he has not. It is true he only practices when and where he chooses, but yet he practises. When I say he may perhaps be about, to relinquish praotico, I mean from a professional point of view ; for there is one kind of practice, he uever will be able to give up, viz., the practising (and that with extraordinary success) upon the credulity of the gulls who are befooled by him. I am, &c, X.Y.Z. Foxton, April 28.