M. BADGER.j

107

H.—l9b.

53. Then the bed-pans were heated ?—Yes. 54. Upon what date? —From the Wednesday, 30th June. 55. About the feeding of the patients: was the feeding of Badger looked after?— For the first few days I took the same food as the patients, because we were too busy 7 fo go away for our meals. On the Tuesday night there was roast beef and roast mutton sent over for the patients. Sister Brandon said to me, " Orderly, will you cut up that meat? " I started to cut up the meat, and after I had been doing so for awhile I pointed out that we could not differentiate between the patients, and so the meat was not delivered to the patients. It was practically impossible to tell which men's temperatures were up and which were down. 56. Why? —At that time we had no cards —no temperature-charts. 57. There was no means' of distinguishing the patients with high temperatures from those with lower ones: when was that?—On the 29th. 58. You could not tell the patients' temperatures?— No. That was remedied later; a book was kept for recording each patient's temperature, but it would have been impossible to take that book round and locate the patients for the two diets. 59. You had not marked the beds in any way?—No; that was impossible. But the food was given out in plentiful supplies, and what might be called " low diet." 60. They were not getting half-cooked rice?—l never saw it. 61. Did they get two aspirin tablets with each meal? —Not after Monday, the 28th; what happened before that I do not know. To say that they got two aspirin tablets with each meal after the 28th was ridiculous. I would have noticed them. 62. How long was Badger unconscious?—l could not tell. Might I suggest that there were patients who could not, tell what they were getting. Wo gave patients there chlorate of potash to relieve them of phlegm in the throat. 63. Mr, Salmond.] But he would not swallow aspirin?— Yes; a man would not know what he was eating. 64. Did you give tablets on your own responsibility without the doctor's orders?— Tablets of chlorate of potash. 65. Dr. Martin.] You did: what strength?— One grain, I think. 66. Many at a time? —Never more than one at a time. 67. You did that without advice?— Yes. 68. Did you give any other tablets without advice?— Yes, I gave cascara, 69. Did you sponge down a patient with a high temperature?— No. 70. Did you do any active nursing yourself?— Yes; I made the beds at first, 71. You told us that you constantly visited the bedside? —Yes. 72. Why did you go up to Badger's bedside at all if you were not doing nursing duties?— Because he was lying close to where I was. 73. What did you do? —I would ask him whether he wanted a drink. 74. AVhy? —Because you sometimes find men shy at asking for anything. Atery often it is the men who are reticent who require most attention. 75. You say there was any amount of nursing assistance? —Yes, there were six nurses. 76. Those were qualified nurses I— Yes. 77. How many patients had you then? —149 or 150. 78. How many nursing orderlies had you in the ward at that time?— Perhaps seven orderlies, and about eight fatigue men—the men who did the washing-out, 79. You constantly visited the bedside up to what date?—Up to the AVednesday night. 80. You went on duty on the 28th and visited Badger's bedside frequently up to the 30th? —Yes. 81. Why did you stop visiting him then?—He was removed on the 30th, and I had other duties allocated to me. 82. From the 30th to the date of his death you know nothing about him?—No; he was taken away. 83. You know nothing about the day after that: where was he taken ?—Away from the kiosk to the hospital at the main gate. 84. How was he taken there? —By a stretcher,..under, the supervision of nurses. 85. Did you see any patients ordered from the kiosk—men who had been lying in bed in the kiosk —ordered up to walk to the Jockey Club's rooms?—No, I never saw any. 86. Did you hear of any? —No, not after I came there. My instructions were very much against it. 87. You say that the largest number of patients in the ward at the kiosk was 150?— I would not be sure. 88. Are you quite definite about your statement that there were six qualified nurses in the kiosk on the day that Badger was removed ?—Yes. 89. Qualified nurses? —I feel certain of that. 90. You told the Commission that one hundred and twenty patients would be taken in on one day and sixty would leave? —That is so. 91. And that you kept no record ?—Afterwards there was a record kept of every man; the record was not kept by us. 92. I am referring to the kiosk? —It was the duty of Corporal Morton to supply a list of the names. 93. Was this corporal under your orders? —No. 94. What were you referring to when you stated that the names were not taken?—l was showing you the difficulty of locating addressees of letters. 95. Afterwards a careful list was kept of the men who were admitted and those who were sent ou t? Yes. The record clerk would know, but we could not tell.