A Hospital Sensation.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 269, 5 March 1889, Page 2

A Hospital Sensation.

Dunedin, February 27. At the meeting of the Hospital Trustees the question of Hospital reforms came up in rather an unexpected way. Dr Batchelor attended and read a report which he prepared after visiting Australia. Beferring to the startling charges made in a letter in the Daily Times by a late patient, he said“ I have reason to believe that every statement in Mr Gay’s letter has a solid foundation in fact, and further, I can, Jif need be, advance evidence, in proof of his statements. No arguments I have read have in the slightest degree controverted the facts he has brought forward as showing the necessity for trained -nurses.” He says the male wardsman has generally drifted into the position, he receives no special training, and, worse than all, has no special supervision. The doctor then proceeds ;to urge, the necessity for separate wards for diseases peculiar to women. He estimates that this can be met by an expenditure of £2OOO. He says “To treat diseases peculiar to women in a general ward has a demoralising eSect upon the patients subjected to treatment and to the other occupants of the ward. Examinations such as have to be conducted cannot be carried out with even a modicum of decency in a large ward for general diseases. Young lads in their first and second years at the Hospital walk freely in and out of the wards, even while examinations are being conducted, and it is impossible with the present accommodation, to check or mitigate the evil. The result consequent on the absence of special wards for serious operations is positively terrible to contemplate. A woman suffering from ovarian dropsy, entering into a general ward, runs an unnecessary risk to her life, and a certain percentage of all cases operated upon here absolutely die for want of proper accommodation. Nothing can be more demoralising to the doctor or the nurse than to know while operating, and after the operation, that the patient has not that chance of recovery she should have, and that however skifully the operation may have been conducted, however carefully and anxiously the case may have been watched, that case may fail for causes which are entirely preventive with more favorable surroundings. During the years I have practised in this town I have been pre sent at a great number of operations performed inside and outside this hospital. In private practice I can’t remember a single death the result of blood poisoning following an operation ; in hospital practice I regretfully say I have seen several,’ The doctor then proceeds to show the injustice to the honorary medical staff, who give their time and services for nothing, to be robbed perhaps of their reputation through the faulty system, To show how readily it can be remedied, he points out that within a week he has collected £5OO from twenty-four individual ladies. More can be got, and with a Government subsidy things could easily be done. He then proceeded to show the importance of the medical school, and then instances several minor, but urgent, reforms needed. No provision is made for a night nurse, heating food or poultices, or getting hot water except by going to the kitchen in another part of the building. Then as to ventilation and sanitary arrangements, he says—” I know of one case of typhoid which was actually bred and developed in the ward while the patient was an inmate undergoing treatment for some other disease, This case was solely due to the grossly insanitary condition of the ward, and if that patient’s relations had brought au action for damages against this Committee it might have been mulcted in heavy dimages. I say that the present arrangements are opposed to the most elementary principles of hygiene and should be at once rectified.” He points out the absurdity of attempting to gauge economy by expenditure per bed, and asks, “ Is it economy to keep an unfortunate patient in the hospital eight weeks when, with proper appliances and proper nursing, that patient would have left at the end of four weeks in better health ? Is it economy if a poor navvy or wharf laborer should happen to come in with a badly fractured leg, and in consequence of want of efficient nursing, poor attention, defective ventilation and an indifferent dietary scale, he leaves your hospital at the end of six months with a stump and wooden leg, whereas the same man, if bis surroundings had been more favorable, might have left your ward sound in body and limb, and able to resume his ordinary occupation instead of leaving a cripple, and most probably becoming a permanent incubus on the State ?” He then dealt with the cry often raised, “ beware of the ratepayers,” in which he said there was nothing, as the ratepayers would be quite content if the necessity for expenditure were shown, and concluding says—“ You have undertaken onerous duties, and have apparently hardly appreciated their gravity. By the absurd provisions of an Act of Parliament you are appointed for a year to duties which it would take half a life time to master. You must remember that in the acceptation of your posts here you have most high and noble duties to perform; you have to provide means, to tend to the wants of the sick, to soothe their pangs, and to ease the dying moments of those unfortunate fellow men who are compelled by the meed of this cold world to end their existences without the soothing hand or sympathising voice of those near and dear ones who we all hope may minister to us in our last moments. Gentlemen, I appeal to you as man to fellowman, and I shall not appeal in vain.” Ou finishing several trustees remarked that the address was probably the roughest ever delivered to any body. Dr. Hislop said he thought, daring its delivery, of the case of fools rushing in where angels fear to tread, and they were evidently fools for thinking they could manage an hospital. The report was referred to the hon. medical staff,