H.—l9b
138
W. B. 0. FERGUSON.
did was to get the men to bring their own bed and bedding, and put them up till the other things arrived. 29. How were the men brought there to attend sick-parade—did they walk?—lf it was just a cold with a temperature of perhaps 99, or something of that kind, he was marched up with his non-commissioned officer, and other people would carry his baggage; but if he was at all bad he was brought up on a stretcher. 30. He woidd come then from the camp marquee?— Yes. 31. Will you tell us the history of Private Badger?— Yes. Of course, you will realize that in an onrush of disease like this it is impossible for me to speak absolutely as to dates. 32. We have it from his brother that he went into the hospital on the 23rd?—Yes, that would probably be when I saw him. At that time his temperature was 1014. With the exception of his temperature he showed no dangerous symptoms at all. His was a case which I diagnosed as ordinary influenza with a certain amount of feverish symptoms. At that time his temperature would be taken morning and night, The disease ran on in the usual way till the fourth or fifth day—l cannot say definitely which—and his temperature had dropped to normal. Perhaps 1 ought to tell you the method adopted with those cases. Every patient on admission was put to bed and kept there till his temperature became normal or somewhere about 99, when, if he was considered sufficient.lv well otherwise, he was allowed to go out on the veranda for an hour in the sun, and after his temperature, had remained normal for a couple of days whilst he was going out he was then discharged, and either sent on sick-transfer to his home or sent back to his lines. No man was discharged from the kiosk or from any other place 1 had charge of who had not a normal temperature for two days—absolutely no person. If a man elected to go back to his lines' instead of going on sick-transfer, he was then given three days excuse duty and one day light duty in his own tent to harden him to work. This entailed an examination of all concalescents or semi-convalescents every morning, so that I could sec who were ill and who were well enough to be discharged from the kiosk—that is to say, it was an examination of those who were presumably able to go out into the sun and those who were able to return to the lines; but I had to endorse that before it. was carried out. Well, when the time came for Badger, and when his temperature showed this improvement, he was then treated as a convalescent. 33. Dr. Martin.] What was the matter with Badger?—lnfluenza. 34. The Chairm,an.] Had the temperature dropped to normal after three or four days?— Yes. I distinctly remember seeing him and seeing he was able to get out of bed and go out. I think he was the first case, or at least one of the first cases, I saw on the morning that I decided he was able to get up and go out, I had a long row of men to go round, and I purposely used to let the men stand easy while I went round the lines in order to test them and see that I did not make a mistake, so I let them stand on their legs a little while. When I got to the end of the lines Sister Brandon came and told me that this man Badger had had a rigor—a shivering fit— and I ordered him to be kept in bed with hot bottles. I saw him several times that day and the next day, and he then seemed to be going backwards. His temperature was rising again, and he showed symptoms' of not going along as I should wish. I forgot to mention that when I got a serious case like that I used to remove the patient to a place nearer my own quarters so that I could see him at night, He, was therefore stretchered and carried down to the trainers' quarters, where my room was, and put in there. 35. Is that what you call the " gate hospital " ?—I have not heard it called by that name. That would apply to it, because it is down by a gate. I had him put there because I could see him easier at night. 36. Dr. Martin.'] Were other patients down there?— Yes, several. 37. What was the matter with them?— They were people whose temperatures were high. Those that came in obviously ill were put into the gate hospital. This man when he showed symptoms of getting worse was taken to the gate hospital so that I could observe him. As soon as I was satisfied there was any danger T telegraphed to his people. They had to come some distance, and in the meantime Badger had symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage with certain facial paralysis. He was partly unconscious, and never regained consciousness, and was so when his people arrived. 38. You seem quite satisfied that the man suffered no undue hardship—that he got proper medical attention and proper nursing attention? —I am certain that he trot proper nursing attention, and that he could not have got a better nurse auvwhere in New Zealand. The sister in charge was a most magnificent nurse —one cannot speak too well of her attention. It was she who took him in charge, and drew my attention to him from the start, and did everything that could possibly be done for him. 39. Tv your opinion there are absolutely no grounds for complaint?—Absolutelv none. 40. The Chairman.] We have a copy of a letter he wrote to a friend as follows : " I am writing this on my knee in bed. Tarn in the hospital ; been here since Wednesday evening last. I was ill on Tuesday. Went on sick-parade Wednesday evening; also Tuesday morning. Not only is it flue, but a rotten cold on the chest. My temperature was 10P4. I think, and my pulse about 90. I have sharp shooting pains in the stomach going towards the right hip. What is it a sign of? I know it is a sign of something, but forget what, The first, men to be sick were the luckiest; they all had beds. We are on our mattresses on tho floor in the tea-kiosk on the racecourse. My head is aching so much I can hardly hold it up. We cannot shave here, and can only wash if you are fit to get up and have one, and the place is crowded. Last night I awoke—thought it must be at least 30r4 in the morning. I looked at mv watch, and it was only 9.25 p.m. The nights go slowly and the days fairly fast. T think I must snooze during the day. T must close this; am getting some one to post for me.—Sincerely, Abohtb Bapobr." What he says there is, " We are all on our mattresses " ; was that so?— That was so.
Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.
By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.
Your session has expired.