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[W. B. O FERGUSON.

72. There would be no one in charge of the orderlies? —The highest non-commissioned officer would be in charge of the orderlies to see the duty done. 73. That is a man belonging to the Medical Corps?—To the Field Ambulance. 74. When he said that his brother was ordered out of bed aud had to walk across to the Jockey Club rooms, is that so?— No. 75. And on Saturday ordered back again?— That is not so with Badger. 76. The witness referred to the beds not having been made and having got damp, through perspiration I suppose. Do you remember any case of that sort, occurring?—No; I presume if a man is having a critical sweat that his bed would get damp, but I had no complaints of that sort. 77. Who would be the man who could tell us if there were any complaints : who had charge of the bedding at that time ?—Before the nurses came ? 78. Yes?— Sergeant Morton. lam afraid he is away on leave at present. 79. He was in charge of the orderlies from the commencement?— Yes. 80. Dr. Martin.] What was Sergeant Badger?—He was really at the gate kiosk to accept the admissions and assist with the discharges. 81. That was after he had been there some few days, I think?—Of course, I do not mean to say that because he was doing one sort of work that he might not do other work and take temperatures, but Ido not think Badger took temperatures as a matter of routine. The sister in charge might have said, " Come along and give us a hand with this while you are doing nothing"; but in my presence he did not take temperatures. 82. But he says that on his own responsibility he could tell patients to get out, That was not his duty, you say?—He had never had instructions to do so. 83. The Chairman.] He said he gave tabloids and chloride of potash on his own responsibility?— That is a thing I heard of and stopped. Chloride of potash is not a safe drug for any one to give indiscriminately. 84. Dr. Martin.] Why was Sergeant Badger given those drugs if Sergeant Morton was in charge?—l could not tell you. Ido not think it was given to any extent. 85. He had given cascara too?—It is very probable he gave those things under instructions' from the sister in charge. She may have given him tabloids and told him to go round. 86. He says he did it on his own responsibility?—l never heard of it. 87. His evidence was : " Did you give tabloids on your own responsibility without the doctor's orders?" (Answer) "Tabloids of chloride of potash." "What strength?" (Answer) "One grain, I think." "Many at a time?" (Answer) "Never more than one at a time." "You did that without advice? " (Answer) " Yes." " Did you give any other tabloids without advice?" (Answer) "Yes, I gave cascara"?—l think you will find on cross-examination there was some mistake about that. No one had authority to give drugs unless ordered by me. 88. He says definitely he gave drugs on his own responsibility: you are not aware of it? —No person gave them; and lam absolutely certain that from the day Sister Brandon was in charge no one was allowed to give medicines of any kind unless I prescribed them. 89. There has been a charge that patients were getting two tabloids of aspirin three times a day : is that so? —No. 90. Aspirin was not administered as a routine?— Perhaps I should tell you how the thing was managed. Every morning, after doing as I told you—that is, looking at the convalescents and discharging so-many of them or returning them to their beds—l went round the room accompanied by Sergeant Morton and Sister Brandon. Sergeant Morton had charge of the temperaturesheets for day and night, and they were before me, and looking at them I examined each individual patient in the kiosk and prescribed for him. As I passed each patient I would say, " Give this man so-and-so"; and presumably that is what was carried out. lam absolutely certain the sister in charge saw my instructions were carried out. As regards two aspirin tabloids being given three times a day as a routine, that is absolute nonsense. 91. That has been stated ?—By whom? 92. By Sergeant Badger?—He is quite mistaken about it, 93. The Chairman.] You say it is impossible for that to have happened?— Absolutely. 94. You would not prescribe that?—l would prescribe them where indicated, but not to give them indiscriminately. When going round and feeling the pulse I would say whether to give a man 5 or 10 grains, whichever I should think, but they were not given as a routine. 95. The brother was asked, "Have you any information as to the medical attendance?" and he replied, " 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 case like my brother's were not given the attention which they should have had under the circumstances"?—ln the first place, I saw and examined every person in that kiosk who had any abnormal temperature twice a day as a minimum, and always three or four times a day when the temperature was at all high. That meant practically something like eighteen or twenty hours a day, and that was carried out day after day by me personally. Where that man who states that gets his idea from is this : if I noticed a temperature was a decided improvement, and there were some people lying about with normal temperatures, I would probably look at them and pass them by; but every person whom it was shown had a high temperature was examined by me carefully. 96. Have the charts been kept?—-They were taken to the record-room, but I cannot find them. This is the only one I could find which I have here, and Badger's name is on it. It shows the beginning of his illness. His temperature here was recorded as 1014 and pulse 92 —a light pulse. This, I think, is in Sergeant, Morton's writing. 97. He is away just now?— Yes, on leave. I wish to point out that it is perfectly natural in a case like Badger's that these people should feel aggrieved, and that without any cause. This