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space thus cut off. Are you of opinion that that would have the desired effect ?—I do not think that one can trust to a wooden partition. 4880. But this is intended to be a lath-and-plaster partition?— That is worse, because the plaster will crack and allow of openings. You must make a brick wall, well plastered, in order to prevent currents of air coining through it. This brick wall must be carried right up from the basement continuously, cutting through the floor, because a wall starting on the upper floor would allow currrents of air to come under the floor between the floor and the roof. And this is the situation in which, as a rule, traps are placed. 4881. The Chairman.] You mean that the wall must he carried up from the basement to the ground floor ? —Yes ; it must be carried solid through the floor. 4882. Mr. White.} You think that the soil-pipes should be taken outside ?—Yes; taking of them inside has always been condemned. [Witness here described the methods of joining the pipes, and condemned the plan of joining adopted here. 4883. Now as to the building : is the general plan of the building satisfactory, in your opinion ? —I do not think that any one can say that it is. It is an adaptation of an old building. 4884. Is it very unsatisfactory?—l do not think that it is very unsatisfactory. It is, however, very fairly adapted from a building which was not intended to be a hospital. 4885. What are its defects?— The want of proper cross-ventilation, and the want of light. 4886. As to the wards you mean? —The central hall is a mistake, and the excessive ventilation of that hall is a minor mistake. At times you have too much cold air. 4887. You say that there is sometimes too much air from the outside?—lt is done with good intentions, and Ido not think we can blame the Hospital for that. We have a plentiful current of air ; it is rather too strong at times. 4888. But that is not vitiated air ; where does it come from ?—From the harbour. 4889. You condemn the Hospital because it is on the block system? —Yes. 4890. You say that the pavillion system is preferable ?—Decidedly I do. That is the universal opinion. 4891. But the present Hospital is not very unsatisfactory?—l do not think so. 4892. You complain of the want of cross-ventilation in the wards?— Yes; that is an essential point. 4893. Could that be rectified or improved ?—I think that the Hospital, as it exists, may be made very suitable for a medical hospital, but not entirely or perfectly suitable for a surgical hospital. With a little amendment it might easily be kept as a medical hospital. 4894. What form do you suggest that the improvements should take ?— One witness has already suggested that we should take out one side of the square altogether —in fact, knock out the sunny side ?—lf you can let in air and sunlight without creating undue draught, that is what is needed. 4895. What, do you think of the idea of a ventilating shaft?—lt would not be satisfactory. It has been tried in the House of Commons, and other public buildings in the Old Country, and has always been found ineffective. It has also been tried in all the schools at Home. In fact, all sorts of systems have been tried, but they have never yet found one that answered the purpose satisfactorily. 4896. Then the natural system of ventilation is the only perfect one? —It is the only one, so far as acting automatically is concerned. 4897. The Chairman.] De you exclude methods with artificial heating of the air?—No; that is the best mode, but even that is not properly worked out. 4898. Do you think that the windows we now have in the Hospital are insufficient means of ventilation ?—I am afraid that they are. Ido not like them. 4899. Take them in any one ward?— But they differ very much in the upper and lower wards. 4000. Then take No. 7 ward ?—ls that the one opposite to the female ward ? 4901. Yes. Do you say that the windows are not satisfactory?— There are too many small windows, and they are too close to the beds, so that when you open them you cause a direct draught on to the patients. 4902. Do you know how many windows there are in a ward?—l have never counted them, but I should say from seventeen to eighteen, with a lot of little windows near the roof of the ward. Mr. White : There are apparently forty-two windows in each ward. 4903. The, Chairman.} Is that sufficient for lighting purposes?—l think so, on that side of the ward. 4904. Is it sufficient to light the ward ?—Yes ; the wards are well lighted. 4905. You are referring to their use as ventilators apart from their insufficiency?— Yes; I consider that they are improper as ventilators. 4906. Mr. White.} Do you think that they can be so arranged as to he made effective ventilators of the building?— Not without remodelling. 4907. Not without remodelling the whole of the. walls?— Yes. The wall on the other side is unlit by windows, and being rough you must have the beds between the windows. Another reason is that the space between the beds is better lighted, and that, when the windows are opened, the draught does not come in on the patient's head. 4908. Do not the, windows go very close to the ceiling?— The upper little ones do. 4909. Is not that in their favour, in the matter of a hospital ward, that they open as nearly as possible to the roof?— Certainly. 4910. Are there no other ..openings in connexion with the ventilators that directly control the currents of air?—ln the upper windows they swing by the middle. There is one thing about these windows that must not be overlooked. If you carry out the proposal to have the closets partitioned off by a brick wall you would close up the end windows of the ward.