H.—3lb;

96

[t. c. inglis.

before she was sent in to St. Helens. She was sent to St. Helens on my authority. Bad cases in the district are sent in to the home. I cannot remember the rule under which I sent her in—l understood that the Medical Officer could admit patients at any time. It has been the practice to remove outside cases which are being attended by the St. Helens nurses into St. Helens after confinement in their own houses when there is need for more careful attention—that is, if complications arise and they require more supervision and nursing. Mrs. Catchpole remained in the home for about two days. She then developed the trouble stated in the charge, and on the authority of Dr. Valintine and Miss Maclean she was transferred to the District Hospital. I was called to the patient at her house on the morning after her confinement. Her sister informed me that she had had a fit. In. view of that statement, and from the fact that eclampsia is a very serious complication, I had her removed to St. Helens. I had previously warned her people of the possibility of the disease mentioned in the charge developing 'at the time of her confinement, and explained to them that it would be serious if it did happen. It is probably correct that the patient was admitted to St. Helens on the 3rd February, was transferred to General Hospital on the 4th February, and died there on the sth February. I think the date of birth was at least a day and a half before removal to St. Helens. I was not present at the confinement. Mrs. Catchpole had engaged a St. Helens nurse to attend her. She had previously been a patient of mine. I w 7 as called in after the confinement. I suppose the history of the case would be got at the General Hospital from the patient or from whoever accompanied her. It was a premature confinement. To Mr. Mays.] It was an emergency case. The patient lived comparatively close to St. Helens. It would not have been a proper thing to have allowed her to have remained in her own home from the time I saw her onwards. I cannot say what nurses were attending her. The patient's husband was, I think, an ordinary working-man. His wife would be eligible for admission. The patient was transferred to the General Hospital for the reason that she was disturbing the rest of the patients at St. Helens. I got authority from Dr. Valintine to transfer her. This inquiry was on at the time. Cross-examined by Mrs. Nicol.] I have no knowledge of a room being engaged in a private home or hospital for Mrs. Catchpole for her confinement. I have attended her and her family privately for years. I did not know that she had made application at St. Helens for St. Helens nurses to attend her. Mrs. Catchpole spoke to me about three months prior to the time she expected to be confined. She gave me an address —Charlotte Terrace, off Cook Street. She came to me, I suppose, because I was the family doctor. I was under the impression that the confinement was to take place at her own house, Charlotte Terrace. She afterwards removed to her mother's house. There the miscarriage took place. I knew 7 nothing beyond this of any arrangements she had made or contemplated making as to her place of confinement. I told the mother myself that I would not take the responsibility of either I myself or the nurses attending to her in that house. This was after the miscarriage. St. Helens nurses were sent on emergency. I think some of either the neighbours or her own people called, and asked the nurses to go. I had nothing to do with the St. Helens nurses going there. I saw the patient on the day she was moved, I saw her twice that morning. I know that Mrs. Catchpole gave me her consent to going into St. Helens. At first she said she did not want to be moved. After explaining the circumstances she consented to go. I arranged to get her removed straightaway. Her condition was serious. I sent her to St. Helens as being the proper place to send her to. I dealt with her at St. Helens as far as I could. When she developed further symptoms she was transferred. She was too rowdy for the rest of the patients to be kept at St. Helens. I did not think the isolation ward was the proper place for her. I consulted with Dr. Valintine, and as a result the patient was sent to the District Hospital, Ido not think the removal to the General Hospital made the slightest difference to the patient. She was not delirious when I sent her to St. Helens. All the history I got was that she had had a fit. I w r as present when the statement was got from Mrs. Coombes. It was at her house. There were present Mrs. Coombes, Mr. Mays, and myself. The deceased's husband was not consulted about it. I went at Mr. Mays's request. The statement was written at the house, and it was signed there. I had not seen Mrs. Coombs on the matter before we went there. I did not tell the mother the cause of the daughter's death. I did not inform the husband of the cause of his wife's death. I did not tell the mother that her daughter died of heart-failure. I had not seen the mother from the time the woman was removed to St. Helens till I went to see her the other day with Mr. Mays. Re-examined by Mr. Mays.] I am aware that the mother did know the peculiar weakness of the daughter. The deceased's sister knows the cause of the deceased's death. The sister told me. The husband knew of his wife's habits. I warned him about his wife's habits. That was, I think, a month or six weeks before the miscarriage. I was present at Mrs. Coombes's house when Mrs. Coombes signed the statement. The statement was given and signed quite voluntarily. I had no reason to suspect a miscarriage and a birth at six and a half months on account of the habits of the woman. From the time I w 7 arned the husband till the miscarriage I had no information as to whether she was continuing her habits. Her condition was not so bad when she was removed to St. Helens as it was when she was removed to the General Hospital. None of the relatives has ever made any complaint to me whatever. Cross-examined by Mrs. Nicol.] I made no statement to Mrs. Coombes that if she came to Court with a weak heart she might drop dead. She told us that it would nearly kill her to see her daughter's case discussed in Court. The baby breathed, but it was not viable. It was taken to St. Helens. I do not know that it was sent from there to the mother's home again. The child could not live. To the Commissioner.] I arranged over the telephone with Dr. Maguire for the woman's admission to the General Hospital. I gave the history to Dr. Maguire over the telephone. I should not think it would be the one written down on the history-sheet. The history there written is not correct. That often happens. Re Mrs. Porch : I operated on Mrs. Porch at Mr. Gillon's request. When I consented to do it I did not know it was Mrs. Porch. I did not know till she was on the table.