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discharged the trust confided to him, especially looking
at the fact that he now endeavours to vindicate proceedings
\hich I am convinced caused Hickman 's death by suffocation,
and that similar treatment has habitually been inflicted on
other lunatics under Mr Hal l's care.
Hampton recommended that, if Hall were retained in the service, he should
be severely reprimanded, and that, if there were any more complaints , he
should be dismissed.
Further, he suggested that Hall should serve only
in a strictly medical establishment such as the General Hospital at
Hobart Tolm or Launceston, as the "temper and litigious spirit" whih he
had recently shown did not fit him for emp loyment at a convict station.
The two attendants were to los e their Tickets-of-Leave and serve six months
probation at the Saltwater River station.
the final verdict;
On March 1, 1853, Denison gave
Hall was not fit to have charge of the lunatic asylum;
he was to be severely reprimanded and removed .
If he were to be emp loyed
at all, considering the circumstances both at Ross and Saltwater River,
it was not to be in a separate charge but in a situation where his
pecularities of temper would never affect his usefulness.
improper conduct would receive instant dismissal.
Any future
Accordingly , Hall was
severely censured by the Principal Medical Officer and removed to
Impression Bay.
Up till now Hall did not realize that truth could· be
distorted and changed, intentionally or otherwise, as it passed through
the formal procedures of government , in spite of his former experiences
with Roper at Brighton and Schaw at Bothwell .
Consequently, he was
deeply shocked and angered by the outcome of the Board of Enquiry.
was prepared to accept the Governor 's and the Comptro ller-General 's
opinions for what they were worth;
He
to the Governor he felt some slight
gratitude for his acceptance of the more lenient of the recommendations
put to him.
Hampton, _
he considered, merited no respect for condoning
situations such as those at Saltwater River .
Officer 's censure he found "galling in the extreme" .
and undeserved.
But the Principal Medical
It was both unjust
In time he realized that al lowances had to be made for
Shanks who was a sick man already dying of the disease which killed him,
irritable and unab le to suffer any worry .
Several other Medical
officers about this time received similar treatment from him.
As it
happened, the two men did establish friendly, cordial relations again,
and Hall was convinced that Shanks later regretted the harsh judgment he
had passed, especially as Hall and not his superior officer at Impression
Bay was appointed to attend the lunatics during the resident doctor 's
absence on leave from Saltwater River .