205

H.—l

5002. In what respect is it unsuitable ?—I think it is unsuitable in regard to its capacity for ventilation. That, I think, is the main evil of the building. 5003. The Chairman.] I suppose when you say that, you do not mean the size of the structure, but the capacity?— That is so. 5004. Mr. White.] You say it is not properly ventilated ?—Yes ; I say, as a rule, it is not properly ventilated. I think it is a building in which, with the number of patients generally kept in it, it is impossible to get thoroughly ventilated —that ventilation which we ought to have in a good hospital. 5005. The Chairman.] You say it is on account of the structural defects in the building that it is impossible to ventilate the building properly?— That is my opinion. 5006. In what way do you think the ventilation is defective ?—The ventilation is by means of the windows, and there is no automatic system of ventilation, as it were, so that there is always a tendency in the air of the wards to become close and stuffy. That is not peculiar to this Hospital. I have noticed it in a great many hospitals. When medical men go into the wards the wards are being looked after, and the windows are kept open, so that the place is generally fresh and clean ; but as soon as they leave the patients themselves begin to grumble about the draughts, and the windows are then closed. You most notice the defect in the ventilation between midnight and early in the morning. 5007. Mr. White.'] You have been in the Hospital late at night, and early in the morning, have you?— Yes, as early as 7or 8 o'clock. 5008. And what did you find there?—l have frequently had occasion to complain of the closeness of the wards. Long before this discussion arose I said that an hour's work in the morning in one of the wards was as hard to me as the whole of my work during the rest of the day. I have spoken about this matter to the staff. It w ras a matter of very strong comment among them at various times during the last three or four years. 5009. Did the staff address any communication to the Trustees, or w ras any resolution passed by them on the subject ?—I think these matters wereJbrought under the notice of the Trustees in 1887 ; but lam not sure about the date. I think we had a conference with them. 5010. The Chairman.] Is there any record of that conference ?—I think there ought to be. 5011. Mr. White.] Were you not secretary of the medical staff at that time?—l was, and I see from this book (minutes of the staff meetings) that the Trustees had a conference with the staff on the 17th May, 1887. 5012. The Chairman.] That conference took place then?— Yes; we addressed a letter to the Trustees, and in accordance with it we had a conference with them. I think we drew up a report, and the want of ventilation was among the reasons that were urged for the various changes that were recommended. One of the chief reasons for our moving was that we wished to have better nursing. We thought we should have a well-trained staff of nurses, without which the most perfect system of automatic-ventilation would not be of much use, as it is a matter which must be left practically in the hands of the nurses. That was one of our strong reasons in trying to get a more systematic mode of ventilation adopted. 5013. Mr. White.'} By the way, as regards the suggestions from the staff generally, do you know of any suggestion made by the staff, until last year's wide request, that has ever been refused, so far as you know ? —No ; I think that the suggestions of the staff, on the whole, have been very fairly dealt with by the Trustees. They have not agreed to everything, but I think there has been a constant tendency on the part of the Trustees to grant what has been recommended by the staff. 4014. The first thing you asked for was a new operating-room, was it not ?—Yes. If I remember rightly, the whole of the staff met the whole of the Trustees. The arrangements made by the staff were that the nine members of the staff appointed three committees from their number, three on each committee. Three were appointed to look after the operating-theatre. Another three of the staff w-ere appointed to look after the nursing, and three others were to look after the matter of special wards; so that each matter would be carefully considered, and so that we should avoid, as far as possible, any clashing in views. We had a very friendly conference with the Trustees. 5015. The matter was very fully discussed with the Trustees, was it not ?—Yes. I am speaking only from memory, but my impression is that they agreed to the operating-theatre, and that the nursing system would be allowed as soon as they got funds to build a nurses' home. I have no recollection of what was done in the matter of special wards for special cases. There was no clashing of views, and no unpleasantness at the meeting. 5016. Did not the Trustees give the staff the option of choosing any one of these reforms they thought the most urgent ?—-That has been stated, but it is not my recollection. 5017. Do you know why this operating-theatre was fixed upon as being the first reform to be gone on with ? —I have always understood it to be because the Trustees had money for it, but not for the more expensive reforms. lam of opinion that most of the members of the medical staff thought that the nurses' home was the most urgently needed of the reforms required. 5018. I see by the minute-book that the proposed resolutions were submitted to the " committee "?—By that was probably meant the Trustees; I was always rather vague about their style. 5019. The Chairman.] I understand you to say that the nursing included ventilation; was that your opinion only, or was it the opinion of the whole of the medical staff who were at the meeting referred to ?—I think we took the subject as a whole. We thought that by getting these reforms carried we should be doing a great deal to put the Hospital on a good basis, both hygienieally and scientifically. 5020. Mr. White.] You ..state that the question of ventilation was to be dealt with by means of improved nursing?—l thought, and I think most of us thought so also, that that was one important step towards improving the hygienic condition of the Hospital. 5021. Did the doctors who were appointed to consider the nursing question also hold the