H.—l9b.

J. R. PURDY.]

93

548. I want now to go back to the camp question, and I want you to give us the history of the development of the disease there, and what the camp arrangements were? —We finished the Second Reinforcements and got as far as the new appointments. 1 realized the importance of having a good administrative officer in charge of the camp, and I asked that; Major Holmes should be instructed. He came from Samoa to take charge of Trentham Camp. He landed in Wellington before the Second Reinforcements left. He reported on tlie 10th December, and definitely took charge of the camp about the 26th. 549. He was in supreme local command of the camp?— Yes, absolutely. 550. How long did that last?— Until he went away with the Third Reinforcements. I think he left in February. Anyhow, he was in charge all the time the reinforcements were in camp. He never had less than five medical men with him in the camp. There were always six medical men attached, and sometimes a great many more. 551. Mr. Ferguson.] A great many men would be in camp then? —1 think at that time the camp was gradually getting up to four thousand men; the camp had been considerably extended. 552. The Chairman.] During the time of Major Holmes he would have had three thousand men ?—Yes, quite that. 553. Mr. Ferguson.] Were the tents for the "Thirds" in the same place as for the "Seconds" and the same tents?— Some of them were. New ground was opened up. The lines were shifted over to the other side of the road. From the beginning of the camp the very latest military methods were used with regard to a standing camp. Major McKillop, who had had a special training, asked me if he might adopt the new Aldershot plan, and I said, "Certainly, 1 want this done right up to date." He said the tents must be sprayed with formalin at least three times in a fortnight, and that was done. 554. The Chairman!] How did you treat them?—We had a spray. A great deal has been made of the fact that the tents were not struck and pitched in other places. It may astonish the Commission to know that that is condemned by all authorities now. It is laid down in the Field Service Regulations of 1909, page 72, and also in the 1914 book on " Manual of Military Hygiene," page 66, which says, " lv a standing camp tents will be struck periodically, and the ground underneath well swept and left exposed for some hours at least, the tents being eventually replaced on. their former sites." 555. What is the point of putting them back in the same site? —Because if you have a standing camp and you take your tents down from one place and erect them in another place, you are putting them on ground that has been tramped over and walked over, and very probably 7 shifting them from a decent place to a place that has been infected. That is what the Royal Army authorities go upon. The rule has been since to strike tents, allow the ground to get dry, and then put the tents back again. 556. Does that apply to cases where you have tents with a wooden floor or to tents without? —Both. 557. Was the principle followed out of replacing the tents on the same site? —Yes, periodically. 558. What does "periodically" mean?— Well, once a week tents were struck, and everythink taken out of the tents every day. The tents were aired every day unless it was wet; but we had hardly any rain. The flies of the tents' always had to be opened out, and that was insisted upon, and they were really opened out in the brilliant sun that you get at Trentham, 559. Now, under Major Holmes what was the general health? —Just the same. 560. Was there anything special to note? —No. I will get the records you asked about, but they have only been typed out up to March. 561. Who followed Major Holmes?— Dr. Fyffe, of Wellington, was appointed to the Third Reinforcements, He showed such marvellous administrative ability that, Major Holmes advised me strongly not to allow him to go with the Third Reinforcements, but to keep him to take charge of the Fourth Reinforcements Camp. He was second in command to Major Holmes, and I knew from my own inspection that he really was showing wonderful administrative ability. 562. Was he appointed to the Fourth? —Yes. 563. He took charge up till when with the Fourth?—He went away with the Fourth Reinforcements. 564. Now, had the health of the camp begun to alter before he left?—lt still continued very good; measles were just beginning. 565. Measles began in November? —Yes, in November—but there were only twelve cases; in December twelve, twenty 7 in January, sixty in March, and eighty 7 -six in April. 566. Up to the time Dr. Fyffe reigned how many cases of measles were there? —I should think about fifty—probably not as many. 567. While he was in charge can you say what the numbers in the camp were?—At least four thousand. There was the Samoan lot too. 568. They were in addition? —Yes, about five hundred. 569. Then during his time were the directions that you told us about separating contacts maintained?— Yes, still continued. 570. Were you personally out at the camp from time to time? —Yes. 571. How often did you visit the camp?—l should say, on an average, three times a week. 572. Would you go out in the morning and stand by there?— Yes, all day. I generally stayed there from IT till half past, 5. I used to periodically lecture the officers and N.C.O.s on modern hygiene and camp life. I gave them one special lecture on measles, and told them what to do to stop measles spreading. 573. Had you cases of men coming into camp and immediately afterwards having to go into hospital ? —Yes. 574. From measles?— Some of them from measles. Every reinforcement, that came in brought a certain proportion of sickness.