HOSPITAL CHLOROFORMIST.

Waikato Argus, Volume II, Issue 88, 30 January 1897, Page 2

HOSPITAL CHLOROFORMIST.

♦ At the conclusion of the Hospital Board meeting on Thursday, Dr. Kenny appeared, and said lie wished to address the members upon a subject of importance. The meeting had been a rather lensjthy one, and as some of the members wished to leave by train, a good deal of discussion ensued before it was decided to hear him. The Doctor commenced by saying that there had been certain matters before the public of late regarding the administration of the Hospital, and he felt perfectly certain a great ileal had been said in utter iguoraDce of the true facts of the case, aud it was for the good of the public and the institution that they ahould really know what had been done. He was accused of high handed conduct towards Dr. Brewis in Stoddart's case. Now Stoddart was dead, otherwise the matter would be quickly cleared up. Stoddart came into the Hospital on Friday afternoon, 27th November, and on Saturday morning arrangements were made for an operation, and he sent for Dr. Brewis, but on his arrival the man flatly refused to have the operation performed. In order to show that he had not been instrumental in seeurhu' the services of Dr. Waddington in this case, Dr. Kenny read the following letter : " I hereby certify that I, at 5 a.m. on Sunday, the 2!)th November last, on the earnest solicitations of my friend, Mr T. B. A. Stoddart, unprompted by Dr. Kenny or anybody else, hired a pair of horses and conveyance and drove from Hamilton to Morrinsville and brought Dr. Waddington back with me to the Waikato Hospital for the purpose of assisting' in a surgical operation on my friend. My simple and sole reason for this course was (Ist) That my friends earnestly expressed wish for Doctor Waddington's attendance and services might be honored, and (2nd) because he (Stoddart) had more confidence in Dr. Waddington (knowing that gentleman) than in any oilier doctor hi the Waikato. Mr Stoddart informed nie that he would not agree to the operation being performed unless Dr. Waddington acted in conjunction with Dr. Kenny." (Signed), .Tons Moss, Manager Costley Home, Auckland, N.Z. January 20th, 1597. Why he had continued to employ Dr. Waddington he thought had been fully explained 'in a former letter he had written to the Board. He did not wish to interfere with Dr. Brewis, but the Board placed patients in his care and he wished solely to place them in the best position for good iccovery. He employed Dr. Waddington because he did not approve of the manner in wh'ch chloroform was administered by Dr. Brewis. On November 14th in the case of the boy Parkes, wdio had fractured his thigh, Dr. Brewis was sent for. He came at 10 o'clock that nitdit, administered the chloroform, and left again at half past 11. He left the hoy in absolute anaesthesia and perfectly unconscious, and it took him (Dr. Kenny) from half past 11 p.m. until half past two a.m. before he could get the slightest consciousness out of the child. A chloroformist in his opinion should lie able to bring his patient to consciousness in about five minutes, aud in very severe cases certainly in not more than half an hour. This was only one case out of a number he could cite, A great deal more chloroform had been used than was necessary, and he did not think it right that he should take such risks in future, and if he could get a man who would leave his patients in a sound condition, of course he would far rat her have that man. As to the assertion that pitients ready to undergo an operation were often kept waiting for lengthy periods until Dr. Waddington waa obtained, ho might state thai operations were not conducted in an off-hand manner. Patients had often to be prepared for operations, and in some instances this occupied from twenty to thirty days. This was not done in order to suit his own convenience. In the case of Waterhouse, he had not time to send for a doctor, so he immediately administered the chloroform himsc f and reduced the fracture. The assertion that he kept patients waiting while lie sent to Morrinsville for Dr. Waddington was an absolute myth aud a fallacy. He had brought Nurse Guthrie to the meeting, as she had been the nurse on duty on Uw night of Parkes' oa?c, and -die would be pleased to answer any questions upon the matter, lie could assure the Board that there was no personal feeling in the matter at all. If Dr. Brewis was competent to do the work he would sooner have him than anyone else, is he was so handy. At this stage the Boaid decided to defer further consideration of the nutter until next meeting, when the doctor was asked to be present.