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5816. Mr. Solomon.] You say that the douche ran out. Do you not know that it is made to stop purposely —that it has to be pumped in order to be set going again ; that, instead of being a defect, it is a decided advantage to have the douche to stop ? Dr. Batchelor : It is a misuse of terms to say that the douche stops. 5817. Mr. Solomon.] How long have you been in the Hospital?— Eighteen months. 5818. You knew that Mrs. S was to be operated on?— Yes. 5819. And you were present at the operation?— Yes. 5820. Now, nurse, do you not know that, if a patient had a temperature of 100° on the morning of the operation, it was important that the attention of the doctor who was to operate should have been called to the fact ? — [Unanswered.] 5821. If you had known yourself that her temperature was 100°, would you have allowed her to have been operated on without calling the doctor's attention to it ? Was that at all likely ?— [Unanswered.] 5822. Has not your experience in the Hospital taught you that it was not proper to operate on a patient with such a temperature?— But his clerk saw what it was. It was not for me to say anything when his clerk was there. 5823. Do you not know that with a temperature of 101° it is not proper that a patient should be operated on ?—Was it 101° in the morning ? 5824. That is according to your own marking. On the night of the 14th the temperature is supposed to have ran up to 101°'—that was the last temperature taken on this chart; but on the morning of the operation it was 100°. I ask you again, does not your experience tell you that it is not right that a patient in that condition should be operated on ?—I never took it into consideration. 5825. What do you think about it now, if your experience did not tell you that it should have been thought of before ? Suppose, for instance, that you knew to-day that one of the patients under your care was to be operated on to-morrow morning for an Emmet, and that you had noticed that to-night she has a temperature of 101°: Do you think that, under these circumstances, you would be likely to allow the patient to be operated on without telling the doctor of that fact ? —lf I thought about it I would. 5826. Did you ever tell anybody that this patient had had the night before operation a temperature of 101° ?—I do not remember. 5827. When was the first time that your attention was called to the fact that this woman had had such a temperature before the operation ?—Since this inquiry. 5828. Do you remember anything about it at all ?—No. 5829. I suppose that this woman's death was talked about almost immediately afterwards. There was a great row after her death, and it has been going on ever since—in fact, the Hospital has been in hot water ever since the woman died. Do you think it likely that the fact that she had had a temperature of 101° the night before operation could have escaped your attention all that time, and that you have never thought of it?—l never thought of it. 5830. Still it would be a very important matter would it not ?— [Unanswered.] 5831. Seeing that you never thought it worth while to mention the fact, and that you have told us that it never occurred to you until after this inquiry had commenced, may I ask what has drawn your attention to it now ?—The newspapers. 5832. Then the first you knew of it was seeing it mentioned in the newspapers?— Yes. 5833. Seing that that was the first you heard of it, and that it had escaped your memory altogether, are you prepared to swear now that a mistake may not have occurred in the entry on that day in the chart?— [Unanswered.] 5834. Let me tell you this: that Mr. Hogg was in the ward that morning—he has told us so in the witness-box already—and that he never heard from you or anybody else that this patient had had such a temperature as is recorded on that chart; that Dr. Batchelor has also sworn that he never heard of it before the operation ; and, remembering further that you admit that you never told the doctor or anybody else, are you prepared to swear that there may not have been a mistake in that chart ?—She did have it, if it is so marked. 5835. Are you positive about it ?—I cannot say anything different: she had it if it is marked there. 5836. Have you never made a mistake in any of your charts?— Never. 5837. Do you mean to say that, with all your experience, that knowing a patient is to be operated on who has had a temperature of 101° on the night before operation, and a temperature of 100° on the morning of operation, it is not a part of your duty to tell the doctor that ?—I did not mention it. 5838. And you will be faithfully discharging your duties as a nurse to allow a patient to go to operation with such a knowledge in your own mind, and yet say nothing about it to the operating surgeon? Will you please tell me if that is your idea of performing your duties?—l never thought of mentioning it when it was marked on the chart. 5839. Do you never mention to any doctor that a patient's chart is up, or never draw the doctor's attention to such an important fact?— Yes. 5840. Could such an important fact have escaped your attention if you knew that the patient was to undergo a severe internal operation ? Would it not be far more likely that the chart should be in error than that you should so far forget your duty ? Would you be likely to forget it if it were the case?—l did not mention it. 5841. The Chairman.] You knew it was an abdominal operation that was to be performed ?—Yes. 5842. And you knew that she had no right to be operated on in that condition?— Yes. 5843. Mr. Solomon.] You knew that this woman's temperature was at 100° on the morning of the operation ?—Yes.