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into Mrs. A 's corner. I was moving her bed, and while I was so engaged Dr. Batchelor looked at K. W- 's chart, and remarked: "What is the matter with that, nurse? I hope it is not a septic case." I replied that it was a heart case, and he said, "Oh, in that case it is all right;" and he allowed me to remove the bed. 5629. Was Mrs. S in the ward at that time ?—No. 5630. Do you remember a patient named A. D ?—Yes. 5631. Do you remember what was the matter with her? —Yes. 5632. She was near the other patient ? —Yes. 5633. Had she ever complained of the draughts there ?—Well, there is always more or less of a draught there in that ward. 5634. That is at the door ?—Yes. 5635. Do you mean when the door is open or when it is shut? —There is a draught both from the door and the window, but it depends on the wind. If the wind comes in from the front of the ward we must close the windows there, and open the end windows. We have to use our own judgment about opening and closing these windows. If we find a draught coming from one window we must close that window and try another one. 5636. The Chairman.] Do you ever have to close the whole of the windows?—l have never seen all the windows closed, though perhaps they may be with the exception of a few inches. 5637. You say that they have never all been closed?—l have not seen them all closed. 5638. Mr. Chapman.'] I suppose you have been in the ward night and day ?—I have been in the ward both night and day, but I have never closed them all. 5639. The Chairman.'] Are you always on the same duty night and day?—l am nearly always on day-duty. 5640. But you have also been on night-duty ?—Yes; I was on night-duty for six months. 5641. When do you come on in the mornings ?—At 6 o'clock. 5642. How did you find the wards when you came on duty in the mornings ? —I have always found them very fresh. 5643. Mr. Solomon.] Did you never find these wards close or unpleasant ?—Never. 5644. We have been told by a number of doctors that during winter the atmosphere of the wards is frequently found to be close and oppressive. Have you ever experienced that ?—None of the patients ever complained of it to me. 5645. Have you never experienced it yourself ?—Never. 5646. Have you never had to keep the windows closed in cold weather ?—I never keep them closed. 5647. Have you found considerable difficulty in keeping them open in stormy weather?— You do not open them quite so much; still, they are kept open. 5648. Still, you say, you keep them closed all except a few inches ?—Of course, if it were windy some air would come in. 5649. Can you agree with the condition that Dr. Colquhoun found, who has told us that he found the atmosphere so oppressive that an hour's work in the Hospital fatigued him more than a whole day's work outside, in consequence of the ward being close ?—Well, I have worked in the wards for twelve and sometimes sixteen hours a day, and I do not think that they were either close or oppressive. Coming in from the outside you would probably experience the smell of tow or iodoform, but that is about all that you would notice. 5650. Then, how can you account for such a statement ?—-All I can account for is my own statement. 5651. Can you understand how a man continually about the place could notice the wards being close and stuffy ?—No; if he wished to speak the truth. Caeoline Shaw sworn and examined. 5652. Mr. Chapman.] What are you?—A nurse. 5653. In the Dunedin Hospital ?—Yes. 5654. How long have you been there?— Four years on the 2nd February next. 5655. Doing day and night duty ?—I was on night-duty for two years and nine months. 5656. You are on day-duty now ?—Yes. 5657. Do you remember Mrs. S ?—No. 5658. Do you remember Mrs. T -? —Yes. 5659. Were you present at the operation on her ?—Yes. 5660. Were you present at the whole of the operation?— Yes. 5661. Do you remember the sound being applied?— Yes. 5662. Was there anything about it that struck you as being special?— Yes. 5663. What was it?—lt was about the tube. Just before the dressing was going on Dr. Batchelor said to Dr. Maunsell, "By Jove ! its filling." Then I was asked to get a sponge, and cut it into four pieces. I put the pieces of sponge in perehloride and water in a small basin, and. they were used in absorbing the blood from the tube. That is all I had to do with it. 5664. The Chairman.] The tube was in the wound?— Yes. It was all ready for the dressing when the blood was seen. 5665. Mr. Chapman.'] Did you see the sponges used? —Two pieces. 5666. For what?— Absorbing the blood from the tube. 5667. The Chairman.] From around the tube ? —No, from inside the tube. Of course, only the upper part of the tube was to be seen, and that part was full of blood. 5668. The sponge absorbed the blood, and the tube refilled with blood ? You saw that ?—Yes. 5669. Mr. Chapman.] Did the supplying of the sponges end your connection with the matter ? —Yes,