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99. Were they in an overcrowded state?— They certainly struck me as being overcrowded. 100. More overcrowded than they ought,-to be except in a case of emergency? —Yes; they would not have been overcrowded like that except, in a case of emergency. 101. Were the men on the floor in the marquee—on the ground?— Yes, on the floor. 102. What sort of attention were they getting in the way of nurses or orderlies? —They were getting the best attention that orderlies could give them, I have no doubt. There were no nurses. 103. The Chairman.] Do you mean those particular orderlies, or trained orderlies?— Those particular orderlies. 104. We cannot understand anything from. that. Do you have so-many orderlies per cent, or anything like that in hospitals in measles cases?—l have only recently had any experience of orderlies' work, and I am not in a position to say what percentage should be allowed. 1 can tell you about nurses. 105. Can you express any opinion as to whether there were sufficient orderlies?—No, f cannot. 106. Nor as to their qualifications?—No, 1 cannot give any opinion. I saw three measles marquees up in the lines and two down at tho Ambulance lines. There may have been more, but I did not go round them. 107. Dr. Martin.] There wore one hundred patients ill? —I was told there were forty measles and some sixty other patients, but when they materialized and we removed them we found there were 140 patients. 108. Mr. Ferguson.] AVho told you that?— The Medical Officer in charge. 109. Who is that?— The Director of Medical Services was there, also Captains Stout, Harrison, Simpson, and Ferguson. UO. Mr. Salmond.] Did you see those officers and have any conversation with them al the camp ?—Yes. IJI. What conclusion did you come to as to the action to be taken?—l asked them if they were satisfied with the conditions. They said No. I asked them further whether they were of opinion that it would be better to get the patients into housings of a more permanent nature. They said Yes. AYe then went up to the racecourse. 112. Who suggested the racecourse?—l did. 113. Did they agree?— Yes. We went there and inspected the buildings, and also the jockeys' and trainers' quarters. 114. What happened after- that?— Before I left 140 men were housed. 115. Did you decide there and then to shift the men to the racecourse buildings?— Yes. 116. You had power at this time? —No, I bad no power at all. I had asked the president of the racing club unofficially some days before whether the racecourse buildings could be given for military purposes, because I saw the Defence Department was in a quandary. 117. Did you get his permission ?—No, not then. 118. You commandeered the racecourse buildings?— That is so. 119. Were the men removed at once?— Yes, at onee —the same day. I saw 140 men under shelter that, night before 1 left—the measles and influenza cases and any other diseases. 1 do not know anything about tlie medical side of the question. 120. Mr, Ferguson.] You did not examine the men? —No. I have no responsibility that way at all. They said they had forty measles cases, and we got certain quarters. 121. Mr. Salmond.] Where did you put the measles patients?—ln the jockeys' quarters. I understood there were some forty cases of measles, and in company with the Director of Medical Services and his officers wo went over to the jockeys' quarters, and there were bunks there for forty-eight. We thought they 7 would accommodate all the measles cases, but when the measles cases materialized there were more, and we had to put the surplus into the loose-boxes adjoining. 122. How many more were there?—l am not sure —about a dozen. I would not like to be sure, but T believe there wero sixty-three cases. 123. Do you know how many bunks there were?— Forty-eight bunks. 124. Did they have their own bedding at the time? —They brought it, with them, but I had to commandeer some racecourse bedding—mattresses, pillows, and beds. 125. Were the men taken up by orderlies?—No; they were transported in closed motorcars. It was a horrible day, and raining. 126. You do not know how many patients you left in Trentham after those strenuous operations? —There were no patients left in the camp. 127. You evacuated the whole camp of sick men in one afternoon? —Yes. 128. Where were the influenza patients put? —In the trainers' quarters. They were, roughly, sixty. I did not go round and count them. The only thing to do was to get them out of the way as quicklj 7 as possible. lam sure there were 140 accommodated that night. 129. Mr. Ferguson.] Will you describe the trainers' qrrarters?—There is a kitchen and a place adjoining in which the cook would live. Then there are two fairly large rooms which are used for dining purposes. Then there aro a number of small rooms, I think about 10 ft. by 7 12 ft., and two other rooms, about 16 ft. by 12 ft., with fireplaces. 130. Those last two rooms were used by the medical staff? —Yes. 131. Not for hospital purposes, except as an adjunct?—No; all other rooms were used for hospital purposes. 132. The Chairman.] We may take it that the removal into the buildings was not because the men ought not to have been housed in marquees, but because of the frightful weather that came on?— That was it, yes. 133. Mr. Ferguson.] If the weather had been clear again would it have been a proper step to put them in marquees again ?—No, not, in my opinion.
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