241

H.—l9b

A. BLACLIN.j

75. It would be incorrect to say that there were eighty and a hundred in a day between December and February 7 ? —Yes, absurd. 76. It is suggested that Dr. Thacker said that the trouble began in October—men reported with sore throats. What was the kind of sore throat that was reported, if any ? —I do not know exactly how to describe what sort of sore throat it was. A man came in and said he had a sore throat. Sometimes he would have a rash, and it might be measles. 77. Apart from measles, were there many cases of sore throat ? —Sore throat and ordinary colds. 78. Is that ordinary camp sore throat ?—Yes, ordinary sore throat. 79. Not serious ? —No, certainly not. 80. In your time was there a scarcity of brushes for brushing the throats ?—I never saw any used. They usually prescribed some sort of tablets. William Morris sworn and examined. (No. 61.) 1. Mr. Skerrett.] Where is your home ? —Auckland. 2. And what is your civil occupation ? —I was in the Auckland City Fire Brigade. 3. AVhat is your military rating ? —I am company sergeant-major, New Zealand Medical TJorps. 4. The Chairman.] You have been at Trentham since December'?— The 2nd December. 5. Have you been brought here on subpoena, much against your will ?—I have not had a subpoena served on me. 6. But you have been brought here ? —Yes. I was away on leave, and got a letter from Mr. Skerrett, and I came in immediately to-day. 7. Mr. Skerrett.] When did you join the camp ? —On the 2nd December. 8. In what capacity ?—I joined as a non-commissioned officer. My rating was sergeant when I got here. 9. Have you been in the camp ever since ?—Yes, except when away on leave twice. 10. Would you mind telling me your absences ? —Four days when my mother died. 11. Any 7 other absence ? —Recently I have been away from the camp twenty days. 12. In what month was it ?—This month. 13. Then, with the exception of absences of four days and twenty days, you have been all the time on duty in the camp ? —Yes, sir. 14. Generally, what were your duties at Trentham ? —-I used to do all the nursing under the sergeant-majors—Blacklin and Dorizac. T had charge of the hospital and used to do all the nursing. 15. You had charge of the military hospital at the camp ?—Yes. 16. Were your services ever transferred to any of the racecourse or other hospitals?—l came to the racecourse from the other marquee. 17. You were shifted from the camp hospital to the racecourse hospital : at what period ?—At the time we first came out from the camp. 18. The Chairman.] When the racecourse was taken over, you mean ?—Yes. 19. Mr. Skerrett.] The first day the racecourse hospital was taken over you joined it ?—Yes. 20. Did you join the racecourse hospital before the kiosk was taken—when they had the trainers' •j* quarters and the jockeys' rooms ?—They came up on the Sunday, and I came on the Tuesday. 21. It is suggested that the first thing that was done with respect to the racecourse was to take over the trainers' and jockeys' quarters as a hospital :is that right ?—I was not there. Colonel Purdy saw me that day and told me to stay in bed. 22. How long were you in bed ? —From Saturday until Tuesday. They shifted on the Sunday. I came on the Tuesday. 23. What. Tuesday ? —That was the Tuesday following the Sunday they took the racecourse over. 24. The Chairman.] The 15th June. You then went on duty at the racecourse hospital on about the 15th June?— Yes. ,25. Mr. Skerrett.] The kiosk was not opened at that time ?—No. 26. How long after that was it when the kiosk was opened ?—That I could not say from memory. 27. The Chairman.] Do you know the difference between the jockeys' quarters and the trainers' quarters ? —I know the trainers' quarters. 28. Were they taken before you got up there on the Tuesday ? —Yes. 29. Do y r ou know where the jockeys' quarters are—where they sleep ?—I do not know where they sleep. 30. Mr. Skerrett.] Going back to the period while you were attached to the hospital in camp— the camp hospital, not the racecourse hospital —that is, from December to about the middle of June, a period of about six months—during that period, in your opinion, were the sick-parades properly conducted ?—Yes, sir ; I can safely say. they were. 31. Did you hear the evidence of the last witness about the sick-parades ?—Yes. He was our sergeant-major. 32. Do you agree with his evidence generally ? —Yes, sir, as far as I can call it to memory. 33. He said there were three Medical Officers attending in the one marquee upon all those who . attended sick-parade ?—Yes, Drs. Fyffe, Widdowson, and McAra, and one other. 34. There were at times four ?—Yes, but Dr. Fyffe did not attend sick-parade, being the senior officer. He did before he was promoted : when he was a captain he used to attend all parades,

31— H. 19b.