THE HOKITIKA HOSPITAL.

West Coast Times, Issue 109, 23 January 1866, Page 2

THE HOKITIKA HOSPITAL.

TO TUB KDITOR OK TIIK WEST COAST TIMKS. Sir, — I have, at the solicitation of a fow friends,' determined to appeal, through your columns, to the instinctive lovo of justice and fair play which, as a community of Britons, I am confident is strongly implanted in the breasts of my fellow-townsmen, against the dastardly attempt mado by a fow unprincipled individuals, moved by jealously or personal pique, having as their mouth-piece' "Major Bracken," himself, actuated by private aniigosity, and notorious everywherb he has been for tho malignancy to injure my character and ruin my ■ prospects as a professional man and my usefulness tis a public servant. lam fully conscious of many shortcomings, and have not always preserved the calmness nnd temper under trying circumstances that I should perhaps have done, and have in that way contributed lothe circumstances of my position to mnko enemies 5 but I can honestly say that I have, to the best of my humble abilities, discharged tlio duties of a most . onorous nnd thankless office for tho last ten months under difficulties and at disadvantages perhaps unpiralleled. I was, I believe, the first legally qualified medical practitionerin Hokitika. Thoro was a good deal of disease and muoh distress on, and for some time subsequent to, my arrival in the district. Patients called upon me • every day without tho means of paying either for ndvice or medicine. At tho risk of beiiig ncousQfl of going on the housetop to proclaim my good deeds, I think I hnvo a right to defend myself ngninst iho charge of inhumanity by mentioning a few things I hnvo done, particularly as thero is little chance of anybody being left iv ignorance of what I have left undone. I wns, before thcro was nny hospital nt nil, daily iv the habit of ndministering relief " without money nnd without price," and on more than one occasion I have rod two fractures in ono day without fee, and frequently havo shared with uiy patients the shelter of my four walls.

Mr. S.Uo was not wany days here whon I communicated with him on the expediency o£ erecting a temporary hospital. I had from Mr ' Sale a rcitly response, and found the subject had nlrdady occupied , his attention ' I frequently, after prescribing for poor patients, 'sent them to Mr. Sale, who relioved their most urgent wants, nnd paid for medicines for them. A temporary hospital was ereotcd iv April, less than a month after Mr. Rale's arrival, and I was appointed temporary surgeon. I know that this building waß mtendod by Mr Salo to sorvo only for a month or two until a proper building could bo provided. Tho population increased with a rapidity, perhaps, unparalleled oven on tho' goldflelds, and tho accommodation soon proved inadequato to meet tho requirements of tho district. In my private official communications, and in 'my published monthly reports, I pointedout Iho necessity of moro hospital accommodation. Tho building was, a fow months ago, enlarged, but still co\dd not nccoumodato moro than one-third of tho applicants for admission. Whon pationts applied for admission and I could, not give it, as wu9 tho caso latterly in two out of threo - cases, I was, in most instances, blamed by. thoso I was under # tho painful necessity of' rofusing admission to,' as well as by their friends. When they could not got admission-*'-tq tho Hospital, thoy rdquosted mo to attond them gratuitously, and I endeavored to comply us far ns wns in my power in justice to my othor patients and myself j because I had to mako my ihcomo by private practice, hiy Bnlary novor being more than paid my assistant, who had his board and lodging besides ; nnd I would humbly beg to impress on my critics, who writo in such flowing language upon philanthropy, that T did not como to tho West Const, any moro than thoy .did, (0 spend a fortune in tho oxcrciso of a noble profession, but lo mako ono : for oven in a doctor, poverty is, if not tho grontcst of nil, cortninly, a groat ovil. So far from reaping any pecuniary advantago from tho Hospital, I lost by it, as I had ns muoh private work as I could do, and mado inoro in threo days at least in tho wook, boforo broakfast, than my salary for Hospital work nmounted to in the* wcok.

