H.—l9b.

J. P. FRENGLEY,]

69

90. Men from offices and men from the backblocks who are accustomed to open-air life?— Yes. 91. AVould you expect that the city man, the clerk, would stand camp as well as the backDlocker?—No, certainly not; and 1 can understand that the city man, being placed alongside the bushman accustomed to be constantly wet, in a sense of pride, which I admire, would be very anxious not to appear to take more precautions than the man beside him—quite mistaken, no doubt. Nevertheless, I can imagine it would be quite possible he would not like to worry about drying his boots and drying his clothes in such a case. 92. The Chairman.] Although it would be better if the city man did take those precautions? —Most certainly. 93. Mr. Gray.] Now, as to the hospital: it is suggested that the hospital is deficient in some respects with regard to the operating-room. You have already told the Commission that the idea was that this building was designed for minor surgical operations and not, major operations. One member of the Commission has suggested that there may be a serious accident in the camp which could not be attended to at the hospital. Do you as a medical man see any objection to an emergency case such as has been suggested being treated in. that hospital at the camp?— None whatever. 94. You instanced, 1 think, the fact that operations have sometimes to be conducted in private houses without hospital equipment?— Yes. 95. And are serious operations sometimes performed at sea on ships without having hospital equipment ?—Yes, and at the front. 96. So that this hospital is intended to be more of a temporary character—rather a sort of feeder to a large hospital?— Yes, a feeder to a large hospital. 97. Dr. Martin.] Do you think that a camp containing seven thousand men should only have an emergency hospital seeing that the profession contributed such a large sum?—AVhen I dealt with the plan we had only under consideration four thousand men. 98. For them you arranged a hospital containing eighteen beds?—That is so. 99. Do j 7 ou think that is sufficient?— Yes, always with the proviso that there is an ambulance ready to take cases to the Wellington Hospital. 100. From Trentham?—Yes. 101. There is no ambulance at, Trentham?—There is an ambulance, I believe, actually in Wellington—one that, has been donated for the camp for use of the military. 102. Do you think a camp of seven thousand men should only have an emergency hospital such as that?— For seven thousand men that hospital is not big enough. 103. That camp had seven thousand men there, and probably may have seven thousand again ?—But special accommodation was arranged, about, which the Director of Military Hospitals will explain. He overcame the difficulty by using the emergency buildings. So long as the emergency buildings are available I think we can get along with the amount of hospital accommodation. If the emergency buildings cease to be available, then, of course, the hospital is not near big enough. 104. What are the emergency buildings?— They are those on the racecourse. 105. Therefore seven thousand men will require this small hospital plus the racecourse buildings ?—Yes. 106. That you consider absolutely essential?— Yes. 107. Then we must look upon the Trentham Hospital plus the racecourse buildings as the hospital area ?—Yes. 108. You admit the present hospital is not capable of accommodating in emergency 7or serious cases for seven thousand men ?—Not all of them, no. 109. The Chairman.] I understand also that it is not put up in view of an epidemic?— No. 110. But only for what may be called sporadic cases, for operations that, might be performed beforo sending a man to AA 7 ellington ?—No, sir; I would put it this way: if I had had the fortunate foresight of knowing there were going to be five hundred cases I would have asked for that accommodation ; but no one would have believed that such a thing was likely to arise. I did not anticipate it, nor did any 7 one else. Five hundred cases out of a body 7of picked or selected men is unusual. 111. Mr. Gray.] Who had also all undergone medical tests?—Yes. 112. The Chairman.] And living au open-air life?— Yes. 113. Dr. Martin.] With regard to operating in the room, you compared it with operating at sea and operating in the firing-line: do you think that is a fair comparison? These are men in camp ?—Just as I have said that the men ought to be trained to service conditions, so I think it would be a good thing to train the medical men who have to look after the men under service conditions, and not to expect everything to be ready, but to get accustomed to work with the minimum and not the maximum.

Daniel Cross Bates further examined. (No. 18.) 1. The Chairman.] You heard the criticisms that Dr. Frengley passed on some of your observations : the first is with reference to the determination of results of radiation : did you, as a matter of fact, make any determinations?—It was impossible for me to make determinations without staying out the night, but I went out to the camp and took two standard minimum thermometers for testing inside and outside the effects of radiation in the hutments, in the tents, and in the open air. I went out on the 10th June, and saw Dr. Purdy in company with Colonel Potter. Dr. Purdy was unwilling to have anything whatever to do with the matter, and I then asked Colonel Potter, who told me to go to the medical men at the hospital quarters.