MOUNT IDA DISTRICT HOSPITAL.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 379, 16 June 1876, Page 3

MOUNT IDA DISTRICT HOSPITAL.

(To the Editor oj the Mount Ida Chronicle. Sik,—ln your issue of June 9th there appeared an article reflecting in very severe terms upon the treatment of two patient s in the fever ward of the abovenamed institution. Ia that article it is made to appear that the patients .vere treated with ".barbarity," and that one who died " was carted away as carrion." The article contains a number of charges against the Committee besides those to which we have alluded, and its general tendency is to throw discredit upon the management of the Hospital, and seriously to damage its prospects of public support. Upon careful enquiry we find that it is evi dent the writer of the article in question must have been misinformed in almost every important particular. We cannot conceive tha? in publishing such an article you could have any intention deliberately to injure an institution so necessary to the district as the Hospital, and we presume, therefore, you will not refuse to insert in 3 our columns a plain statement of the actual facts as they occurred. The real circumstances of the case, so far as wo have been able to learn, were as follows : On Tuesday, May 30, Jervis M'Master was admitted as a patient into the fever ward ; at that time there was no other patient in the ward. The only other patient at the time in the institution was a female, who was in the main building, and she was in a convalescent state. It was not, therefore, considered necessary to engage a special attendant for the fever ward at that time, as the wardsman and matron were fully able to do all the duty. On the Friday following another fever patient (W. H. "Wilkes) was received also from St. Bathans, and was placed in the same room as the first patient. This was between five and six o'clock in the eveiiing, and it was necessary to put him in the same room with the other patient, because that room was warm, having had a fire in it all day. About eleven p.m. the ward was visited by the surgeon, who ordered that both patients ;-;houid receive en opiate powder about o:;o o'clock in the morning. The patient Al'Master being restless a flannel band was fastened loosely over him outside the bed clothes to keep them from sliding off him. This is a usual practice with feverish patients, and is adopted to prevent their catching cold. It does not prevent their turning in the bed. The patient was in no sense " strapped down." as the writer of the article appears to have been informed. His hands and fcot were free. At about half-past twelve tho patients were visited by the wardsuaui, who administered the opiates, and refilled the hot water can* or foot warmers which were at the feet of both. At about.

half-past five a.m. the wardsman again visited the ward, and found both patients quiet, and tlieir bed clothes smooth and undisturbed. He then gave M'Master a dose that had been ordered for him. Thus the patients, instead of being " left to get through the night as best they could " alone, were only left for Jive hours at any one time, and during those five hours were certain to be quiet, as both had had sleeping potions. As to the statement that Wilkes was crying out for assistance during the night, it is perfectly true that he did make a complaint to the surgeon in the morning that the other patient had been going to murder him in the night, but no consequence was attached to this, as it is a very common thing for patients under the influence of opium to have such delusions, which, in fact, are merely bad dreams. On the Saturday morning the patient Wilkes was removed to the other room, which by that time was warmed, and fit for his reception. Thus it was only one night that the two patients were in the same room, and for only five hours were they left to themselves. On tho Saturday evening the patient M'Master died. The surgeon was in attendance on him at the time, and had been with him fully twenty minutes. The wardsman was also present. Everything that could be done was done for his comfort. With regard to the complaint that no notice of his being in a dying state was sent to any minister of religion, the fact is certainly as alleged. It has not hitherto been the custom to send for ministers of religion unless at the request of patients or their friends, and in this particular instance it was not even known to what denomination the man belonged. It is right to mention that our rules especially provide that ministers of religion shall have access at all times to patients; but no minister visited during the week that M'Master was in the Hospital. Coming now to t'ie charge that the deceased was " carted away as carrion," all we can state is, that a proper blackcloth-covered coffin was provided; that the two-horse vehicle usually employed for funerals was used to convey it to the cemetery; that the horses had the same black trappings as for any other funeral, and that the cortege left the Hospital afc a walking pace. The funeral was conducted by the regular undertaker, who himself accompanied it to the cemetery, and the interment was witnessed by two householders (John Weir and David Moeller), who have since signed the certificate required by law. No minister was in attendance ; but, in the absence of any reply from the brother-in-law of the deceased, who had been telegraphed to, or any knowledge of the denomination to which he belonged, we fail to see that the Hospital Committee can be fairly held blameable. We trust that this plain statement of facts will allay the public anxiety, which your remarks are certainly calculated to occasion.—We are, sir, your obedient ser- J vanfcs,

H. W. Eoeinson, President T. B. Whit.'.'on, M.D., Surgeon E. T. Geob've, Secretary.