HOSPITAL MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 9 July 1907, Page 2

HOSPITAL MATTERS.

At a special meeting of the Tanuiaki | Hospital Board 011 Monday morning tlie Inspector-Liencral of Hospitals.. Dr. T. U. A. Vaiiutiiie, conferred with members upon various mutters. The first point brought under his notice concerned a .UIiXTALLY DEKANCiJiD PATIENT. The flouse Committee reported the case oi' a man named Skinner, who had been admitted, suffering from his throat iwliig cut, whilst in a state of D.T.'s. .\liss Brown (matron) had informed the secretary that she would not be responsible for the patient and asked for police protection, and drew attention to bylaw 101. Dr. Leatham considered it was necessary thai tile police should attend to this case, as the patients and the stalF must be protected. ltesolved— That the secretary write and inform Heigc.MiL lladdrelt that tills Board oxpeel him to see that a proper attendant is provided for Skinner, so that the staff might be protected. The chiiirman, Mr .]. 11. Parker, said the Board wanted to know its position as regards its responsibility and liability in connection with the admission of hi-

wine persons' or persons suffering from ' delirium tremens. This mutter had ' frequently come before the Board, and hud been refreshed by the attempted ' Huieide on Tuesday last. On the affair ' being reported Dr. Lealham was sum- 1 mimed, and, of course, the police. Dr. Leatham admitted the man to the hos- 1 pital 011 the understanding, explicit or ; otherwise, that a constable should be left in charge, of the patient, and for the protection of the staff of nurses, the inmates, and the man himself. The man was taken to the hospital, and was left there in charge of the constable, who remained till Saturday, and was then taken away without any explanation being given by the police. The Board then put the assistant wardsman in charge of the patient. To Dr. Yafintino the chairman stated the man had been drinking heavily before the. attempt oil his life, and had once been in gaol under supervision. Mr Burgess said he knew nothing of (lie legal position, but to him it seemed certainly absurd that the Board should have to admit such a case into the liostal. Mr Quiiliam, the Board's solicitor, was in attendance, and read from the Lunacy Act a clause which gave the Oovernor-in-Council power to make regulations requiring the Board to provide suitable accommodation for eases of this description. TTe did not consider it incumbent on the Board to admit such patient's. Dr. Valintine said these regulations had never been made. Mr. Parker considered that the proper place for this patient was in an infirmary in connection with the gnol, for the mail was practically in custody. The police wanted to bo informed wlicn Skinner left the institution, so that ho could be arrested on a charge of attempted FtnVide. Dr. Valintine wiirt ihat cases like this

wore of frequent occurrence. He liad spoken to Dr. liny on tin's matter, and he liinl suggested tlmt each Board should have some special accommodation for the reception of cases like this until they fo«W lio admitted into a mental hospital. Of course, the Board had a moral responsibility in the matter, for it seemed unfair mid lmrtUy in accordance with our general ideas that persons of uuBound mind should be examined at a police station. To liis mind the Board was quite right in admitting Skinner, and equally right in disclaiming any responsibility. A member remarked that it seemed as though the police were shirking their responsibility and endeavoring to cast it on the Board. The chairman said that certainly the police had tried ail they could to'wash their hands of the thing and to throw the entire responsibility on the Board. Vet they expected to he informed of the hour of the man's leaving the hospital. Mr Burgess remarked that the hospital hud not been staffed with an idea dealing with lunatics. Mr Quilliam remarked that had this patient not been admitted and he had died, there would have been an unroar. Dr. Valintine promised, if supplied with full details, to 'ay the mutter lie- 1 fore the Commissioner of Police, in order to have (ho position better defined. Mr Hellringer said lie had heard that the constable h:td been on duty for 3G hours at a stretch. The chairman: No; 32 hours. THH OLD PKOPLF/S HOME. Mr Parker then referred to the "hazy state of understanding" in regard to three inmates of the Home -who should not have have been placed in charge of the staff of audi an institution. One of them had been committed to an asylum, and the two others were quite unsuitable for an Old People's Home. Dr. Valintine said that, of course, the Board was only bound to receive indigent incurables—not others. They certainly could refuse insane people. He hoped that before long the several Boards on this coast would unite for the purpose of erecting n central homo, for incurables, which would need to be large enough for the accommodation of from 00 to 100 people. The matter of reducing the allowance to old age pensioners in the Home was discussed at some length, and it was decided to Teduce the amount from 10s per month to lis, with the provision that the amount mnv be increased to 10s for good conduct and industry in aid about the Home.