E. YEATES.j

155

H.—l9b

IM, Who was a junior officer .-Captain fyffe; he came m on probation pay. 164. Did you express that opinion at Trentham?-I told Major Holmes it was an impossible position, but at the same time 1 did not try to make things uncomfortable. unpossxble lbo. You told your superior officer it was an impossible position ?-He agreed with me 16b. And you remained perfectly friendly?— Yes, with Major Holmes. lb.. But with Dr. Fyffe.—f was friendly with him. 168. Did you tell him so?-Yes; ami 1 can produce letters to show that I did. ' r {, ou vve,e 1U cam P the end of December till the 27th February .-Yes 170. Two months, and then left because you were not appointed to the Expeditionary 17thJ S_p"tembeT "" WUS a " ex i jedltlullar >- ° m<J «'' I had been appointed on the 171. During that .lime you say that, you called the attention of the Medical Officers to the necessity for preventing by better measures the outbreak of an epidemic of measles?—l did sir T. 2. Do you know how many cases of measles occurred in the camp while you were there? -1 cannot give the number but T should say eight or nine in January, and some more in February, but 1 cannot speak as to the exact, numbers. Those were the cases diagnosed as 173. There were eight cases in January?— Yes; but I do not know how many in February 174. In February there were four cases?—! do not, know, sir, but I thought there were more Uo. So that during the time you were there there were twelve cases of measles? Dr. Martin: There were a great many*more than that according to the list supplied to us Our return shows seventeen eases admitted to the Wellington Hospital. Mr. Salmond: Well, this is the official return 1 have. Dr Martin: This is the return from the Wellington Hospital of cases from Trentham Camp. 17b. Mr. Salmond.] There seems to be some discrepancy between the returns, so that perhaps wo had better leave the figures alone. You say that you remonstrated with the Medical Officers as to the precautions taken?—l did. 177. In, writing?—No; 1 wrote once, but no notice was taken of it. 178. To whom?—To Major Holmes, A.M.O. T addressed it to the A.M.O. 179. I think you were persuaded not, to write?—l was persuaded afterwards. TBO. Who persuaded you?—l was told. 181. AVho told you?— Major Holmes and Captain Fyffe. 182. You wrote to Major Holmes as to the insufficiency of the precautions taken, and he advised you not to write again?—He advised me that suggestions would not be well taken. I dropped it then. He did it in a perfectly friendly way. 183. Then your remonstrance was made in writing ? — Yes; and I also spoke about, it several times. 184. AVhat did you suggest ought to have been, done?— That a better guard be put on the isolation camp, and that the men should be properly isolated. 185. In what respect were they not properly isolated?— They were allowed fo mingle with other men in the isolation camp —not measles contacts. They were a.so allowed to meet their mates from the camp, and they could get out through the fence at any time; there was nothing to stop them. You would want a very good guard there. 186. These men were, merely contacts?— Yes; but they may have been infectious. 187. I think you objected in your evidence that some men took their food to them?— Yes. 188. How else were they to get their food? —That is a question not for me to answer, would suggest that .there should have been a proper camp kitchen in the isolation camp, and they should have been allowed to cook their food themselves. 189. Do you really suggest that it is dangerous to allow soldiers to take food fo contacts? —I leave that to the Medical Officers. Personally I think it is wrong. 190. So that you told Major Holmes that you thought it was dangerous that ihe soldiers from the camp should take the food up to those in the isolation camp?— From (he fact that they were isolated. Why were they isolated if they would not be a danger to their mates? ' 191. You thought it was dangerous for the soldiers from the camp to take the food to these contacts?—l do not think it was at all a right thing, any more than I would allow a man to go into a smallpox camp. 192. Do you not think there would be a difference between smallpox and measles?— Yes, there are differences of danger; but still the danger remains. 193. That is the sort of remonstrance you made to your superior officers? —Yes. 194. And you also said that this camp —or, rather, the site where the tents ate —should have been shifted at least every three months?— Yes, sir. 195. Why?— Because I think that the ground became polluted by reason of the tents being there for a long time, and they had that threatened sickness among the men. It did not, come from nowhere. It must have come from-the camp or from the tents being left in. one position so long, and not only by emanations from the men, but from the food scattered about. T96. Then, may I take it that you thought it dangerous to allow a military encampment to remain for three months in the same position ?—lt, has been proved. 197. Is that the practice in England?— Yes, as far as I know, though 1 have never had anything to do with camps in England. 198. The Chairman.] Was it done at the Cape: w 7 as there one there that did remain over three months?— Not except a standing camp, where there were proper barracks. 199. Was there a camp that remained in the same position for seven or eight months?— No, sir; the Maitland Camp was shifted after three months —it was shifted away and back again. 200. Back to the old spot?— Yes, after that, spot had been thoroughly cleaned. But the atmosphere there can hardly be compared with the atmosphere in New Zealand. These are different.