J. R. PURDY.]

95

H.—l9b.

2. That was only a particular case? —Yes, and any others. I was unable at the last minute to go myself. I mentioned one particularly, but, I wanted him to sec the others also. 3. Whose particular case was that?—l have forgotten that now. He rang me up afterwards, and told me that he thought it was overcrowded. 4. What date was that?— The 31st May. 5. In the morning or the afternoon ?—ln the evening. 6. In the evening of the 31st May he asked you if you were aware of overcrowding there? —Yes. 7. When had you previously visited the hospital?—On the night of the 28th. 8. On the 28th was it overcrowded? —No, you could not call it overcrowded then. 9. Dr. Martin.] How many cases were there?—l cannot remember. 10. The returns will show? —1 tried to get them last night, but the hospital is shut, up now, and the headquarters are trying to get me the book which would, give the information. I have also found that Fordham died on the 2nd. July, and Pollard on the 2nd July; that was twentyone days after I had given up charge of the cases. [List put in.] Tl. Then what steps did you take after you heard from Dr. Elliott of the overcrowding?— The steps that I mentioned yesterday. I sent down Sergeant, Yallop and orderlies, and had marquees set up at Trentham, and stopped any more from going out, to Berhampore. I also said that as many patients were convalescent they were to be got out, 1,2. That was on the 31st May? —No, the Ist June. 13. Then on the day 7 y 7 ou left there were 1.04 cases?—l do not think there were 104 on the day I, left. There were 104 on the Ist June. The most that, were ever in the hospital was 104, and most of them were only in for one day 7. 14. You say that may have been the Ist June?— Either the Ist or 2nd June. I gave instructions to Sergeant Yallop about, the men that were due to go out, and they were sent, out, so that by the 6th June the number was reduced to fifty-eight. 15. This [return in hand] is quite different from what we got yesterday?—l mixed it up. 16. But the four marquees were there on the 31st May?— They were there, yes. 17. The Chairman.] What you did then was, in order to relieve the pressure, you took the marquees out to the Trentham Camp so that the men might be retained there, and gave instructions that the balance of convalescents who could go out were discharged as soon as possible: those are the steps y 7 ou took ?—Yes. 18. You went out on the 2nd June? —Yes, T went up myself. T9. AVas the overcrowding still bad?—lt was not so bad on that day, and a good many men were to go out on the next day, the 3rd June. 20. Mr. Ferguson.] You say that y 7 ou gave Sergeant Yallop instructions on the Ist June, but, you did not go out until the 2nd June? —I had to go out to the camp, Sergeant Yallop was in camp. I said that I must have a good man for this work, and they told me Sergeant Yallop was available, and I said that, he would be suitable. 21. Dr. Martin.] Can you give us the daily state at Berhampore?—lt is all in the book which I have asked for. I know that it opened with twelve patients. 22. (Jan we get all this information?—l hope so. Only three of them were acute cases. 23. You say that in the absence of a high death-rate, or any deaths at all, at Berhampore, therefore there were no serious cases there?—ln my time there were very few serious cases at Berhampore. 24. But you say that every time a patient's condition became serious he was sent away?— But there were no deaths' in the Wellington Hospital from these oases, except those of McFarlane, Kennedy, and Colley —two on the, 11th and one on the 16th. 25. Then there were three deaths?— But my report was written on the Bth June. 26. And there were no deaths then?— No. 27. Then do you say now that you look upon. Berhampore as having been a satisfactory place?— For measles oases I say it was a perfectly satisfactory place, but, you must remember that the double infection came in in June. 28. The Chairman.] What do you call the "double infection"?— There is no doubt that the huts were first, occupied, on the 29th May. The Trentliani battalions and tho " Sevenths " were mobilized between the 25th and 31st May, and the huts were first occupied on the 29th. They brought in a very virulent, form of influenza, and there is no doubt, that many of these patients that, took ill had got this virulent form, of influenza as wed as the measles. 29. Would those be sent to Berhampore?—Some of them, 30. Dr. Martin.] You admit then that serious cases did go to Trentham?-—Yes, especially after I gave up. I had no knowledge of them, though, when T wrote my report on the Btb June. I gave up on the 12th, 31. The Chairman.] Did y 7 ou hear of any cases where a patient, was removed just as he was on the point of death? —No. 32. You have not heard of any report, to that effect? —Not, in my time. 33. But have you heard of such a case at all?—No, sir. 34. Or that a patient died just after admission into the hospital?— No. 35. Or that instead of being taken to the hospital proper the patient, was carried direct to the morgue? —No. 36. So that you cannot give any comments on such statements? —No, T was asked yesterday if I had any information as to any patient being refused admission to the Wellington Hospital. There was the case of Sergeant Lyons; they did not think his was a bad-enough case, and they sent him back to Berhampore.