INSPIRING LIVES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2403, 11 March 1922, Page 3

INSPIRING LIVES.

MARKED TRIBUTE TO NOBLE V WORK. / : • ■ '. HOSPITAL MATRON FARE- : WELLED. V ; c 'r k UNIQUE RECORD.

•' The J great debt of gratitude that - the public iii general and the Pal- - nierston District Hospital Board in particular owes to,the matron (Miss McLagan) and the deputy-matron ’ (Miss Greig) of the hospital, was fittingly acknowledged on Thurs- •' day afternoon, when both ladies * were officially farewelled and pre-, sented with -illuminated addresses. The gathering took place at the Nurses’ Home,' and among fbosepresent were the chairman (Sir James Wilson), and members of the ./'’’ Hospital- Board, Mr J. A.. Nash, ; MLP., representatives of the clergy, the medical profession, and nurses. The principal speaker was Sir James Wilson, who in the course of ■. lan eloquent tribute said: —“To-day .j we are met, first to do honour, to the matron and deputy-matron, who havje so long been in tfye service of the Board with such signal success, to express our appreciation of their 1 ...work, and our regret that .they are retiring. ‘The matron has been 23 years and the deputy-matron 18 years with us- —a long span of the life of each where the responsibilities are so great. To become a matron—the highest office a nurse in a y hospital can attain —the nurse has to go through a long course of training. The matron is more or less , - isolated for. fear of showing favouritism, which would be fatal, to her authority. She has the entire controlofthentfrsesandofthedomes- , ties, and has to overlook all household affairs. She has to know all the patients, visit them each day, i know their condition, communicate "with their friends, and sometimes assist in helping the patients to fight for their lives. I need not dwell upon the sad episodes which often occur in the course of her work. She must have a judicial mind, for if any u complaints are made she has to sift v / them and deal out justice, to judge of the capacity of the nurses under her, to encourage some, to chide ’ others, and sympathise with and teach all under her charge. Like Father o’Flynn, she must ‘have a wonderful way wid her,’ but not go v his length of ‘coaxin’ the easy one, bating the lazy one on wid a stick.’ She has a number of children under' . her .charge. I have; often been 1 struck, when going round the children’s ward /With her, with the confi- \ dence with which she was received.” ■f AN ELOQUENT TRIBUTE. Continuing, Sir James emphasised that the discipline in hospitals must be strictly kept up) as a slip might' . .be fatal, and inattention to instructions might lead to serious trouble. Watchfulness, on the matron’s part had therefore to be incessant. “Up" to a few years ago,” he remarked, “before we had a resident medical staff—-that is,..before the new/ wards were opened—bur matron had double work to do, for she had the whole responsibility, which .-is now divided between the resident doctor and herself. When I’look back on the position it strikes me with won-der-that she could get through-.-the work she did successfully. Yet it was done, and done without , a hitch ' —and she has been commended by V the Director-General and others for the work she has done. Her control of the hospital during the epidemic was masterly. “Of the deputy-matron much, too, 1 ! can be said of her work,'and it speaks well forshoth that, during the long years they, have worked together, they are closer friends than ; ever they were. In the absence of - ' the matron;;’ either on account of i holidays -dr: sick leave, Miss Greig. / assumed, control / and showed-her capacity in charge to complete satisfaction. When *tlie .' matron was in Britain for a holiday ' ‘ Mass Greig had charge dtfring the - V whole time,’ and refused to receive any remuneration for her services,’! over and above her’own salary, the-’ ugh the Board was anxious to ire'compense her. For many years she ‘ /had charge of .the operating theatre, . and in her the' surgeons/bad complete confidence.: I cannot say too much of her care of patients under her charge at any time, and how ‘cheerful she was under all circum- - stances.” . .jr.. • •

.. Concluding, Sir James wished' '• both ladies God-speed, and presentp.sf ,ed each with an.illuminated A eulogising their services, and bear-- '. ing the? signatures of i the. members lofthe Board and the.heads of the. various staffs. ! . ; 'i ESTEEM' OP MEDICAL , ‘ ‘ ' Dr. <J Putnam, speaking as; one who ' •had been attached to, the .staff £o,r many years, he.could unreservedly endorse sentiments expressed by Sir James Wilson. Miss McLagan joined the staff when the vp'r-'hpspitaPwas a tiny'institution numbering 25 beds’, in charge of five nurses. To-day, after a lapse of 23 years, the hospital comprised 43 nurses and 150 beds. ? 'The matron’s great capability and administrative » . ability were known to all with whom - she had come, in .contact, and she - - was the essence of "kindness. Her , - ; heart‘d was much bigger than’ her body, andhe voiced the ideas of the staff as a whole in stating that the utmost'regret was felt at the departure of the matron and her confrere, Miss Greig. . iMr J. K. Homblow (treasurer of the Board) also paid a marked tri- . bute to the services rendered by both ladies. The testimonial that had just been read conveyed the feelings of the Board very "distinctly. They hs.d ■<pL

to thank Miss McLagan for the great care she had always exercised in her administrative capacity, in which connection she had saved the Board in the aggregate a considerable sum of money. She stood unique as a matron in any institution in'New Zealand, because there were very few matrons who had the adaptability to carry out the work that she had performed in connection with the Palmerston North hospital. Her hard work and self-sec-rifice were an inspiration to all who were associated with her on the nursing staff.

ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC,

Mr J. A. Nash, M.P., on behalf of the general 'public ofthe district, said it was most lamentable that the hospital was losing the services of two such splendid women who had projfcd their worth on innumerable occasions. Members of the Board, the medical profession, and many residents could speak of tlie skill and ability displayed by both Miss McLagan and Miss Greig. It was only fitting that their worthy chairman, . Sir James Wilson, who had held office for 21 years, was able that day to make the presentations. Mr Nash referred to the fact that Sister Greig had a 1 ways'll smile for everybody, and enlarged on her loyalty to Miss McLagan in refraining from seeking the vacant mntronship, in order to accompany her friend and colleague on a trip to the Old Country.

The medical superintendent, Dr. Forrest, expres#d the regret of the staff at, the departure of Miss McLagan and Miss Greig, both of whom had. always been held in high honour and esteem. He acknowledged his personal indebtedness' to Miss McLagan for her loyal support, and referred to the valuable services Miss Greig had rendered as Sister in charge of the. operating theatre. It was largely due to the faithful service’ of both ladies, combined with the careful administration of Sir .James'Wilson and other members of (he Board, that the Palmerston District Hospital to-day enjoyed such a good reputation.

Replying on behalf of Miss McLagan, Dr. Putnam paid a tribute to the full measure of support she had ni all times received from the chairman and members of the Board. Hundreds of nurses had passed through her hands at the hospital, and ; .she ..felt that her life had not been spent in vain when she was made the recipient of so many expressions of regret at her departure and such ‘tangible evidence of ‘the success of her administration. It would be inan.\V years before she fully got over the severe wrench in severing' her connection with the institution in which she had spent so many years' of her life.

Filling response was made on, behalf of Sister Greig by Dr. Bett, at Vim conclusion of which the visitors were entertained at afternoon, tea. —Standard. ' r