W. B. 0. FERGUSON.]

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boy got influenza, and he was improving and got better from the influenza when he got this other disease. The people naturally imagined that we should have diagnosed the second complaint at the beginning of the influenza attack. Of course, that is impossible. They look on his illness as a whole instead of two separate complaints. 98. Then, there was a question about his people not having been notified? —Of course, the same applies to that. It would have been impossible even if it had been desirable to communicate on behalf of every man suffering from an attack of influenza or catarrh, and his people were not communicated with until I thought the man was in danger. As soon as 1 was satisfied he was in danger 1 had them sent for. 99. You' would give the instructions?— Yes, probably to headquarters. I forget how, but I know they were sent for immediately. 100. Through the orderly?—No; I would ring up the headquarters and tell them this man was on the danger-line, and ask them to wire his people. 101. You had nothing to do with the wiring? —No. 102. You would simply advise headquarters so that they would communicate? —In some instances I rang up headquarters, and also sent off a telegram myself. I was not supposed to do that, but I did so to make doubly sure. In Badger's case 1 know his people were communicated with as soon as I knew his case was dangerous. 103. Dr. Martin.] You say the orderlies were taken from the Field Ambulance? —Yes. 104. Would they belong to the bearer section or the nursing section ? —I could not tell you. 105. It is very important, because the orderlies of the nursing section are trained? —Yes. 106. Were they taken from the nursing section or the bearer section?— They were taken from both. We had to take every man in the Field Ambulance. We also had to get the hospitalship men, and every person we could get. 107. Were there any inexperienced men?—l could not tell you how much experience they had had. I know we took every available man. 108. Regardless of the fact whether he was fitted or not? —Because we had not any others to take. 109. Were the men who had to look after the nursing in the kiosk experienced men?— That I cannot say. Some of them were, and some were not. 110. How many were?—l cannot tell you. 111. How many orderlies had you?—l cannot tell you. The staffing of the place with orderlies was done by the administrative officer, and not by me. Do you realize that my time was occupied from eighteen to twenty hours a day treating these people, with the assistance given me by the administrative branch ? 112. You were overworked? —Certainly I was overworked while the rush was on, but in any case I would not have had the staffing of the hospital had I not been overworked. 113. Were you perfectly satisfied with orderlies there to do the work? —I would not be satisfied with orderlies in the hospital, but I was satisfied we had taken every man available, and we consequently did the best we could under the circumstances. 114. When was the kiosk opened?—On the 13th or 14th June. 115. And the first nurse arrived on the 27th June? —Three nurses arrived. 116. Do you know why the nurses were not brought to the kiosk before that? —No, I do not. 117. Had you asked for any nurses to be sent?—No, I had not. 118. Had you suggested to any senior officer that it would be advisable to get nurses to do the work? —I had no conversation with the senior officers on their working of the case at all. 119. Did the Principal Medical Officer of the hospital? —I cannot tell you just on the spur of the moment who was the Medical Officer at the time. 1 think Colonel McAra had gone by that time. The fact of the matter is that at that time Colonel Valintine had commandeered the racecourse, and I must point out that we were working through a deluge of rain and wind, and we had to get these wretched men out of the wet, into a dry place. The tents were blown down, before the storm. We had to get the men into dry quarters, and the essential thing to do was not to begin to discuss the question of whether we should get nurses, but to get the men under cover with some sort of comfort and be attended to. That was what I was doing, and the administrative part of the work belonged to others. 120. Who are the others? —I presume Colonel Valintine; and he would give us the means to work with. I could not get nurses; I had no authority to get them. 121. Did you ask for nurses? —I cannot remember what we discussed. There was not much time for discussion. 122. The Chairman.] You do not remember whether you did ask? —I cannot remember. 123. The administration would rest with Dr. Valintine? —Yes. 124. Dr. Martin.] Between the 14th and 27th June did you think it was necessary to have nurses there?— Now you mention it, the question was raised. I remember now we discussed it. 125. The, As far as I understand the cases there were not serious : you sent them out, I think, when they developed anything or their temperatures rose?— This was a"clearing hospital. 126. Mr. Ferguson.] There were no nurses at Trentham before the 27th?—I could not tell you the date they came in. Sister Brandon and the Samoan nurses were the first nurses who came in. 127. Dr. Martin.] You were in charge of the kiosk, and some cases were serious and some were not: did you think, as a doctor, that the orderlies were giving you satisfaction ?—Yes: I must point out that the way you are putting it is misleading : there were not any serious cases there when we went into the kiosk. 128. I am taking the period between the 14th and 27th: in that period Badger got ill? Yes. Badger's was not a very serious case till the end of June. I think his was the first serious