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6155. You think it necessary to take notes as a rule?— The students do not always do it. 6156. But you generally get them to take notes on the cases ? —Yes, they take what notes I want, and I read them over. 6157. In a particular case, where you are making a special examination to satisfy yourself whether it is a case that should be operated on or not, would your opinion in that case be influenced by what the clinical clerk had written? —I should certainly read it. 6158. Do you always read it ?—I always read it in cases of this kind. 6159. Mr. Chapman.'] Are these records taken for any useful purpose ?—They are taken practically to keep as a record. In some cases, where we do not think the records of sufficient importance to be kept, they are just kept along with the Eegistrar's papers. 6160. Are there any other matters that would have to be eliminated ?—The only matter—l do not attach much weight to it either—is as to whether there had been any degree of pre-existing pelvic peritonitis. 6161. Was there anything to suggest it?— One of the ovaries was dragged in towards the side of the womb, acording to the record that was read out here. 6162. You were present at the post-mortem : did you not see it ?—lf there were any symptoms of it they would be masked by the more recent inflammation. 6163. The Chairman.] Are you speaking of what you saw at the post-mortem ? —I am speaking of what has been read over from the case-book. I take the expressions just as they appear there. It is not my duty to add to them. 6164. Would it suggest, as one possible consequence, previously existing peritonitis ?—Yes. 6165. Why do you suggest that?— Simply on account of the statement in the case-book that one of the ovaries was said to be drawn in towards the uterus. 6166. Mr. Chapman.] You say that yon could not see that yourself at the post-mortem ? — Oh, no. 6167. The Chairman.] You mean that the symptoms were not observable on account of there having been recent inflammation, or that they were absent ?—I say that they were masked, probably by the recent inflammation, and I therefore did not see them at the post-mortem. 6168. Mr. Carew.] Might they have been there? —I have my doubts as to whether they were there or not. 6169. The Chairman.] It only states, "no inflammatory changes" ?—That is a very minor point. 6170. Mr. Chapman.] Does the pathological features of Mrs. S 's case give any guide as to whether it was a case of septicasmia arising in the Hospital ?—The only feature in connection with the post-mortem was that the womb was larger than normal, and its interior—l was present, and am speaking of what I saw —contained purulent fluid, also the tubes leading from the womb. That would indicate another source of infection to be eliminated before the Hospital could be fairly charged with causing any septic mischief. 6171. Do you indicate that as another source that would have to be eliminated? Was it determinative or indeterminative ?—I do not clearly understand your question. 6172. If it were wished to show conclusively which cause it was due to, would that be determinative evidence ? —Yes. 6173. Or would it be consistent with either view ?—Yes, it would be consistent with either view. 6174. Is Emmet's operation one that is regarded as free from danger ?—I do not regard it as free irom danger. 6175. Have you any authority for that statement ?—Yes, I take Hart and Barbour for one, and another is a discussion on this very operation which occurred before the Obstetrical Society of New York in 1888, in which several cases of inflammatory trouble and several deaths following this operation are recorded. I think it is only fair to say they put it down to septic trouble, but the exact determination of that septic trouble is not stated. 6176. By that you mean, I suppose, that whether it was from internal or external sources is not stated ?—That is so. 6177. You have also referred to English authorities on it as an operation not entirely free from clanger?— The English authorities are all mentioned in the course of that discussion. 6178. The Chairman.] Will you mention an authority?— The most direct English authority is a little book by Croom, in which he points out the indications where operation is justifiable (pages 149 to 151). 6179. Tell us, generally, what he says ? —He just quotes a certain class of cases in which the operation may be done, and other classes of cases in which it may not be done. Mr. Berry Hart points out how many deaths have been recorded after this operation. 6180. Mr. Chapman.] I think that one authority speaks of nine deaths?— Not nine deaths altogether. One man speaks of having one death, another man says he had two, and another says he had one. One man speaks of having had six'deaths, and also forty-three troublesome cases of serious inflammatory mischief, following this operation. 6181. I understand you have something to say on the question of nursing? —Yes. I should like to clearly place my position with regard to the nursing before the Commissioners. I hold that it is necessary in this colony to have some place where male nurses can be trained as well as female nurses. Trained male nurses are a desideratum in the community, more especially in this colony, where we have a large number of small country hospitals. The want of them is also occasionally felt in private practice, and I look on it as being the duty of public institutions to train a certain proportion of male nurses. But I am a strong advocate of the training of nurses of botii sexes. That, briefly, expresses my view on the question. 6182. I want to ask you this question : You have attended consultations from time to time at the Hospital?— Yes,