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5580. Have you ever had any complaints about the nursing itself ?—Never. 5581. You never heard of any complaints?— Never to me. 5582. Do you visit the wards at different times ?—Yes, I do. 5583. Day and night ?—Yes. 5584. At different times during the day and night ? —I have not done so much night-work lately, but before we had so many nurses I used to be in the ward often. 5585. Were the nurses increased last year? —Yes. Three or four years ago we took on a number of probationers. 5586. What was the state of the wards when you visited them ?—I never felt anything bad in them, and I have been in them late and early. 5587. You never found anything to complain of?— Never. 5588. That is, in the way of ventilation ?—Yes. 5589. Do you visit the ciosets?—Yes. I never could find any complaints against the closets; they were always kept clean. 5590. Was there any offensive smell from them ? —No. 5591. Did you find the wards stuffy?— No. 5592. Not stuffy in the mornings?— No. 5593. Mr. Solomon.] You have been continually in and out of the wards, and say that you never noticed anything stuffy?— Not in the female department. 5594. What are we to understand by the evidence of the witnesses who have been called on behalf of the Trustees, and who say that they found the wards both close and stuffy ? —That was not so in the female wards. 5595. That was the state in which they found the .wards in the Hospital. You cannot understand it then ? —I cannot. 5596. What do you say to a gentleman saying that he found an hour's work in the Hospital more fatiguing than a whole day's work outside, in consequence of the stuffy state of the wards of the Hospital ?—I can only say that it is not so in my own department. 5597. Do you think, then, that it might happen in the male wards ?—I do not visit the male wards. 5598. Do you know No. 3 ward?—l have taken visitors into the male wards. 5599. Did you notice any offensive smell about that ward ?—I did not. 5600. Was there ever anything that reminded you of dead rats?—No; but there was a smell of burnt smoke. 5601. Where did that come from ?—The kitchen. 5602. Was that common ?—I do not know. 5603. Have you noticed that often ?—Occasionally. 5604. Did you notice any smell in the female wards ?—There is a little, very little. On a stormy day you cannot have the windows open. 5605. On a stormy night there would be a danger in having the windows open ?—They are always a little open. 5606. Does that make any difference ?—I do not know. 5607. If you got into the ward in the early morning, and the windows have been shut up all night, would not the ward be stuffy? —I have been in the ward early in the morning but never felt any stuffiness. 5608. Then, you cannot agree with Dr. Colquhoun on this subject ?—I noticed that one of the doctors stated that the night-nurses neglect their patients. I deny that altogether. I suppose I am included among the nurses. 5609. I suppose you cannot find any fault with this Hospital ?—What I have to say is that I have faithful nurses. I have been in the ward at 12 o'clock at night, and even later, and I have always found the nurses attentive to their duties. 5610. The Chairman.] Do you live and sleep in the Hospital ?—Yes. Mary Ellen Fraser sworn and examined. 5611. Mr. Chapman.] What is your occupation? —I am a nurse. 5612. In the Dunedin Hospital?— Yes. 5613. For how long have you been a nurse ?—Two years and nine months. 5614. Are you a certificated nurse ? —Yes. 5615. The Chairman.] Were you a probationer in the Hospital ?—Yes. 5616. Is that included in your two years and nine months ?—Yes. 5617. Then you got your certificate about a year ago?— Yes. 5618. Mr. Chapman.] Were you nursing in No. 7 ward in July ? —No. 5619. In June?— Yes. 5620. Do you remember one of Dr. Batchelor's cases being under your care ?—Yes. I had several. 5621. Had you Mrs. T ?—Yes, until just before her operation. 5622. Mrs. B-—?—Yes. 5623. Mrs. A ?—Yes. 5624. Mrs. S ?—Yes. 5625. Mrs. S ? —No. I was not in the ward when Mrs. S was there. One of the nurses was laid up, and I was nurse in charge of the children's ward. 5626. Do you remember K. W being in No. 7 ward ? —Yes. 5627. Do you remember anything special about her temperature?— She had a temperature that was very much up when I came down one morning. She had been brought from No. 8. 5628. Did Dr. Batchelor speak about her in any way? —One morning, while Dr. Batchelor was visiting the ward, he said that Mrs, B wanted extra light, and asked that she should be moved