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L. V . In 1889 we had four ovariotomies and one death, but that death could not be clearly putdown to being due to the operation, as the death occurred two months afterwards from other causes. In 1889 we had seven oophorectomies and one death. In 1890—that is, during the first half of the present year —we had two ovariotomies and no deaths, and we had four oophorectomies and two deaths. The house surgeon will be able to give details as to the cause of the death in 1888—the girl V 'sease —and these, I think, will clearly show that it should not be put down to " hospitalism." 6107. The Chairman.] "What was that death due to then ?—I do not know. I have the details of it somewhere, but I have forgotten them ; but I know that it can be explained as due to causes other than " hospitalism." In 1889 there was the case of J. G , who died two months after the operation, and the house surgeon has informed me that that case could not be put down to "hospitalism." 6108. Mr. Solomon.~\ What did she die from ?—Phthisis and intestinal obstruction. In the oophorectomy cases in this year (1889) of J. M , which was dealt with by Dr. Stenhouse in his evidence. During this year there have been two deaths from oophorectomy. One was that of E. T , whose case has been referred to this Commission to inquire into. 6109. The Chairman.] What was her death due to? —Hemorrhage. The second case was that of M. H , but the cause of her death is also doubtful. As bearing on the healthfulness of our Hospital, I have taken details of some of the hernia operations that have occurred here. In 1887 there were four operations for hernia. 6110. Cannot you give us the totals?— During three years, from 1887 to 1889 (inclusive), there were twenty-six operations for hernia, and four of these died. The case that died in 1887 was one of strangulated hernia, in which there was gangrene of the bowel. 6111. Mr. Solomon.] Where do you get these figures from?— Prom the house surgeon. 6112. Mr. Chapman.] Are they obtained from the official returns ?—Yes. 6113. The Chairman.] Are they the printed returns ?—I do not think they are given in detail in the printed returns. The Chairman : The house surgeon is then the proper person to put them in. Witness: Am I allowed to put in returns made up by myself from the public records ? They are taken from the Inspector-General's reports for those years. I took the following hospitals : Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington, Oamaru, Invercargill, and Hokitika. I took the total number of indoor and outdoor patients, the total number of gynecological cases, and the total number of deaths from gynecological operations. I took from the year 1885 down to the date of the last report. I have not had time to work out the percentages. This return shows the proportion of indoor patients to deaths, the total number of gynecological cases, the total number of erysipelas cases, and the total number of septicaemia cases that have occurred in these hospitals as far as the returns show. I have excluded puerperal cases from the list, because I did not take them right through. [Return handed in: Exhibit lix.] 6114. Mr. Chapman.] Compared with other hospitals in New Zealand and with hospitals in the other colonies, you say, do you not, that the Dunedin Hospital comes out favourably with regard to septic mischief? —That is the inference I have drawn. 6115. Christchurch Hospital seems to be held up as a model for New Zealand?—Christchurch Hospital is the model one for New Zealand from what I have been given to understand. I can only speak of what I know and what I have seen. 6116. Do you consider it a good model ?—A fairly good model, with some defects. If you will permit me to point out the defects I will do so, if the Commissioners think it desirable. 6117. How do these statistics work out ? How do they compare with Dunedin as to results ?— I have not worked them out as compared with Dunedin. I only heard them the other day when they were produced here, and I was much struck with the statements then made. 6118. The Chairman.] What are the defects of the Christchurch Hospital ?—-The chief defect is in the position of the waterclosets. They are on the plan of the Herbert Hospital. The crossventilation in these closets is in such a position that the air would be wafted towards the ventinlets of the ward in certain directions of the wind. This plan has been strongly disapproved of by the Herbert Commission. What I consider to be another defect—l have been critically through the Christchurch Hospital, under the guidance of Dr. Deßenzi—is the trunk containing warmingtubes. The Hospital is not built sufficiently high above the basement-floor to allow these things to be thoroughly cleaned. At the time I was visiting the Christchurch Hospital there was a derangement of the whole of these things. 6119. Is it apt to go out of order?—lt has been objected to in many places. The objection has been strongly raised to much of this complicated apparatus, especially in the channel-ways, where the air is admitted to the ward, because it favours the accumulation of dust and germs, besides being apt to get out of order. [Exhibit liv. handed to the witness.] I wish to say, first of all, in regard to this return, that it contains a large number of cases which cannot fairly be called operations. 6120. How many ?—I really do not know the number. 6121. Have you carefully gone through the return? — I have not had an opportunity of seeing it. Mr. Solomon : There were fifty minor operations. Witness : But I do not accept your returns. 6122. The Chairman.] How many of these cases should be included, do you think? Are you not able to criticize it ? —A mere cursory examination of it shows that there is a very large number of cases included in that return which would never be thought of being included in our return. 6123. It is not a question of what would noj be. Are they not included in your return ? — Well, they are not included in the Dunedin returns,