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had thoroughly worked the subject out. If you want an example of it look at this list of deaths with septic symptoms after abdominal operations in the Hospital. This is a terrible state of affairs, and I am bound to say that I did not recognize it myself before making out the table I hold in my hand, which I did at Sir James Hector's request. 1537. Then you are educating the public up to it ?—I hope so. 1538. And educating the medical staff?—l am helping the medical staff a little, and educating myself too. 1539. And possibly the education may benefit other localities?—l dare say so : I think it will eventually educate the whole colony, for it is a most important matter indeed. 1540. Mr. Chapman."] One of the gentlemen now a member of the medical staff was a Trustee at that time, was he not ?—Do you refer to Dr. Maunsell ? 1541. Yes.—He was. 1542. For how long was he a Trustee ?—Twelve months. 1543. To what extent did he discover these enormous evils do you think ?—I think that he recognised them fairly well. 1544. That he recognised the insanitary state of the Hospital ?—I think he did. 1545. At the time he was a Trustee ?—Yes. 1546. Do you take any interest in the proceedings of the Trustees?—l have taken a great deal of interest lately. 1547. But I mean as early as the time that Dr. Maunsell was a Trustee?— Yes. There was not very much in them as a rule to interest, but they have been very much more interesting of late. 1548. You said something just now about the nursing: that the staff had brought the matter repeatedly before the Trustees; that they had done so almost yearly for a long time back. Is that the fact ?—Dr. Colquhoun made a point every year of proposing that we should urge its importance on the Trustees. We had all recognised its urgency for a long time before that, but Dr. Colquhoun formally brought it before the Trustees as an annual recommendation from the staff, his idea being that if we stuck to it long enough there was a chance of it being carried out. 1549. But you had on the Board of Trustees Dr. Maunsell, who thoroughly appreciated the reforms you wished to have carried out ?—Yes, I think he did, but I think he felt in a rather awkward position there. 1550. But he was one of the Trustees, and had an opportunity of pushing matters very vigorously ? —But he was on the Board of Trustees under very peculiar circumstances. lam rather sorry that these things should be brought out; it will be a pity if they are, as it may lead to unpleasantness. 1551. Why should it make unpleasantness ?—I will let you know all about it, but I think it will be far better if it is not gone into. 1552. It may be my obtuseness, but Ido not see how it can lead to unpleasantness?—l think you will find that it will. You have asked me two or three things that had better been left alone. I would like to make a statement. Dr. Maunsell was a member of the surgical staff for many years; he was our leading surgeon, and we all recognised him as our best surgeon. One year, without any rhyme or reason so far as we could make out, he was dropped out of his position on the staff; the Medical School lost the advantage of his teaching; his patients in the Hospital lost his services ; and his exclusion was felt to be a great loss to every professional man in the Hospital. We knew not why he had lost his position and we felt very sore about it. As a protest against it, when there was an election of a Trustee—l know I worked very hard for him myself—we returned Dr. Maunsell as a Trustee. He was elected as a kind of protest against the action of the Trustees, but I fancy he felt himself to be in an awkward position on the Board, and therefore did not push on reforms as he otherwise might have done. I believe, however, that he did his utmost to push on the erection of the operating-theatre. 1553. You do not suppose for a moment that he failed in his duty, do you ? —Certainly not. 1554. Do you know this to be Dr. Maunsell's opinion: " I say that the Hospital, with the expenditure of a little money, can be made into a most excellent hospital"?-—-Yes; by that he meant to spend £8,000 on it. 1555. He is of opinion that by the expenditure of a little money it can be made a perfectly good hospital ? —I had the same view myself at that time, but I have changed it since. 1556. Do you expect everybody to follow your changes with equal rapidity?—Oh no; but if I can give good reasons, and I think I have done so already, people will follow my changes. 1557. More than once you have heard Dr. Maunsell express the opinion that with the expenditure of a little money this Hospital might be made an excellent institution ?—Yes. I was rather inclined to that view myself until I had gone into the question more minutely. 1558. There was some little dispute among the medical staff at this meeting at which Dr. Maunsell spoke, as to the course you had taken ? —Yes, there was. 1559. We will leave out personal differences. There was a great difference of opinion, was there not, as to the justifiability of what you had done in sending in that report ?—Differences of opinion undoubtedly existed at that meeting. At a meeting of the staff before I gave my address they gave me permission to forward that address to the Trustees independently, but when they saw it in print, and found out the row there was likely to be, they then objected on the ground that they had not known its contents. They were going to send in their annual motion on the nursing, but postponed it to allow me to send in my paper. 1560. They ultimately passed some resolutions, did they not ?—Yes. 1561. Were you present? —At part of the meeting. 1562. Why did you leave the meeting?— Because they were going to discuss the tone of my address, and I did not care to be present.