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W. B. o. FERGUSON;]

139

H.—l9b

41. On the floor?—On a wooden floor.--42. You had not beds at that time? —No. 43. Do you remember those descriptions he gives in his letter abot/t his head aching and can hardly hold it up, and shooting-pains towards the right hip?—Of course, those would be the usual symptoms of an influenza attack. 1 would not say specially the shooting-pains towards the right hip. I. suppose from his letter some one may have been telling him about appendicitis. 44. Dr. Martin.] Or cerebro-spinal meningitis?—Cerebro-spinal meningitis had not been ' diagnosed then; that was a week before. I might say that those symptoms are not pathomonic of cerebro-spinal meningitis. 45. The Chairman.] Then he says the kiosk-floor is a concrete floor?—He was inside. The veranda has a concrete floor; but he was inside, and within the walls are wooden, floors. 46. In giving evidence his brother said, " They could not shave unless they were well enough to get out of bed to have one. That is not proper attention for a sick man." What have you to say about that?—l think that is the remark of a grumbler. A sick man does not trouble about shaving. He could not get out to do that. 47. There was no barber?—No; there was no barber to go round about three hundred odd men and shave them. 48. Then the witness is asked, " What is your opinion as to the washing of men during their stay in the tea-kiosk?" and he replies, "I am informed that they were not washed for three days on end "? —I did not hear any complaints about it; but as far as I could see they appeared to be all right, That probably means that the men who were able to get up were able to get a wash, but the others were sponged by the nurses. 49. Do you remember if there was an occasion on which no sponging or washing was done? —No; 1 think the sponging and washing were done daily. 50. Is that part of the ordinary routine?— Yes, part of the ordinary routine of a nurse or the orderly. It is the duty of the nurse when there, or of the orderly when the nurse is not there. It would not come under my notice or supervision unless brought to it. 51. If the nurse is there you do not issue instructions that the patient shall be washed? —No. 52. Then the witness was asked, " Have you obtained any information as to whether there were nurses or orderlies attending the patients in the tea-kiosk?" and he replied, "Up to the Sunday they were attended to only by inexperienced orderlies—Sunday 27th June." Is that so ?—I cannot speak as to the exact date. Yes, that is correct. 53. He says the orderlies were inexperienced? —I would not say "inexperienced," but they were orderlies who belonged to the ambulance lines. 54. Some had had more experience than others? —Yes; they were a mixed lot, and we had to use them for the purpose. 55. Would those men be men who had received instruction before? —Yes, some of them undoubtedly had received instruction; but it is possible some had not. 56. But those were all the orderlies that were available? —Yes, all that were available. 57. Then tho evidence reads, " There were then no nurses at all. in charge of the patients at this kiosk up to the 27th June? " (Answer) " That is so " ?—Yes, I think that is so. 58. " The first three nurses arrived on that day. About the treatment, after being in beds with high temperatures they were ordered to leave the tea-kiosk, and went to the Jockey Club rooms on Friday, 25th June." Is that so?— Not as regards Badger. 59. "They had to turn out on the Saturday and go back again to the tea-kiosk"? —That was not so with regard to Badger. 60. Was it so with regard to others?— When you are speaking of three hundred men I would not like to say no one did. I do not remember any one who did, but it is just possible one or two men who were convalescent may have been told that there was more accommodation for them at another building. They may have been sent down there, and that may give rise to the story. That lam not prepared to say; but it was not so to any extent, 61. "After being in bed with high temperatures they were ordered to leave the tea-kiosk and went to the Jockey Club rooms on Friday, 25th June"?— Absolutely no men with high temperatures' went to any other buildings. 62. You remember some were sent from the tea-kiosk to the Jockey Club rooms?—To the jockeys' quarters. Of course, the explanation is that probably the man who is writing is writing about what he does not understand. Some men who developed measles would be sent with high temperatures to the jockeys' quarters; that is where the measles cases were kept. They were removed immediately the measles developed. 63. Then he says they had to turn out on the Saturday and go back again to the kiosk? — No, that is not the case. 64. Then the evidence reads, "Your brother was ordered out of bed and walked across to the Jockey Club rooms." Was he out of the kiosk from the time he came there?—He was not out of the kiosk at all till he went to the trainers' quarters —the gate hospital. 65. " On the Saturday they were ordered back again "? —He did not go back again. 66. " From the Jockey Club rooms they returned to the tea-kiosk : were the beds made during this period?" (Answer) "No, they were not made. Owing to the high temperature of the patients the beds became quite damp." "Up to the 27th June I understand there were no cots for any of the patients? " (Answer) " That is so " ?—That is so. 67: " According to your information their beds were placed on the floor " ?—That was so. 68! 'But'was' it a fact that their beds were not made ?—No; the beds were made. 69. Who would make them?— The nurses and orderlies. 70. But the nurses did not come till the 27th?—Then the orderlies would make them. 71. Were the orderlies there right from the start? —Yes, right, from the start.

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