J. R. PURDY.]

83

H.—l9b.

213. But that would not be so during the first few weeks while the Wellington Hospital was closed?—No, not while the hospital was closed. 214. How did you deal with them then?—We did not have any very bad cases the whole time the hospital was closed. 215. Mr. Salmond.] Was the Wellington Hospital closed the whole of your time?—No; only about a fortnight for cleaning. They reduced us from about fifty beds to about twenty-five. 216. The Chairman.] What was the greatest number you had there up to the first week in June when you were in charge?— The greatest number that were ever in Berhampore Hospital in one day was 104 patients, and that was only for about twenty-six hours. 217. Was that too many or too few?—l considered it was too many, but under the circumstances it could not be avoided for the time; but I immediately took steps to rectify it. 218. How many do you think it ought properly to have carried?—l should say we could comfortably do forty. 219. Did it suddenly rise from forty to 104 ?—Yes, about that—quite suddenly—within a week. 220. What date was that it made a sudden rise?— Between the end of May and the beginning of June. 221. You say towards the end of May there was really only an average of forty?— About that. As soon as - the average admissions had begun to increase I said we would have to prepare for 200 cases. In May we put up a marquee, then we put up a second marquee that would hold altogether thirty-two, then another two marquees when the sudden rush came. They would hold sixty-four people, and the forty would make 104. At. least eighty of those people had practically nothing the matter with them at all; they were quite well. 222. Mr. Salmond.] In bed?—No; been up for days. 223. The Chairman.] Who was in charge so that they could not leave?— They were not allowed to leave till the quarantine period was up. 224. Were they kept in the building all the time or in the grounds?— Kept in the grounds. 225. Were the grounds fenced?— Yes. When the scarlet-fever epidemic was on in Wellington the Health Department had over a hundred people there for days and weeks housed in marquees. It was the only thing that could be done pending something being done to meet the sudden inrush. 226. You say you went to Dunedin?—Yes, on the 2nd June. 227. Who was in charge while you were away?—l left Major Elliott, if he was called upon. 228. Who was to call him?— The nurse or head orderly. I laid down what had to be done before I went to Dunedin. I told them in the camp that I must have a first-class man who knew his job from the ambulance lines, and they recommended Sergeant Yallop. I gave him orders that he was to go to Berhampore with the orderlies, and then on the 2nd June, the day I left for Dunedin, I was at Berhampore in the afternoon. 229. How many were in the hospital then? —I think, 104. 230. Have you got any record showing the daily attendance ?—Yes; they have books in the hospital at Berhampore. 231. So that we can see from that what number were there on any given day?— Yes. I went through the cases personally myself, and found that there were, I think, twenty-four or twentysix men who were ready to go out. Their convalescent period was over, and so I told Sergeant Yallop that there were so-many men ready to go out, and there would be so-many more ready to go out by Friday or Saturday. " Their quarantine period will be up," I said, " and by the time I come back on the morning of the 6th June I expect there will not be sixty patients in the hospital." Then I gave orders in the camp that they were to send no more cases to Berhampore a t all—that they must put up marquees at Trentham until we found out where we were going to send the sudden increased inrush of measles cases, and that was done. 232. Mr. Salmond.] On what date did you give those orders?—On 11-.' Ist and 2nd June, before I went to Dunedin; and when I came back on the 6th June I pai. . sarly visit to the Berhampore Hospital, and found there were fifty-eight patients then in the hospital. 233. The Chairman.] The number had gone done to fifty-eight?— Yes, from 104. 234. You have told us of the gradual increase up to 104, and it must therefore have been under you that the four marquees went up?— Yes. 235. Did you consider it right that so many persons, the number running up from forty to a hundred, should be there without a Medical Officer on the spot continuously?—l did not think it was necessary. 236. Is that proper from a medical point of view?—l should say that if there were going to be a hundred people in a hospital you should have a Medical Officer continually in attendance, but more than eighty of these men were perfectly well. There were not above six men who were really ill in Berhampore Hospital at any time. No man was ever allowed to stay there if ill : he was sent to the Wellington Hospital immediately. We always arranged that. 237. Then with that condition of things you think it was quite proper to have a visit paid only every other day? —Yes. 238. And during the four days you were away you thought it was quite proper to leave the 104 cases, good or bad, in the hands of Sergeant Yallop?—And under the supervision of Major Elliott if called in, because there were no bad cases in the hospital at all when I left. 239. What was your last visit to Berhampore?—There was a sort of interregnum between the 6th June and the time the departments were brought together again, and I think I paid my last visit to Berhampore on the 20th June to clear everything up. 240. Who was attending Berhampore between the 6th and the 20th?—I went there right up to the 20th