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KEW ASYLUM ADMINISTRATION.

COUNSEL'S HEATED WORDS. IR ELLERY GIVES EVIDENCE.

Hculqd exchanges «Inch parsed between counsel }c«teulu\ moi ning.dclaveil consider rill* the inquiry bj Mr. A. A. Kelley t P.M.'

into allegations of maladministration at tile l'eu Au lum, and ct netty to patients, whirl) li.ni been made by attendant against Hie juijim medical otficer. Dr. 71. >S. Ellery.

Di. Ellery completed hi« evidence., Ife will eall ¡nur more witnesses, and counsel' uddresscs «ill then tie given. i .

Replying to Mr. Brennan (M ho, appeared foi' the Mental Hospital Employocs'.;Asso ci,it;on)' Dr. I'llcry said :-Ce) tam state- ments made by niirses against mc weie mis- guided'lind vnltlclcRS. I-tim at II loss 'to Know wJiy Nurse lim ko should Imvc gUcii evidence against nie. Omissions from her evidence, lm\e damaged my réputation.

Mr. Brennan.-You said in your fepoit that this mutter wos a ''frame np and .tlie camouflage of a conspnacy"? ; "

Witness.-Hy that 1 meant that on the surface the charges sounded terrible. They ure only the "window-diossing""in n coli

tpirocy to nd mo of my'position. ' " 'I ?

Was it carried on at this inquiry-?- 1

Yes. ' }

That applies to all the witnesses I have j" called?-To the., majority, in coi tain >c;. ( tpe'ets. ' .'. (

Concerning the coldness of the drill hall, ¡ t jon suggest that the complaints xvoc made, t inoic mi .behalf of the-attendants than Df } the patients?-Yes, although I admit tiwi the eon'ditiona were bad.

If these witnesses were described as liars lind loafers?-That would be 11 graphic, but inaccurate, description.

Referring to'a demonstration with a steel instrument on a woman patient, Mr. Bren- nan said that there lind been 11 deliberate suppression of ei idcuce.

Mr. li. 0. Menzies (for Dr. Ellery).

That is a lie, and suggests that I have been in n conspiracy with Dr. Ellery.

Witness.-t am pcifcctly willing to give evidence when the commission asks mo.

Mi. Blcnimn.-Should you not have seen that all the muses who wished to see these demonstrations were present, so that you would not ha\e to operate on mote than une patient?

Witness.-i thought that the nurse had brought them all together.

Mr. It. li. Menzies complained that Mr. Brennan was causing unnecessary delay ami i «.pense. "Oh, let IIB finish beloio Christ- inas,"-he exclaimed.

Mi. Brennan.-Your anxiety lias only manifested itself since Dr. Elleiy began his I'UilcncB. Nothing you can da will hustle bun out of that chair.

Mr. K. (¡. Menzies.-That is a typical lal ukin speech! ,

Mr. Biennan.-The quicker you leam.to behave yourself the better!

Continuing his cross-examination, Mr Brennun' asked:-Ho yon believe in these cases that the end justifies the means? , ?

Witness.-Yes, any means taken to save an uggicgatc number of lives is justified.

1 Do you know of any other light these puliente have foifeited except their liberty.? Aie they here in a State laboiatory or an experimental faim?-Partly so. We must examine them to lind thc.eausc of npd ti cat inent for their malady. ; -,

"Campaign of Mud Slinging."', >J When you went lo the waid to give this cuni demonstration wore the patients ksleep?-The big boys wcic awake. - ,

Do you consider it wise to perform au operation at night in the picseneo of only one nurse?-Looking back after this in iiuiiy, it was indiscicet, although 'I dil" not realise it at the time. ^

Mr. Breiiiiun.-A doctor should always uioid any suggestion of nnpiopricly? .

Mr. It. O. Men/.lcd (hotly).-With his tongue in his cheek, Mr. Biennon earlier tin« morning said that there was no'sug gestion of impropriety between Nurse ¿iurke and Dr. Kllery. Now, byj a men mist of the tongue, he thiows out the sug- gestion again. This is a campaign of"'.'nuid slinging.'

Continuing his eros« examination, Mr. ]lt annan asked Dr. Ellery if he did not think that there was a «Inctuie of impro- priety in taking Nuise Burke .into n dormi loiy alone at night-time, und,'perfoiming tucli nu operation upon a mule patient*

Witness.-Theie may hu\e been 11 tinc tmo of indiscretion. ' .

Was tlleie'not another'reason-why y,ou >hoiil(l-h.'ivc been.paltieularly..careful?-1 um 'unuwaic of what you ' arc 'alluding"

to.

Wltnoss Edited "Speculum."

Wcie 3011 not the editor ol 11 magimnp which was recalled from cn dilution and suppressed because,of- ¡tS'-indectenuy?-I was the'editor of a magazine thatXwus re «ailed, but nothing was said' about'indc icncy. i' ' " . . -, '

Mi. R. .0. Menzies.-Ah, Mr. Brennan means the "Speculum,'' the University medical students magazine! . ' '

Mr. Biennan.-One issue of the "Specu- lum" was recalled? ',.'. . *

Witness.-Yes. , '»,*'. You weie the editor?-Yes, but I had resigned befoie that. , ' , " .'

