GREENVALE SANATORIUM.
PATIENTS DESCRIBE FOOD.
Mr. V. Tanner, P.M., sitting as a Royal commission, resumed his inquiry yesterday into the allegations made in Parliament by Mr. Hogan, M.L.A., regarding the conduct of Greenvale Sanatorium, a Government institution for the treatment of tuberculosis.
Mr. T. G. Jones (Crown Law department) is appearing to assist the inquiry while Mr. H. Shelton (instructed by Messrs. W.B. and O. McCutcheon) is appearing for Dr. A. A. Brown, the medical superintendent of the sanatorium.
Henry T. Hest, sheet metal worker, 254 Grange street, Port Melbourne, said that he was a patient at the sanatorium from July 3 to November 29, 1917. During the last five or six weeks he was given watered milk. There was enough meat, and it was always fresh.
Mr. Jones. – Did you ever see any poultry running around?
Witness. – Yes; but not on the table. (Laughter.)
Mr Hogan, M.L.A., here asked for permission to question witnesses. He said that when previous witnesses had been called valuable evidence supporting his charges had not been brought out, and he would therefore like the right to cross-examine.
Mr. Hogan’s request was granted, and he then proceeded to question the witness Hest regarding the treatment of patients.
Mr. Shelton objected that the matters Mr. Hogan was touching on were outside the scope of the commission.
Mr. Hogan was complained that if the treatment of patients were excluded the commission would be deprived of the principal reason for its existence. When the commission was first decided on its scope was narrower than it is now, and he interviewed the Chief Secretary and Minister for Health (Mr. Bowser), with a view to having the inquiry widened. Mr. Bowser definitely promised that the treatment of patients and the general conduct and management of the sanatorium should be included in the scope of the commission, but this was not done, owing, he understood, to the protest of Dr. Robertson. Material evidence showing bad treatment of patients was being excluded, because of the restricted scope of the inquiry.
Dr. Robertson (chairman of the Board of Public Health). – I wish to deny the statement by Mr. Hogan that I interfered in any way. I have always advocated that a full inquiry should be held. As soon as Mr. Hogan’s statements were made in Parliament, I went to the Attorney-General and asked for a legal inquiry.
George Leslie Lancan, a patient at the sanatorium from February 15 to April 4, 1916, and a returned soldier, said that the food at the institution was very poor. He once went to Dr. Brown and told him that the food was not satisfactory. Dr. Brown replied, “Go to hell! All returned soldiers are blackguards!”
Mr Jones. -Did you give him the details of your complaint?
Witness. -He didn’t listen to details. He never would.
Mr. Jones. -Did you get enough meat? – We had sausage skins stuffed with something once a week. I don’t know what was inside them – corned beef and sawdust, judging by the look of them. (Laughter.)
Mr. Jones. -And do you know that id improperly prepared oatmeal looks something like sawdust, and has something the same effect on the teeth? (Laughter.) -Perhaps it has. Witness added that there were about a dozen returned soldiers at the institution. Most of them did not stop long.
Mr. Shelton. -Is it a fact that you were sent away under military control as not being amenable to discipline? -That was Dr. Brown’s opinion.
Mr. Shelton. -Tell us what happened when you complained to Dr. Brown. -He did his nut. He’s like a child at times. (Laughter.) He said, “Go to hell!” and I took him at his word and went.
Mr. Tanner. -Remember where you are. If you went where you said you went, you would not be here now.
Witness. -Well, I went to the Base Hospital.
Charles Edward Parker, Wynnstay road, Armadale, said that he was a patient at the sanatorium from February 26 to May 7, 1917. Plenty of meat of good quality was supplied, in fact, more than he required.
Robert Zelley, a pensioned soldier, living at 12 Emmaline street, Northcote, said that he was a patient at the sanatorium from October, 1915 to February, 1916. For about five weeks he was in charge of the poultry yard. Acting under instructions, he had often killed poultry for the doctor, both when he had visitors and when he had not. The doctor had poultry practically every Sunday. He was also told twice to kill poultry for Mrs. Brown, as she wanted to take it out to someone – Mr. Hagelthorn, he thought. He did not know whether the poultry was ever taken away or not. “On one occasion,” witness continued, “three officials of the Board of Public Health came out. On the previous day Dr. Brown asked me to kill some poultry for them. I told him that there was no poultry for them. I told him that there was no poultry fit to kill, except for the laying hens. The doctor said, “Never mind; we have got to have it.” So I killed six hens. I’ve never seen any of the officials of the Board of Public Health take poultry away, but I have seen vegetables taken away by Robertson, the manager.”
Mr. Jones. -Did you have any watered milk?
Witness. -There used to be a gallon a day go to the doctor’s place, to feed the opossums and dogs. We used to get watered stuff. It was an understood thing that it was no use making a complaint to Dr. Brown, because it went no further. Witness added that once 28 or 30 young ducks were reared. They all went to Mrs. Brown’s house.
Mr. Hogan. -Was there any poultry at Greenvale except for that belonging to the institution?
Witness. -None whatever, except geese.
Mr. Hogan. -Was there a private poultry-yard at the doctor’s house? -No. The doctor once told me to take out fourteen nice pullets. He said he wanted to take the pullets to his father’s place.
Mr. Hogan. -Did you ever talk to the bed patients? -No; the doctor didn’t like us returned soldiers to mix with the other patients. He said we learnt them too much. Patients didn’t complain to the doctor, because they knew they would be fired out.
Mr. Shelton. -What did Dr. Brown say when you complained that the meat was fly-blown? -He said that it would not occur again.
Mr. Shelton. -That didn’t indicate that you would get fired out, did it? Have you ever known a patient to get put out for making a complaint? -Yes. I’ve known a man get fired our at 9 o’clock at night. I can’t remember his name.
Mr. Shelton. -No; I thought not.
Other witnesses described the food at the sanatorium as good, and said that they had never seen any fly-blown meat.
At this stage the inquiry was adjourned until 10 o’clock on Thursday morning.
Source: The Argus (Melbourne, Vic); Tue 27 August 1918 (Page 6)
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1407003
Leave a Reply