H.—l9b.

218

[C. DOBIZAC.

38. Is there a standard proportion? —Yes, there would be. But we sent such a lot away with the Second —seventy-eight men. 39. What is the proportion you sent? —I do not know. It. is laid down, but I think it has been altered in this war. 40. Then, regarding the Fourth?—We only had enough orderlies to do actual duties. 41. And you could not give ambulance training?— Not stretcher-work. 42. Then, as regards the Fifth?— They were in the same position, although they received lectures from the doctors, and. also did actual orderly-work in the hospital and in the dressingstation. ! 43. But the hospital-work had greatly increased then?—To a great extent it had. There was a lot of influenza and measles, though measles did not get bad till the Fifth. 44. There was a greater call for hospital attendants when we reached the Fifth Reinforcement than before? —Yes. 45. Then you come to the Sixth?— They were in with the Fifth. 46. You say there were not more than enough to do the ordinary work?— No. 47. So that with the Fifth and Sixth the position was that the men were not in sufficient numbers, and the call upon them for hospital-work was such that they did not receive the full instruction? —In nursing-work but not in stretcher-work. 48. Dr. Martin.] What, date was that—the Fifth and Sixth? —Two months ago, or perhaps only six weeks ago. I left camp immediately they went away. 49. The Chairman.] Had you to attend to the sick-parade?— Yes, sir. 50. Every morning?— Yes, sir. 51. What were your duties in connection with that?— Calling them in. 52. From the various tents?—No; they were marched over by the orderly-corporal. 53. You were there too?—To check them coming in, except after the sick-parade was altered to 8.15. 54. Was that in the winter?— Yes; I was not there a great, deal then, because T had other duties to attend to, and one of the corporals used to call them in. 55. Up to the time that you ceased to attend regularly what, was the procedure when the men came up to the tent ?—They would go before the doctor. 56. Tn the first place, I take it, there was the hospital marquee?—An examining-marquee, 57. And who would be in there? —The Medical Officers and two clerks. 58. What was the course of procedure?— They go to the Medical Officer, and he writes their treatment, on a slip of paper and tells the clerk the diagnosis of the disease, and also wdiat, duty they are to have. Then they take the slip of paper into the dispensary. 59. And get anything that is required : it is a prescription?— Yes, or a dressing. 60. Dr. Martin.] The prescription is written in the prescription-book, not, on the form? — No; it is on the paper. 61. Do you have a prescription-book? —No. 62. The Chairman.] There was no record kept, except that the piece of paper would be retained by the dispensers?— Yes. 63. Dr. Martin.] There is a special Army book for prescriptions : did you use that?— No. 64. Where was the dispensing done: was it in the examining-tent?—No. 65. It was a separate tent? —After the Second Reinforcements. 66. Who was the dispenser : any one attached to the regiment who happened to be a chemist? —Yes, sir. 67. No permanent dispenser?—No; as a rule, we had four or five dispensers always. 68. Men who had volunteered?—Yesj when a chemist volunteers he generally volunteers for his own special business. 69. You had this tent, for a dispensary : what were the arrangements —had you all sorts of chemists' preparations and requirements there?— Any drug we required we got. We always kept, a good stock of everything. When we were short of anything it was only a matter of making out a requisition and getting it replaced. 70. Were you always, then, well supplied with dispensers' requirements?— Yes, sir. 71. Do you remember any difficulty at any time with the dispensary?—ln what way, sir? 72. The want of attendants, or confusion?—No, sir. 73. Do you remember a dispenser coming there to give help and going away within a couple of hours after ?—A soldier ? 74. That was at the racecourse : were you. connected with the racecourse in any wav?—No. 75. Only on the camp side?— Yes. 76. With respect to the men coming up to the sick-parade, was there any place for them to wait? —Only the examining-marquee, which was empty except, for the doctors there. Tf it was wet they used to get, inside the marquee as much as possible. 77. But if there was not room?— Well, I never saw it so; only once or twice there was not, room. There might, have been a few men left outside once or twice, hut. as a rule the men would not come in. 78. They preferred to stay in the rain. You say there was no difficulty in their coming into the waiting-tent if it were raining outside?—No, with the reinforcements; but with the " Trents " they only had the operating-tent. 79. What happened with the "Trents": had they any examining-tent?—The operatingtent was used for an examining-tent : it was not used for operations. 80. Was that, tent smaller than the ordinary examining-tent?—Much smaller. 81. And there was no accommodation, then, for any considerable number? —They used to turn up in considerable numbers.