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has been raised in your mind as to the cause of these results, do you say that if the results were so caused it would in all probability be what you found it to be?—My answer is, that I always bear it in mind as one of the factors. 6293. You have already told us that you have not known of any evil results from the defects in the Hospital ?—I have not known any. 6294. That comes directly as a sequel to what one person has already said in the witness-box. What practical evils could you expect to trace positively to the defects in the Hospital ?—The practical evils are simply those which have shown themselves in many ways. 6295. They would be what, for instance ? —The prolonged duration of the cases. 6296. Can you give us examples of that during the last year or two ? Is B 's case an illustration? —I do not think it would be fair to you to take that case. 6297. Do you expect that, where these evils exist sufficiently active to have attention drawn to them, that everything may go on all right for a long time, yet accidents will happen occasionally? Or I will put it in this way : Is it not a fact that, where these defects exist, it is only occasional evils that result in attention being drawn to these defects ?—I should expect it to be only occasional. 6298. We have been told throughout this inquiry by fully a dozen gentlemen that this Hospital admittedly violates most of the modern rules as to hygiene; that it admittedly violates most of the rules as to ventilation, as to closets, kitchens, lavatories, bath-rooms, walls, floors, and bed-space ? — Quite so. 6299. Is it not a fact —I do not speak of before 1875 —that within the last fifteen years the practice of medicine has taken great strides in respect to sanitation?— Undoubtedly it has. 6300. And with modern surgeons and physicians alike this question of sanitation is regarded as one of the most important elements in the treatment of the sick ? —Undoubtedly. 6301. Now, in the first place, can you, as a reasonable man, agree with the statements of some of the witnesses that, though this Hospital violates all these principles of sanitation, in their opinion it does not make very much difference?—l think you cannot eradicate these violations from your mind; at the same time theycan be overcome, as I have pointed out, by more constant supervision and by the more careful use in the surgical wards of antiseptic methods. 6302. Does it not necessarily follow that, as the Hospital contravenes all these recognised rules, it must be a source of immediate danger to the patients ? —Yes, in some degree, but you cannot avoid that. 6303. Do you think it can be reasonably said that a hospital that offends against all the rules of hygiene, &c, is up to the standard of most hospitals of the present day?—l do not know. When you come to look over a lot of the old hospitals you will find a tremendous number of defects in them. At the same time, I admit that our Hospital is not up to the standard of real model hospital arrangements. 6304. As to ventilation, do you think that even by intelligent supervision you can guard against the evils of imperfect ventilation, seeing the very stormy and cold weather that we sometimes have in Dunedin ?—Yes. 6305. We know that in some of these wards there are patients suffering from phthisis and chest-complaints : do you think it is practicable, however intelligent the supervision may be, to efficiently ventilate those wards ?—Yes. I think that the windows may be kept open, even in stormy weather, with a minimum of draught. 6306. Do you think that there would be a sufficiency of air then ?—Yes. 6307. Have you tried it?—l am going on the data presented by Mr. Wales. 6308. But it is not fair to take that alone. Did you hear what Dr. Truby King had to say on the subject ?—Yes. I did not exclude from my calculations the windows as the only outlet, which Dr. King did. I would point out that Buck, in his latest edition on hygiene, says that the tendency now is to go in more for simple window-ventilation, which is attended to by the nurses. 6309. You admit in your letter that the ventilation requires to be altered?— Yes. 6310. Is it not a fact that this question of ventilation is one of the most, if not the most, important questions in connection with the Hospital ?—Pure air is one of the most important things in connection with a hospital. There can be no doubt about that. 6311. If we go to improve this Hospital, in order to make it a satisfactory institution, as is the aim of every one concerned in it, you would have, I understand, complete isolation wards before ventilation. Is it not a matter of opinion whether ventilation is not the most important thing that should be taken into consideration at once ?—I think it is rather a matter of secondary importance in the Dunedin Hospital. 6312. Because of urgency, I understand ? —Yes. I think very strongly about isolation— especially of erysipelas cases. 6313. Do you think the statement of one of the witnesses, who when asked as to the position in which he should place the question of ventilation replied, "Oh, somewhere about the gynecological ward," a reasonable statement?—l should simply say that Ido not agree with him, 6314. Did you agree with Dr. Steuhouse's "balmy breezes "? —No. 6315. By the way, I may tell you that Dr. Ogston does not at all agree with you about the healthiness of the site of the Hospital: do you disagree with him ?—I do not know whether I disagree with him or not. 6316. He has told us he considers it one of the unhealthiest parts of the town?—l regard him as a specialist, and specialists have exalted notions as to the paramount importance of their specialty. It is a choice of two evils. If you have the Hospital too remote from the town it would be practically shut off from the people and the Medical School. If it is in the town it should be near to the Medical School, and the Medical School and the Hospital can be of service to each other.