91

H.—l9b

J. R. PURDY.

487. You visited this hospital, you say, three times a week?— Yes. 488. How long did your visits last?— Varying periods—from about twenty minutes to an hour, and longer sometimes. 489. Did you conic in from the Hutt?—No; I went from headquarters. I came into headquarters every day since the war began. 490. Would it not have been better to have had some doctor either resident there or some Wellington doctor who was close at hand to take charge of that hospital?— First of all there was no necessity for a resident, doctor, and secondly there were no quarters for one —we discussed it, but there was no place; and, thirdly, it was always so close to the hospital, and we could always get medical aid. 491. How far is it from the Wellington Hospital?—l should say, about half a mile, or perhaps a little more. 492. Was medical assistance ever got from the hospital?—No; but the patients were sent to the hospital as soon as they showed the slightest symptoms of going wrong. The patients did remarkably well in Berhampore. 493. You still think it was quite fit and proper that those patients should be there without any doctor to see them except three times a week? —Yes, absolutely, because I do not, remember more than half a dozen cases that really wanted looking at, You see, measles is a peculiar condition; the man is very ill when the rash is just, coming on; his temperature will go up enormously. I have been through several epidemics in the country, and as soon as the rash goes off the temperature will fall immediately. You will have a man lying very ill at night, and the next morning he will be much better, and in two or three days he will be able to go outside. 494. May not his temperature rise very suddenly afterwards? —Yes, of course. We said that if a man took ill after getting over the rash he was to be sent immediately to the Wellington Hospital, and not wait to see if it is transitory. Out of the 104 patients in the hospital, I wish it to be distinctly understood that at least eighty had practically nothing the matter with them at all. 495. I see one man was transferred from the Berhampore Hospital to Wellington Hospital on the 10th June and died on the 11 th? —Yes; that is the man Colley, who took ill quite suddenly. 496. When did you see him last ? —I cannot say, but I think it was the day before—the evening before he took suddenly ill. He was admitted to Berhampore Hospital on the 2nd June, kept in bed and treated in the ward, and on the 10th June he was transferred to Wellington Hospital. Up to the 10th June he was doing well. He had a sudden rigor, and it was thought advisable to transfer him to the Wellington Hospital. 497. Who ordered him to the Wellington Hospital? —I think I did. 498. Did you see him after his temperature rose?— No. He was sent away immediately, because those were our orders. 499. I want, to know by whose orders be was sent away?—lf his temperature started to go up after going down, every man was to be sent away without, question, and not wait for anybody's authority. 500. Then I assume the man was sent away by the nurse in charge?— Yes. The Chairman: Sergeant, Yallop will know if there were any temperature charts there. Sergeant Yallop: No; the temperature was taken in a book every night and kept, All cases in wards the temperatures were taken three or four times a day, and all convalescent patients were taken every night, 501. Mr. Salmond, (to witness).] You said that before you went down to Dunedin you gave orders that no more patients were to be received at Berhampore?—Yes, that is so. 502. Whom was the order given to?—To the Medical Officer in charge of the camp. 503. In writing? —No; 1 said he was not to send any more patients to Berhampore. 504. Why? —Because it would not hold any more. 505. It was only a temporary order? —Yes; and if he had any further cases he must send them to Wellington. ' AA r e treated the cases, and 1 think that had something Io do with Ihe success in the results at Berhampore, because they were good results. Seeing the number of men who went through, and only three cases near or remote could in any way be contributed to Berhampore, was a wonderful result. I adopted Matheson's creosote treatment from the beginning. I have treated all my pneumonia cases with that for the last I wo or three years. 506. Mr. Skerrett.] On your departure for Dunedin did you ask Dr. Elliot! to stand by and Io visit Berhampore Eospital when requested, or did you ask him to undertake the responsibility of the general supervision of the hospital during your absence at Dunedin ? —No, I just asked him to stand by. I did not, give him any direct orders. 507. I understand you to say that Dr. Elliott did not undertake the general supervision of the hospital at Berhampore during your absence, but only undertook Io visit it should he be required by the sister in charge?— Yes. ,;., , .. 508. What, was the first date on which you first used Berhampore?—lhe 15th April. Now, at the time you commenced to use Berhampore, did you have in your mind the possibility of a more or less extensive epidemic than measles?— Not at that time. _ 510 AVhen did you first during the use of the Berhampore Hospital conceive the extreme probability of an extensive epidemic of measles or sickness I .—l thought towards the end of May we would'begin to have some more cases, but I always anticipated that m June we would be almost certain to have an increase, and that something would have to be done. 511 I understand you to say that the sister undertook the responsibility of saying when a patient should be removed to AVellington Hospital ?—She had power to remove a patient, herself if she wished. ■..'_. . , i en i i 512. She took the responsibility herself?—l believe so, but not always. She nearly always asked me.