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3878. You are registered as a practitioner in New Zealand ?—Yes. 3779. How long is it since you received your registration ?—lt was at the beginning of 1889. 3780. Did you take your place then as House Surgeon ?—Yes, in January, 1889. 3781. You have charge of the Hospital, have you not, and are responsible, so far as your functions go, for the cases there ? —Yes. 3782. The admissions all come through you, on the recommendation of the different members of the medical staff or the Trustees ?—Yes, or medical men who are not connected with the Hospital. Recommendations come from a large number of people, sometimes from clergymen. 3783. What assistance have you in the Hospital ? I mean professional assistance, apart from the staff?— There is an assistant house-surgeon, but at present he is an unqualified man —a fourthyear student. 3784. The Chairman.] What is his name ?—B. J. Roberts. 3785. Mr. Chapman.] Last year it was Dr. Barclay?— Yes, and a portion of this year it was Dr. Fooks. 3786. Who was promoted to Seacliff?—-Yes, he was promoted to Seacliff. 3887. Some three months ago ?—He left in the beginning of May. 3788. Now, what is the nursing staff? —There are four day-wardsmen and three nightwardsmeu, five certificated nurses, a matron, and six probationers. 3789. Then, when there is any stress you get in nurses from outside, do you not ?—Yes. We have one in from outside just now—not that there is any stress though. 3790. Do you keep returns of all cases ?—I do. 3791. Classified ?—I classify them at the end of the year for the Registrar-General. 3792. In accordance with the Registrar-General's framed schedule ?—Yes. 3793. The Chairman.] The schedule is supplied ?—-Yes. 3794. You do not really classify them ?—No ;we just enter them in the schedule. The term is from the Ist January to the 31st December. 3795. Mr. Chapman.] Now, at present, what is the number of patients in the Hospital?—l could not say exactly. 3796. What is the number of beds?— There are about 112 beds. 3797. And about how many patients are there in now? —There are ninety-two to-day. 3798. And is that about the number there visually are ? —That is about it, and sometimes it runs up over 100, while at others it is down to eighty. It is rarely over 100. 3799. And can you give the numbers in the several wards ?—ln No. 1 ward to-day there are thirteen, but lam not sure ; I think there are two beds vacant. No. 2is the same, I think. Nos. 3 and 4, I cannot say whether there are any vacant beds in them. No. 5 has one patient in it. No. 6 has twelve beds. No. 7is vacant. In No. 7 tower there are three. In No. 8 there are about twelve or thirteen. In No. 8 tower there are three. Then in the children's ward there are nine, I think. 3800. You have made up this return, showing ill 1888, 1889, and half of 1890 the number of persons who died on each of the first seven days after admission, in comparison with the total death-rate for each of the years' death-rates?— Yes. 3801. There seems to me a large number of cases which came in and died very soon ?—-There were five died on the first day. 3802. Can you give any idea of the causes of death in those cases within the week?— Yes, I can tell the causes of death in the whole of them. 3803. Does this table show them ? —Yes, the whole of them for the two years and a half. 3804. They seem to be under a great many different causes. Then, this return shows the whole of the deaths occurring within one week in the two years and a half?— Yes. 3805. There seems to be a great accession this year of cases dying in the first day. Where are those ?—Several of them were fatal accidents. The first was a man brought down from Palmerston, a case of extensive burn, the whole of the trunk, face, and arms being burnt; died within sixteen hours. Then there was the case of a man admitted one afternoon, suffering from peritonitis and also from Bright's disease ; he died the same night. Another man was brought in from the Volunteer encampment; he was the officer's orderly; he suffered from Bright's disease and had inflammation of the lungs, and died within an hour. The next was a man with a ruptured aneurism. It happened at the gate, and he died within twenty-four hours. The next was a Chinaman, who was sent in suffering from tubercular meningitis. He was suffering outside, and died the same night. The next case had an extensive scalp wound and fractured skull, the patient dying the same night. The next one was croup; tracheotomy was performed, and the patient died twenty-four hours after admission. The next case occurred while I was away. The next was the case of a young men who fell between two railway-trucks—a young man named E . The next one was the case of a boy, twelve years of age, who met with an accident at the Ocean Beach, Michael X by name ; he had a scalp wound, fractured clavicle, internal injuries, and was badly bruised as well; he died within a few hours. The next one was the case of a fractured skull; died two hours after admission. These are ten deaths occurring within twenty-four hours. This year there were twenty-three died within the first week. 3806. Out of a total of fifty-four admitted. Last year, I see, there were thirty-two out of eightyeight, and in the previous year thirty-two out of 102. 3807. The Chairman.] Only one could possibly be a chronic case, sent in to die?— The chronic cases. Mr. Solomon : 1 suppose we have the same thing in all hospitals. 3808. Mr. Chapman.] Do you have many cases of accidents arising in this town ?—Yes ; most of the accidents I referred to have occurred about town. [Report handed in: Exhibit xxxix.]