CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 197, 19 August 1880, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor op the "Evening Mail/' Sir,— tt may not dome within the province of a Government official to mention extenuating circumstances when he feels called upoii to report unfavorably on subordinates, therefore tD supply this desideratum I beg for space in your paper for a few remarks on that part of D: Skae's report oo the Nelson Lunatic Asylum, which refers to the resignation, of the late matron of that institution, Dr Skae reports "'the Superintendent complained of the general inefficiency of the matron ; and especially that she fraaV on a recent occasion, left her ward without any officer in charge of it while it contained several patients, among whom was an extremely violent one and the suicidal one above referred to;" The report states that she herself admitted the specific charge of : negligence. With respect to the last charge, Dr Skae reports the truth, but not the whole truth. He omits to state that the matron was left without an assistant in sole charge when seriously indisposed, and that, on admitting the charge, the matron explained that she retired to her room for a few minutes as she was in a fainting condition. Nor was Dr. Skae unaware that on the following day she was confined to her room and for six days after to her bed. Aa no accident occurred during her enforced absence from duty, although such dangerous patients were in the ward, it may be presumed that she took sufficient precautions before retiring. On that occasion at least the suicidal person referred to found no opportunity to carry out her design on her own life as she subsequently did when the superintendent himself was the sole officer in charge of the female ward. But, I suppose, that physical prostration is not sufficient in the eyes of Dr Skae to cover so flagrant a breach of duty. It is singular that it took three years observation to satisfy the argus«eyed Dr Skae as to the truth of the charge of _" goncrar inefficiency," but perhaps during that period he was not so well prompted as he was on his last visit.— Yours, &c, J. B.