GREENVALE SANATORIUM.
A POST-MORTEM MATTER.
SEEN OR UNSEEN?
A day or so ago the chairman of the Board of Public Health received an anonymous letter, in which it was alleged that a recent happening at the Government Sanatorium at Greenvale could form the basis of a “disgusting and unwholesome scandal.” The allegations were that, after a post-mortem examination upon a patient, portions of the body were allowed to remain in view of the other inmates. The medical superintendent (Dr. A. A. Brown) has furnished a report on the subject to the Board of Public Health. He says: –
“After death I opened up the thorax and removed the lungs for specimen purposes. After removing the lungs the thorax was nicely packed with wool, and the incision was carefully sewn up. The body was cleaned and shrouded in clean coverings in the presence and with the assistance of Mr. Apps, the undertaker. The door of the morgue was closed, and no person except Mr. Apps, Nurse Bompas, and myself knew what had been done. No one could see into the building, for the door was closed, and, further, the building is so situated in relation to the stables that a view of its interior is not practicable at a distance. At the same time, the undertaker’s cart was drawn up at the front of the door. Again, at the time of the evening when the post-mortem was made, the patients would all be at supper, while they are all forbidden to go in the direction of the stables during the evening, and no one goes in that direction.”
Dr. Brown also states that the patient had expressed a wish that his lungs should be examined after death.
Dr. Ham himself has added to the report that from inquiries made and from the voluntary statement of Nurse Bompas, he was of the opinion that the statements in the letter were greatly exaggerated.
Source: The Argus (Melbourne, Vic); Thu 14 March 1912 (Page 7)
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11660541
Leave a Reply