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--4200. What was its particular nature, and what made it so serious ?—lt is always a serious disease. 4201. But if it is always a serious disease, why should one case be more serious than another? — Well, we speak of one disease being more serious than another. It was virtually one class of case, but in the one case the patient was a little longer ill than in the other. Both, however, made good recoveries, and were discharged cured. During the same time that I had these cases I had five or "six cases of typhoid fever. I think they occurred from March onward. Possibly there were only five cases of typhoid fever, but two of them were very serious. One of them was that of a delicate girl who, when she came in, had general bronchitis, besides which her chest was seriously affected, while she had a high range of temperature. She recovered after three months' attention in the Hospital. 4202. What ward was she in?— No. 8. I had another case of a young girl, almost equally as bad. It was a severe case of typhoid fever, but she, too, recovered. 4203. The Chairman.] How long was it before she recovered from the fever?— About two months or six weeks before the febrile movement was stayed. At about the same time I was called in consultation to see a young man who had been ill about seven weeks with typhoid fever. When I saw him his lungs were extensively implicated. 4204. Do you mean that he had typhoid and you saw him six or seven weeks after ?—When I saw him he was very bad, and was still suffering from typhoid fever, complicated with lung-disease. I told his mother that I thought it was a very hopeless case. 4205. Mr. Chapman.'] Had he any other trouble ?—He had inflammation of a phthisical type. 4206. An acute type?— Well, we may say the inflammation was severe. I induced his parents to send him into the Hospital. I held out no hope if he stayed at home, and I told them it was the only chance the patient had. I telephoned for an ambulance-wagon, which was sent down, and he was taken to the Hospital in it. 4207. Was he in a very weak condition ? —Yesj I hardly ever removed one who was in the same condition. I prescribed for him. Two days after his admission into the Hospital he was so low that I believe I am correct in saying Dr. Copland sent for his parents to come and see him die. 4208. The Gliairman.] Two days afterwards he was so exceedingly low that he was supposed to be dying?— Yes, he was so low that his relatives were sent for. Yet, after three months' attention in the Hospital, he was discharged as well as he ever was in his life. 4209. During which time you attended him ?—Yes ; I saw him in No. 4 ward. 4210. Mr. Chapman.] Was he confined in the ward all the time?— Yes, except during his convalescence, when he moved about. He was in the grounds then for a short time. 4211. How long ago was that ? —I suppose he was discharged about two months ago. 4212. You say he was in perfect health then ? —Yes ; in perfect health. At the time that lam speaking of I had other acute diseases, such as inflammation of the lungs and the like of that; and in all those cases there were recoveries. Now, I ask, could any one have such recoveries as I have mentioned if the Hospital wore in the condition it is alleged to be, or if the nursing was inefficient. 4213. The Chairman.] In your opinion, such results are incompatible with an unhealthy condition of the Hospital ? —Yes ; and it would be interesting to put in an instructive form a list of those cases which, you will observe, occurred during a time that the Hospital is alleged to have been in a condition which rendered it unfit for operations to be performed in it. 4214. Mr. Chapman.] That is, from July to the present date?—l mean that most of those cases occurred during June and July. 4215. Would those remarks apply to June, July, and August ? —Well, I have had some cases in August. 4216. But they apply more especially to prior to August, yet including June and July?— Yes. 4217. Now, what do you say about the death-rate of the Dunedin Hospital ?—I look at the death-rate of the Dunedin Hospital as a very low one. A large number of cases that have been admitted were admitted m a moribund condition, or were suffering from wholly incurable diseases. Such cases as these are not admitted into the hospitals generally at Home, but would be sent to the poor-house or the infirmary. 4218. The Chairman.] Arc these pauper cases, may I ask?—l do not think we have any pauper cases in this colony. I never hear the term used in New Zealand. The last four deaths that have occurred in my practice are typical of what have occurred during my whole connection with the Hospital. 4219. We will take them in order then?— The last one was a Chinaman, admitted on Friday last. I saw him on Saturday, and found that he had been three months ill in bed without any attendance whatever, and without any medical advice. He was suffering from inflammation of the lungs—chronic disease of the lungs. I may say that I saw him only once. He is dead now. The case before him was that of a young mail twenty-four years of age, suffering from phthisis and tubercular disease. 4220. You were attending him?— Yes. 4222. Outside? —Yes; and then I sent him into the Hospital for multi-disease of the bone, necessitating operation. He had necrosis of the sternum, jaw-bone, and also of the forearm, and was operated on successfully. 4222. Mr. Chapman.] When did you send him in ?—A month or six weeks ago. 4223. W 7hat was his name ? —I think it was M . 4224. Did you operate on him ?- No ; Dr. Gordon Macdonald did. 4225. In what ward was he ? —No. 4 at fir"st. Soon after the operation I sent him into the