AFFAIRS AT THE HOSPITAL.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 402, 11 January 1890, Page 3

AFFAIRS AT THE HOSPITAL.

THE CASE OF EFFIE SPRATT.

At the meeting of the contributors to the Gisborne Hospital on Thursday night, while the motion thanking the Trustees was being discussed, Mr E. P. Joyce enquired whether a contributor would be in order in bringing up, at that meeting, a question in connection with the management of the Hospital. Mr DeLautour said it was to give such an opportunity that he had brought forward the motion of thanks. The Chairman, in reply to Mr Joyce, said ho thought the latter would be quite in order, and that it would not affect the motion tor according thanks. It was the only opportunity that the contributors bad to apeak out during the year, and if Mr Joyce had any complaint to bring against the management he was perfectly entitled to do so, although if his (the Chairman's) advice was asked, he would recommend that the complaint be made in the ordinary course. Mr Joyce then rose, and said the matter Which he had to bring forward was wi h reference to the death of Effie Spratt (or Laverock). He had seen a letter published in the Gisbobne Standard (signed by the mother of the young girl), which made grave charges against some person at the Hospital. He knew nothing of the writer of the letter, nor bad he been asked by any person to bring the matter forward, but the allegations weie of a serious nature, and many people had spoken to him about the affair, and agreed with him that there ought to be an enquiry into the matter. Everything in connection with the Hospital should be above suspicion, and while making no accusations against any person or persons, be thought, for the sal e of those persona, of the unfortunate people who might become patients, and of the general public, tome step should ba taken in the matter. He would therefore move : “ That the Trustees be directed to hold an enquiry jnto the matter.'* This proposition having been made before the vote of thanks to the Trustees was disposed of, Mr Hepburn seconded the latter, *nd it was carried unanimously. The discussion on Mr Joyce's mo'ion was then continued, Mr W. Morgan thought the matter was one that ought to ba looked into, and he would second the motion. The Chairman, while admitting that the public had a right to a voice in the affairs pf the Hospital, thought the best courae to pursue was to make a complaint in writing in the ordinary course to the Hospital Trustees. If they failed in their duty then would be the time for the public to move, but until that had been shown he thought it was unwise for them to interfere with the Trustees. Simply because a letter had been written to the newspaper was no ground for calling for an enquiry, ReferJng to the letter published in the Standard he said there was nothing definite in it. There were some vague assertions and that was all. If the writer had any charges to make let her make them in writing, and state them definitely, and then, no doubt, the Trustees would be bound to enquire Into them. But the Trustees could not take notice of every letter that appeared in a newspaper. Methought the matter should be left till the Trustees had at least a pbance of moving of their own accord, which it was possible for them to do on the doctor’s report. Mr DeLautour spoke in a similar strain. He thought these vague aspersions on the Hospital should not be encouraged. He suggested that the mother of the girl should make her complaint in the ordinary way. Mr Joyee said that it was not every person that understood the formal method of making * complaint, and they generally resorted to ths mouthpiece of the people—a public newspaper. Whether the forms were complied with or not, he thought the Trustees should take notice of complaints against the institution under their care, and, if neceasaey, have the matters complained of remedied. This, he thought, they would be only too glad to do |n order to remove from the public the idea that everything was wrong or astray in conpection with the Hospital. It might be that there was nothing in the accusations.—-he did not pretend to know whether there was or was Dot—but there were the accusations, made in a public newspaper, with the real name of the mother of the deceased signed to them, and until some reply was made to them, the public had a right to assume that everything wee Dot as ii should be, and be was sorry to see that some of the gentlemen present seemed inclined to prevent an enquiry being held. He thought if an enquiry were held it should be as public as possible. The motion was then put to the meeting, and carried, Subsequently, at the Trustees' meeting, Messrs P. Milne and E. Burch, who were lately patients at the Hospital, r.r.d were in attendance at the meeting, handed in letters of complaint. A special meeting will be held at the Hospital next Thursday, when the complaints will be considered. The enquiry into the case of Effie Spratt will also, we presume, be made at the same time. In his report to the Trustees, who met after the general meeting, Dr Pollen wrote One case of typhoid fever was admitted this month on Dr Innes* order—a child aged 13 years— which proved fatal on the third morn> Ing after admittance. The ease was seen ahortly after the patient arrived, when I noted that symptoms of peritonitis were present, Twentyfour hours after admission I sent a special messenger to tell the parents that the ease was a very dangerous one—remitting WM a prominent symptom from admission Until death. The treatment did not consist in the injection of morphia until eleven hours before the child died, when a small dose was given tor the purpose of checking vomiting, pnje by myself, and once by the matron op my orders, The matron, throughout tffe case, gated strictly in accordance with my instruction. lam satisfied that the matron and Dunes gave the poor child every possible attention. These details I report, because Untrue statements, unfair to the matron, were published in a letter to the press over the signature of the child's mother. I consider the disease was in its third week on the patient’s admission. During * the week previous, the mother bad advice from ma to remove the child to the Hoa m fits! without delap.