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3554. I was asking you for the ventilation—not the space per patient ?—I should want you to tell me the area to be ventilated. 3555. What are the modern requirements in regard to ventilation : how many windows should there be to a patient, or how many patients to a window ?—These are matters of detail which I have not gone into. 3556. Do you know what is the most approved method of ventilation in modern times ? I suppose'you have heard of cross-ventilation ? Is it not the generally accepted theory?— Yes. 3557. Is there any system of cross-ventilation in the Dunedin Hospital ?—Yes. 3558. Is the system not a direct contravention of the modern principles of ventilation? Tell me what is the ventilation by window-space, and how many patients per window there are ?—I tell you again that that is a matter of detail which I have not gone into. 3559. Do you know anything about it ?—No. 3560. Do the authorities say that it is either a wise or proper thing that the means of ventilation in a hospital should be by means of the chimneys and windows? Do you think that the authorities admit that?— No. I think that there should be other means. 3561. Are there other means here? —There are windows, chimneys, and holes in the blind wall. 3562. Yet you say that the existing ventilation is fairly up to modern requirements. On what do you base that statement ?—On how it strikes myself. 3563. And you have already told us that your nose is the only thing by what you come to that conclusion ?—I think it is a very good test. 3564. Though there is no cross-ventilation, though the window-space per bed is only half what it should be, and though the only practical means of ventilation is by the windows, which cannot be kept open at certain times of the year, you still mean to say that the ventilation is fairly up to modern requirements ? —Yes. 3565. Though it violates all the principles of modern science, you say that it is fairly up to what is required ?—I do. 3566. Dr. Truby King is one of the modern school, is he not ?—-Yes, he is a modern physician, so far as coming lately from college is concerned. 3567. He is one of the modern school who have devoted more attention to these subjects than the older ones ?—I do not know. 3568. Would you be surprised to hear that, according to Dr. King, by the system of ventilation here there is only sufficient fresh air introduced into the wards of the Dunedin Hospital for nine patients at the outside. Can you contradict that ?—No. 3569. Are you still of opinion that the ventilation is fairly sufficient? —I still express that opinion, as being how the thing strikes me. 3570. I tell you again that Dr. King says that, under the present system of ventilation, that the wards are not sufficiently ventilated for more than nine patiems each. Will you contradict that?—l cannot swear that, I can only speak of the thing as it strikes myself. 3571. Ido not ask you to take that responsibility in the meantime. Dr. De Eenzi states that the wards are not sufficiently ventilated for more than eight persons. Will you contradict him ?—I will not venture on any contradiction. 3572. Well, we will drop the ventilation. Are you satisfied with the walls?— No. 3573. What is wrong about them?— They have uneven surfaces. 3574. Which are calculated to favour the reception of micro-organisms?— Yes. 3575. Do you approve of the floors ?—No. 3576. Are not the floors in direct contravention of what is required by modern principles ?— The floors are not good. 3577. Will you please answer my question?—lt is a very difficult question to answer. 3578. Do not modern requirements say that the floors should have a very smooth surface, and be constructed so as to specially reject germs ?—Yes. 3579. Are not the floors of the Dunedin Hospital of such a charactar as to specially favour the retention of germs ? —Yes. 3580. And as to the waterclosets : are they not in direct opposition to what all authorities on the subject say they should be?— They are not good. 3581. Are they not very bad ?—They are certainly not good. 3582. I ask you again: are they not very bad?— And I repeat that they are not good. 3583. That is not an answer. Are they not very bad? —They are not. 3584. Is it not the position taken up by all writers on the subject of sanitation that waterclosets ought not to open directly into the wards? —Yes. 3585. Is not that universally admitted?—l do not know. 3586. Can you show me one modern authority to the contrary ?—No. 3587. Do not the closets in the Dunedin Hospital open directly into the wards ?—Virtually, but not actually, they do. 3588. Is the position of the baths satisfactory ? —No. 3589. Are they too not opposed to the opinions of modern writers on the subject ?—They are not good. 3590. And the lavatories, are they not in the same position ?—Yes ; they are in a bad position. 3591. Now, as to the general construction of the Hospital, is it in accordance with or opposed to modern requirements?—lt is opposed to modern requirements. 3592. Do not all modern writers on the subject say that the wards should be built so that the sunlight shall come into them all day long, if possible ?—Yes. 3593. And that is quite impossible in the Dunedin Hospital ?—Yes. 3594. Is that a matter practically of no importance ?—lt is a matter of very great importance.

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