H.—l

153

3595. Is faulty ventilation a matter of much importance? —It is. 3596. Is it a matter of very great importance ?—lt is. 3597. Are the matters of the walls being specially made to prevent the absorption of germs, the waterclosets, lavatories, and baths being in better positions, also of importance?— Yes. 3598. Then, in all these things may we say that this Hospital contravenes all modern principles?— Yes, to a degree. 3599". Can there be any question of degree as to the position of the waterclosets ?—There might no doubt be improvements in the position of the waterclosets. 3600. What about the number of patients in a ward ?—I do not know how many there were. 3601. Is the Hospital overcrowded at the present time ?—No. 3602. Nor any of the wards?— No. There is not a large number of patients in them just now. 3603. You have misunderstood my proposition. I meant to ask how many patients can be placed in a surgical ward without contravening the acknowledged requirements as to bed-space, and so on ?—I should allow one patient for 1,500 cubic feet of space. 3604. Can you tell me how many patients occupy these wards ? —Do you mean according to that proportion? 3605. Well, how far ought the beds to be apart ?—How many feet one bed should be from another ? 3606. Yes.—That again I would not say. It would depend on the floor-space. 3607. Cannot you say how far apart they should be?— Giving each bed 72ft. of square space? 3608. How far should the beds be from one andther?—l do not exactly know, but I should say from sft. to 6ft. 3609. How far apart are they in the Dunedin Hospital?—l do not know. I have never measured them. 3610. Yet you told Mr. Chapman that you cannot say whether they are too close together or not. Have you never formed a conclusion on that point ?—No. 3611. Should you be surprised to hear that there is not more than 3ft. between the beds in the Dunedin Hospital ?—I should be. 3612. And that in the case of a great many beds there is only 18in. between them? —Yes, I should be surprised. If that is so, it is too close. Mr. Chapman : Whose evidence was that ? Mr. Solomon : Dr. Closs's. The Chairman : That was what he called the touching distance. 3613. Mr. Solomon.] How much square space per patient is necessary do you think ?—From 70ft. to 100 ft. is the space mentioned. 3614. What is your opinion ?—I am no authority on the subject. I merely take it as the authorities give it. 3615. Can you go nearer to it than saying from 70ft. to 100 ft. ?—No. I am merely guided by the opinions in the books, and none of the men who have given evidence here on the subject know anything about it themselves. They have merely taken their evidence from the books. 3616. You were a member of the medical staff when this report was sent in ?—Yes. 3617. I find this paragraph in that report: "We repeat our main contentions that a floor space of 70 square feet in the large wards and of 62 square feet in the towers per patient is insufficient, and should be increased to 100 by reducing the number of beds ; that a cubic space of 1,030 cublic feet of available air in the large w rards, and of 872 cubic feet in the towers, per head is also very insufficient and should be increased to at least 1,200; and that there is no satisfactory system of ventilation to insure the purity of the air in the wards, but that such a system could readily be applied at small expense, and might easily be combined with a good heating arrangement." Witness : Who said so ? Mr. Solomon. The medical staff, of which you were a member. 3618. The Chairman.] First of all, do you acknowledge that report ?—ls that Dr. Lindo Ferguson's report ? 3619. [Mr. Solomon again reads the previous quotation.] —Yes, that is Dr. Lindo Ferguson's report. There, again, you see Dr. Ferguson gets his information from the books. 3620. That was the unanimous report of the staff?—l do not know that I ever signed it. 3621. Was it not considered by the staff?— That is quite possible. 3622. Is it correct ?—I do not know. 3623. Do you say, despite that paragraph, that it was not agreed to by the staff?—l think that paragraph is reasonable enough. 3624. Can you tell me, now, whether you gave your assent to that report ?—I do not know. 3625. Do you remember anything about it ?—I forget details, or whether I assented to it or not. 3826. Do you know whether that report was sent in to the Trustees as the unanimous report of the staff?—l forget all the details of the matter. 3627. I must press for a more definite answer. Was it or was it not sent in as the staff's report ? —I do not know. 3628. The Chairman.] Were you present at the meeting at which that report was adopted?— I was present when it was read, but I do not know whether it was put in as the unanimous report of the staff. 3629. Mr. Solomon.] There* was a resolution jjassed at that meeting unanimously adopting that report ?—Oh, that is very easy in a matter of this kind ; but you require to be a member of the staff before you can understand it. 20— H. 1.