The Express.
London, England, 1852-10-06 00:00:00

MANAGEMENT OF BETHLEHEM.

lifixt-rze or PROCEEDINGS taken at the °Mee of the
Metropolitan Comnsimioners in Lunacy, 19, New-strect,
Spring.gardests, July 7,1851. The Earl of Bliarritantax,
in the chair.
Jon:e EDWARD Jon:4slow, E.q., valid in, and baring
been sworn, examined by the Cummis.ioners a. follows :
What situation do you kohl in Bethlehem Hospital ?
I am Treasurer of the United llotpitals of Bridewell and
Bethlehem.

What are your duties as treasurer ?—To superintend
the affairs of the hosnital, both as to its attendants, aid
the detsi.s of the hospital.
Have you any and whet power to control or interfere
with the conduct of any of the medical officers, or the
matron ?—Nona whatever, except as an individual member
of the board. If I perceive anything improper in the con-
duct of any one, I should immediately report it to the
committee, who would take the matter up.
But you have no power as treasurer ?—As treasurer I
have none. Probably, were I to suspend any one, the
board would consider it a judicial act, and the exercise of a
proper power, presuming that I made out that it warn a case
to justify the suspension.
Have you any and what power to suspender rescind any
of the existing rules or regulations of the hosjtal, subject
to the sanction of the board of governors or otherwise ?
Directly I have no power to rescind any rules. At the
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or directions at variance with any of the then existing rules
or regulations P—l cannot say distinctly that I have, pro-
bably I nay. It may have been on some matters, hat
nothing occurs to my mind of my having done so.
Have you ever given any orders at variance with the
practice previously in use at the hospital ?—I do not know.
there may have been something with regard probably to
the mode of treatment, or the supervision of female pa-
tients. I think I recollect sone time ago that there was
some misunderstanding between the matron and the resident
medical officer as to the power that each had in controlling
disputes that occasionally arose ; and I think I suggested
that the matron should take a little more to herself ; that
the medical man should not interfere so much as he had
been doing. I believe that arrangement has beets adored
between them since, and these misunderstandings have
terminated.
How long have you held the office of treasurer ?—A little
more than three years.
Bow long ago was it that you gave that order ?—lt may
have been two years ago. Some time after 1 had been up-
pointed treasurer I found many little things that I was nut
quite satisfied with, and they were continually disputing as
to which of them had the power to do it. I felt that there
was not quite employment enough for the patients. I
think the employment of the patients rested with the
medical officer, or with the matron, and I said I must call
upon the matron to find full employment for the patients.
Having thus interposed to regulate these little differ
elms between the matron and the medical officer, did you
report such interference to the governors?—No, I did not;
' I felt it was entirely a matter of detail left in my howls.
Did it not strike you to be a most important matter
of detail P—lt did, but I was not at all conscious that I
was interfering with the rules it is only within a few days
that I heard so; up to that poked it was not a rule ; I wan
not 'tenacious that it was so.

It was clearly by your own showing • new rule in-
stituted by you, because there appears to have been a
variance between the medial man and the matron, and
you laid down a rule for their observance I—l did not
know it was a new rule; I felt that there was • misunder-
standing about the rules.
I understood you to say, you did not report it to the
governors ?—I did not. They, themselves, did not appear
to understand what the rule was; and I rather interpreted
the rule than made a new one.
Can any other governor suspend ?—No.
Can any other governor exercise the same power as you
do ?—I should say not.
Have you made any and what alterations in the manage-
ment or superintendence of the wards for female patients ?
—With the exception of that one, I am not conscious of
having made any.
Which do you allude to?—As to requesting there should
be a larger amount of employment, and that the matron
should be the person to attend, keep up, and maintain that
employment.
In whom is the power vested of hiring, suspending, and
discharging officers and attendants of the establishment ?
la MN degree it is with myself, but I cannot hire any
male attendant except on the recommendation of the medi-
cal officer; and I cannot hire any female attendant except
on the recommendation of the metres. In tact, the matron
finds all the female attendants, and takes them en trial;
aid after they have been there so long as to justify her re-
commending them, she recommends them, and upon her
recommendation I invariably act. I never find a servant
myself, I act upon her recommends ion. That is distinctly
one of the duties of the treasurer, as will appear by the list
I have brought with me. The other servants of the hospi-
tal, who are not either male or female attendants, are re-
commended to me by the steward. limit 27 is the one to
which I refer.

When the appointment has been made, is it reported to
the committee or to the governors for conflromtioe h—No.
Thtn the appointment is absolutely with the trenurer,
in feet T—Yes, upon those recommendations, after a resi-
dence is the hospital during tho period of probation.
By whom are inquiries made as to the character and effi•
ciency of the attendants, before they are engage-4?-11y the
matron,' with regard to all female attendants; before it
was jointly by the apothecary and steward, until the new
miles, but now it is solely by the matron with regard to all
Mule attendants, and by the steward solely with regard to
all male olhicisis.
They are the parties who make the reports, and you act
apeatheir reports f—They are the parties who being per-
mi s. nto the hospital on probation, and report to me that
have introduced into the hospital such a person upon
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they are appointed.
Have there net been recently frequent discharges and
changes amongst the attendants ?—fhere have been a
great number of changes among the female attendants,
but very few discharges.
Can you mention what has been the cause ef that?—lt
has been reported that such and such a person has given
notice to quit, without expressing any reason ; and in some
instances at has been accompanied by a statement, or rather
an observation, that such a party was not suitable; but
not very often. I only recollect two males who have been
discharged during three years ; one I found had been lend-
ing books to some of the girls oonnected with the House of
Occupation : the books were not of an immoral character
at all, but 1 telt it so improper for him t 3 lend them, that I
thought it a setticient reason to discharge him. The other
person had bsen guilty of great unkindness and neglect of
the patients, and I discharged hint immediately.
You do not assign any cause for the frequent changes
among the female attendants f—The matron is below, and
she will be able to tell you that much:better than I can. 1
When reports are made to you on the subject of the hos-
pital or the patients and attendants, by whom are they
made, and how often ?—Tho reports come up generally
every Friday, in a tabular form, 111. to the number of edam-
sinus or number of discharges, the number of deaths, or ac-
cidents. These reports are always made weekly, uud the.
ease-book is examined alto those who have been discharged.
We do not usually look over the case-book except ,M to
, .