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man feels that he cannot give them a proper education, owing to him being frightened to carry out the methods of treatment up to date. 1 should like to say, further 178. Stop a moment, please. Am I correct in saying that one of two things happens — either the doctor, who has brought his practice abreast of the times, feels that to attempt operations or methods of treatment in the unsatisfactory condition of the hospital would be extremely dangerous and therefore unjustifiable, or else the medical student will remain uneducated in these modern methods ?—Yes, and he turns out to practise on the public of New Zealand men who are imperfectly educated. I should like to express my views on this subject very strongly. I say that if the Dunedin public are not prepared to support such a hospital—a perfect hospital—l think it is a very selfish policy on their part to keep the Medical School here, because there are others of the large towns in New Zealand that are quite prepared to spend the money, and would be very glad to have a medical school, but the fact of Dunedin already possessing such a school keeps those other towns from undertaking such a school. With a proper hospital, a medical school would be conducted very much better. 179. In the Dunedin Hospital, is it safe, in your opinion, to adopt all the modern methods of treatment? —I will answer for myself and let others do so for themselves. I may say that there are a number of operations that I am absolutely unable to adopt the modes of treatment necessary to carry them out; and my experience in the past will prevent me from carrying out methods of treatment that I have been in the habit of using. There are a number of operations, modes of treatment which would be very beneficial to the patient, which lam afraid to undertake. If I am to go into details 180. Let us take one illustration. Do you know a method of treatment by electrolysis ?—Yes I do, and wish particularly to refer to it. 181. First of all, tell us what it is?—lt is a very important advance in gynecology in the treatment of certain forms of uterine complaints. 182. Has the treatment by electrolysis been successful?— Yes, in private practice I have seen some very remarkable results from it. When I returned from Melbourne I brought with me an apparatus intending to put it up in the Hospital. It is in my dark-room now. But lam sure that I should not be able to use it many times in hospital practice before I met with an accident. It is a very valuable curative measure in certain forms of disease. 183. Can it be safely conducted in such an insanitary hygienic condition as we have in this Hospital ?—Certainly not. I think that the treatment has to be carried out with the very greatest care, otherwise very disastrous results will ensue. I should be frightened to adopt it here for that reason. I have the necessary apparatus but will not put it up, because lam certain to do more harm than good with it. I might amplify that a little. It is most useful for the treatment of fibroid tumour of the in women of about forty-five years; it will arrest the progress of the disease and get them over a critical period, and thus prevent a serious operation. By this treatment you can always insure arrest of the hemorrhage. 184. You say that the use of this method of curative treatment requires special antiseptic precautions ? —Decidedly. 185. Why is that?— There is a slough produced at the point of contact of the internal electrode from which septic infection may occur. Some authorities recommend a puncture into the tumour, but I have never adopted that method myself. I have simply applied the pole to the interior of the uterus. 186. In that case, would it be like passing a uterine sound ?—Yes, but m addition you pass through the sound a powerful current of electricity. 187. Does that give you a lacerated condition ?—That depends on the pole you apply and the strength of the current. With one pole you get a dry eschar which arrests hemorrhage, with the other pole you get a softening and destruction of the tissues, the same as you get from an alkaline caustic. This is the more powerful in reducing the tumour. 188. The question I wish to ask you is why this particular process requires more special antiseptic precautions than others ?—By the introduction of the sound and application of the current, which is frequently repeated, a softening of the tissues results which is very readily affected by any septic material. 189. There is, in fact, a rupture of surface ? —Yes. 190. Why should there be any more danger of septic poisoning in that process than in any other ?—ln any solution of continuity there is always a certain amount of danger. 191. Is it important in that case to take antiseptic measures to secure absolute purity of instruments?— That would not be sufficient. I should say, as the result of my experience in this Hospital, that you cannot be absolutely certain with this alone, especially where we have unhealthy surroundings. My experience teaches me that. I may return to that by-and-by. 192. This, I understand you to say, is an illustration of one valuable remedy which, in consequence of the insanitary condition of the Hospital, you are unable to give effect to?— Yes. I should like to say something further about this. Each application seems to increase the risk. 193. I understand you to say that this is an especially dangerous and difficult operation because the instruments cannot be properly cleaned ?—I beg your pardon ; I did not say anything of the kind. It is very difficult to insure keeping the wound in a septic state. It is a multiplicity of causes that induces the danger. 194. That is because the application is one of frequency —not one operation and then done with, but it has to be repeated at intervals? —Yes. 195. Mr. Solomon.] I dojiot wish to lead you, but is there any other modern treatment that occurs to your mind at the present moment that you are unable to adopt?—l have not done an Alexander operation for some time ;I am frightened to do so. I can mention other operations that I refrain from doing.