&. S.^BaDGER.]

99

H.—l9b.

34. Your informant is Private Hoy Glen? —Yes; he was in the adjoining bed. 35. Have you any information as to the medical attendance? —Yes, sir; the men were only inspected once a day, after breakfast, and I understand the doctor just passed through : there were so many he could not examine each man critically, and these serious cases like my brother's were not given the attention which they should have had under the circumstances. 36. You have no information as to the number of medical men who were in charge?—l have only heard two names mentioned. 37. Who were they? —Drs. Ferguson and Purdy. I understand my brother was under Dr. Ferguson's charge. Colonel Purdy: I submit there is an error here, because I was not anywhere near the camp then. The Chairman (to Colonel Purdy) : You left camp on the 13th June. Colonel Purdy: The last day I was in camp was the 20th June. The Chairman: 'That is quite a pardonable interjection at this point. (To witness) Tell us all that you know. 38. Mr. Skerrett.] Will you give the Commission all the information you can as to the sufficiency 7 or otherwise of the medical attention and the treatment of the patients during that period?— With regard to the giving of aspirin tablets, my informant's statement was very definite. I showed him some remarks which had appeared in print, and asked him whether any part of them was misstated, and he said it was absolutely correct. He is willing to endorse them. I was told by experienced nurses that aspirin tablets, while they are good for keeping down the temperature, have a very depressing effect on the heart's action and decrease the general vitality. I referred the point to a leading medical man in Christchurch only this week, and he endorsed that opinion. He says that men in such a condition should be regularly sponged four or five times a day, which is more effective. He says that medical testimony is very 7 emphatic against the indiscriminate giving of aspirin tablets except under very close medical supervision, and I understand that a doctor would never give as many as six aspirin tablets a day. 39. These were systematically administered to your brother? —Yes, while the temperature was high, by 7 these orderlies. 40. Do you know whether any provision was made for conveniences for these men?— Very inadequate; the men had to get up out of their sick-beds and go right down the cold room. 41. There were no bed-pans provided? —No. 42. You have told us that your brother was in hospital from the 23rd June : when did you get the first advice of his illness? —Our first advice was when the private I have referred to came down home on sick-leave; he arrived in Christchurch on Thursday, the 24th June. 43. On Thursday, the Ist July?— That is so; I was wrong. 44. You were informed by Private Glen?— Yes; he told us then that my brother had had what he described as a very bad attack of influenza, but he thought he was going to get right again. He (Private Glen) had been discharged from hospital on the Tuesday, and last, saw my brother in hospital on the Tuesday. 45. What did you do in consequence of this information?—He said the nurse had told him that if we wired for particulars she would gladly supply them. We immediately wired. 46. To whom did you address your telegram?—To the nurse in charge. But, before we got a reply 7 to that telegram we received an official communication saying that, thy brother was dangerously ill. That was the first intimation we received except for the one from Private Glen. 47. That, was received on the same day that you saw Private Glen?— Yes, the Ist July: "Private Badger dangerously ill." 48. What then took place?—We wired to my brother in the north Io come down here and see how things were, and my mother left by the boat that night and came up, and was informed by the doctor next, morning that he did not think the boy would pull through the previous night. 49. AVhat was the actual position of the patient next morning? —He was unconscious, and had been then for the previous two or three days. 50. On the morning of what day did your mother arrive?— Friday, the 2nd July. 51. He had been unconscious then for two or three days?— From either the Tuesday night or the Wednesday. 52. And he died when?—On the Sunday, 4th July. 53. AVas there any difficulty about communications to the patients?--Yes, sir; the patients, I know, were not receiving their correspondence regularly, because when Private Glen got, up he found a large number of letters which had not been delivered, and he took it upon himself to deliver them. There were two or three letters for my brother among them. There was a telegram sent by friends at Day's Bay on the Tuesday. I might mention that my brother was to have come out ou the Monday, the 28th Juno; be was to come out of hospital on sick-leave, but he had a relapse upon that day, and on the Tuesday some friends at Day's Bay wired asking him to go over there and they would look after him. But apparently he was not conscious when that wire reached him, or presumably so. 54. AVhat was the certified cause of your brother's death ?—lnfluenza, cerebral hemorrhage. 55. Certified by Dr. Ferguson? —[Death certificate produced.] Yes; the certificate of death states that the last medical attendant was Dr. W. E. Ferguson. The, Chairman : Who gives the information? Mr. Skerrett: The undertaker. The Chairman: AVill you please see that Dr. Ferguson is apprised of this, Mr. Gray; and he had better be told of the evidence which has been given by this witness. 56. Mr. Salmond.] You gave an interview to a reporter of the Star on the sth July, a day after your brother died. You then said that you regarded this as a case of cruelly criminal