263

H.—l9b.

A. FAEAM.j

32. Were you able to keep these men warm? —Oh, yes. 33. With regard to Pollard, do you remember his temperature going up? —Yes. He came in on the Friday, and on the following Tuesday his temperature rose. 34. How did he proceed after that?—l think he gradually got worse. He became delirious on the Wednesday night. 35. You remember his relatives coining?— Yes. 36. Did you see them? —Yes. 37. Were you present when Dr. Herbert had a conference there? —Yes. 38. Was the question of removal discussed then?—l never heard it discussed. 39. Did you hear what the result of the conference was?— No. The treatment was to be continued. 40. With regard to Fordham, what was his condition when he came in? —He was also pale. He had a slight, cough, and was expectorating phlegm; but he did not impress me as being so ill as Pollard, and his temperature was not so high. 41. Then he developed a temperature later? —Yes, about the same time as Pollard. It may have been a little later —the next day. 42. Did you see the men in the marquees? —Yes. 43. Had you to attend to them in any way? —They were usually up. Those men had not temperatures. Their temperature was taken every morning—that is, the convalescents; but the temperature of the others was taken night and morning. 44. The temperature of those in the building was taken twice a day?— Yes, and those in the marquees too —the men who came up to the building. 45. Had they any difficulty about sleeping? It is suggested that the marquees were erected on an incline, so that the men, when asleep, would roll to one side of the tent?—AVhen I went there tbe marquees were just being floored, and stretchers were sent soon afterwards. I think that happened before my time. 46. If there was such a rolling-down it would be before your time? —Yes. 47. Because floors were there about your time? —Soon afterwards. 48. Now, as to the cooking : it is suggested that that was done in the kitchen just at the back of a lavatory 7. We have a plan here : perhaps you would be able to point out these places to us?—[Witness explained where the kitchen and lavatory were.] 49. The kitchen was in the nurses' cottage? —Yes. 50. And the only 7 lavatory it would be near would be the lavatory belonging to the nurses' cottage? —But that was away from the cottage, right next to the washhouse —some distance from the kitchen, I think. 51. Then it is not correct to say that cooking was done in the kitchen just at the back of a lavatory?— No. 52. Where did you get your water from for use there? —There was a cold-water supply in the main building. 53. Mr. Ferguson.] It is not true that all your water had to be carried up? —Decidedly not. 54. The Chairman.] AVas there a telephone there in your time?- —Yes, sir. When I went there first there was not, but it was installed soon afterwards. 55. Mr. Ferguson.] With regard to the hot-water supply, was that efficient? —The water was heated in the washhouse, which is away from the main building. 56. That had to be carried up, of course? —Yes. 57. The Chairman.] "All the water had to be carried up to the main building. It seemed to come from down in the gully, and had to be carried upstairs." Is that so?— No. 58. It was simply brought up from the lower story,?— The hot water was brought up from the lower story. There was a califont in the room off the wards, which was often used. There water was heated —in the bathroom next to the wards —in the main building. 59. Mr. Ferguson.] How was the califont heated? —With wood. 60. AVere the orderlies that you had capable, efficient men, or inefficient? —Efficient, with few exceptions. 61. The Chairman.] Were they qualified?—l had one man in the marquee who learned more in three weeks than the nurses in Wellington Hospital would learn in four years; but they never had any nursing to do. 62. They 7 carried out all you wanted them to do?— Yes, sir. 63. It says hero, " Down in the gully there were two water-closets without any board tops on them " : do you remember such?— There were patent lavatories there. 64. They were water-closets? —Yes. 65. The water was working all right?— Yes. 66. AVere they all right when you were there? —Yes. We made an inspection every day with an orderly. 67. Of the sanitary condition of things? —Yes. 68. Do you remember any inconvenience arising from the sink? There were sinks in the main building?— Yes, but I do not remember anything happening. 69. He says, " The sister told me it was a great inconvenience " : do you remember that?— No; I was not on duty. 70. Mr. Ferguson.] That was when Dr. Thacker went up?— Yes. Sister Hanna escorted Dr. Thacker. 71. The Chairman.] Were the men who were convalescent attending to those who were sick?— Those who were very convalescent carried the patients' meals into tbe wards. Tbe majority of the men seemed to like being mess-orderlies. 72. It was only those on the point of being discharged who would be so employed ?—Yes, those very convalescent.