You were not the editor of any1 issue efter that?-No. - ? *.

Do you deny, that that issue contained a number of indecent paragraphs ?-I, do IIP'

"'So thal it did contain some? - Eveiy '.Speculum" does.

'this issue contained lewd mattet'-Oh, ni). It had the license usuully extended to medical students' mugiuiucs.

Were you reqnircd'liy the professional board immediately to lesigu as the tesult tit the issue*-1 was not.

Warm Words Between Cotinsol.

Mr. 1!. I!. Menzies.-In the face of this cioss examination, is Mr. Breunim- niau enough to admit thut v.hen he previously mid that lie withdicw any suggestion of iinpiopncty, he lied? ' ?

Air. Brennan.-L mulei stand my friend's iiiitnbihts, and condone a lot of it.

Mr. H. I!. Menzies.-1 have never heard oi moio dingi .icefu! behaviour fiom anyone piolissing to be 11 piofessional mum .It is u io« ai dlj- throw ing of mild. 1 cimtiot help feeling indignation at having to appear ui'iiinst a larrikin like }ou.

Mr. Bi cunan.-1 have permitted this to go on for some time, but if Mr. Menzies MI} s another word against mc 1 shall take othei steps against Ililli. . . -. -' '

Mr. Kelley.-Nuise Jim ko said that there was no suggestion of imjiiopriety. The iri/ssexnmiiiation of Dr. l'.lleiy is an cn-,

ileu\ our to indicate *\ hether he has been'

guilty of something which suggests that he leans in the direction of lmpropuety; whether he takes plcusuic in mattete which aie lewd and unpiopei. It is onlv 11 'matter of "letting his disnedil." 1 think bufljeicnl piogrcss has been made in this direction. Jt would be wise if information .were dinted only wich us would benefit nie in the Inquiry.

Mr. Biennan.-I intend to tnke no further part in the inquny until Mr. Menzies has withdrawn his remark about

me. , . , ,

Mi. R. G. Menzies.-I do not intend to ?* ithdruw. it.

Mi. Bi ornum.-No man, .cither privately 01 professionally, ventures-to call* me a "lurnkin" and goes unchallenged.' If Mr.-, Menzies does not withdraw 1 shall, deal xulh him 111 another way.* ¿" . ,

Mi. R. G. Menzies.-ItJs only fair thal jon should wit hill aw,. any suggestions against Dr. Elleiy. .1 Have no*desire that, som 1 bents should be left without, assist- ance, and will theiefoic withdraw thç'worsls complained of. I do not witlidiaw my pr<~i test against the line of cioss-examihaiioir,

however.

Mi. Brennan, lesuming his eioss-cxiim iiuition, asked:-With lcgard to apiiinni

íiliinc,} ou have mid that an.v_stainlnril text ! book w ould justify > oin use of it as an in jfilion. Do you know any mithin ¡ty which mentions its UM* lo quieten maniacal luna

Witness.-No, only those cited in lim ruse i)f excitement by alcohol.

In the case of the set end injection, do jon not think it would lune been mole 111.111I} and decent lo lune left the patient to the une of the attendant who knew how I" southe him?-1 have not nindi faith in I lie soothing abilities of the attendants. 'Hie effett would lune bien momentan

1 ah.

Y0111 treatment had .1 peimanent effcit? -It was eflicaeious for 24 1mm s.

Injections for Violent Patients.

Ti theie'stritt regald us to the amount of loud that patients cat?-No. greater Mipvi \ isiiui (which means a gieatcr staff) 1- i.t-cil ii. An oretloaded stomach causes anti» eaks.

l'o Mi*. V. G. Mi'U/iV? (who is nssisting the (ouimishinnct), Di. Ellen' said:-I have meivod coiiiplaints fiom .itteiidiiuts con -."mug the welfiuc of patients 111 the «riler. Nu complaints luivebeeh made to Me (oneeining their clothing. The risk of loiitogion where many puticnls are con li'icd 111 the schoolroom Would be I'l'cntcr in the case of some pafients than -if they weie left in the open. Next winter, nuless othet buildings nie installed, I shall have to observe the same arrangements as.in last

v* inter.

Mr V. (!. Menzies.-Do you legald expel i mont ing ah p«rt of the function» of the in- stitution?-Anything that gave pam caused injiny would .be-excluded, of 10111

Kxpeinncnts are done largely at the Austin li

llospitul, lind"Mirgeims have asked Ymc for cases hore where surgical kupwledgc' would <lo sonic good..

lu it done morely, foadvancc your know- ledge, or to give the best result to the largest number?-Tint is the ide» I do not believe in speculative experiment with- out having reasonable grounds-to expect

benefit to ncciuc.

The eommisMnu adjourned until half-past !) o'clock this morning.

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