When I nccoplcd tho ofiioo of temporary , Burgeon, it wns on tho understanding that whon the Hospital wns placed on a por-. manont footing I should bo appointed permanently. About four months ago, I was given to undorstand that a Christchurchman was likely to got tho appointment j indeed, for somo months back, I hnd given up all liopo of obtaining tho oflico. I certainly did , think that I had the best right, to tho oflico, and that it would bo most unjust to doprivo mo of it, after having discharged tho duties when it was neither remunerative nor plcasnnt, at a time when there wns a prospect of it being both, and that too after having injured my private \practfoo a 9it did in so ninny ways. In tho moantimc, groat discontent wns expressed becnuso tho management was not handed ovor to tho public and tho accommodation "was so nmch short of tho domand. When blnmo wns unjustly thrown upon mo, because, as I stated in yestei day's issue, I could uot do impossibilities, I would have resigned the ofh'co when I found it impracticable, in the circumstances in which I was placed, to givo satisfaction to the public — and that a determination existed to make mo tho vehicle, by which tho Hokitika Hospital establishment was to bo annihilated as a Government institution-— but that I thought , my doing so before the permanent appointment was made, would afford a confirmation of tho complaints made against me. This I think will ' at onco bo sullicient to show thnt I held the offico fiom no sordid motives. I need not entev ; at any length into those complaints. The statemonts which appeared in yesterday's issue, with tho prcso'it, I think will suffice. lam proud to state, aud 1 think it is to the credit of both myself and tho Ghvermnent, thnt I owe my appoint* ment not to interest at Christchurch, oV to personal friendship with Mr Salo, but solely to that gentleman's son'so of justice, and his conviction of my fitness for tho olfico, which are his only motives for preforring my claims to those Ot candidates having infinitely stronger personal claims upon him and tho Government of whioh ho is a member, than myself. Thovo are fow moro sonsitivo than I am of public criticism., Indoecl, tho press has accuscu 1110 of over sensitiveness, and if I have not roplied in my name 'to the charges lately mado against mo, it was not because I did not fcol keenly on tho subject, or wished to set public opinion at dofinnco, but because I had no hope of being ablo to do what I Have failed in doing on threo former occasions, Via., justify myself by a nowspapor controversy. You must bo aware sir, my time is too much occupied to write letters to newspapers, in reply to everything which might appear to reflect on <- me, and tbat even if T had, such a couiso would not becomo me. I assure you |sir, I have been much gratified to learn that my explanation of yesterday has removed the ill-feeling ' which has beon recently excited in the minds of those who wero ignorant of my position and duties. I havo no wish at this uiomont to say hard things against those who aie plotting against mo, but I think it is not only due to tho public, but myself, to state, that havineP bsenijjfornieaof what was contemplate a.Mh9

inquest, I requested Dr. Beswiek, with whom I lmvo been always on excellent toims, to cull me to give evidence, if anything should bo stated calculated to injure me, but this he declined to do. Mr llacl<ett, of the Tyrone Hotel, was until recently lessee of the tables nt the Hibernian Hotel, and is very intimate with George Henry Acheson, 'whose nmno and style was set forth in your Saturday's issue. When Mr Hackett has a lodger who is able and willing to pay for his treatment, ho recommends Dr. Aoheson, a gontlcmnn with whom I never spoko a word ; and I think ho was tho right man to go in such a enso us the ono ho demanded mo to visit on Sunday week. I have to npologiso for occupying so much of your space, and will conclude by saying that a testimonial hns boon to-day placed in my hands, quito unexpectedly, which has movucl mo very much. Jt bears tho signature of every patient in tho hospital, except ono poor follow who will soon be in tho land " whero Iho wicked ceaso from troubling, and llici weary aro at rest," and who even now has los nil interest in worldly affairs. So long, Sir' as I can obtain such proofs of my fitness for tho noble office I lmvo tho honor to hold, and possess the confidenco of my superiors, I will retain it ; whenever I cease to command such proofs of their confldonco I will resign it, but not till then. I am, &.0., J. KUTHKKFOHD RyI.KV. January 22, 18GG.