A SICK TERRITORIAL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1735, 28 April 1913, Page 5

A SICK TERRITORIAL.

SERIOUS NEGLECT ALLEGED,. ' (By Telegraph.—Prosa Association.) Whangaroi, April 26. lesterday morning a young man named Stanley Pearson was brought, iuto town trom Hikurangi, and admitted to a private hospital, suffering from a very serious attack, of pneumonia contracted wmlo attending l the recent Territorial Kimpnt Cumbridgo. It is stated that ho was ill in canip two days before tho camp broke, but not medically treated, being left in, his tent during this period. His somrndes state that they asked Dr. Good to attend to Pearson, but were referred by hint to tho surgeon\then in chargo of tho 15th Regiment, Dr. Good having neon detailed for duty with tho 3rd Regiment. For somo unaccountable reason. Pearson was not, it is alleged, brought beforo tho medical officer in chargo of his regiment, and was left with such attention as could be given by his comrades. . For" confirmation or denial of these statements, an "Advocate" reporter waited on Dr. Good. Tfo stated ho could not say definitely whothor ho was spoken to regarding Pearson, but thought it very likely that ii; such was the case he referred tho man's comrades to tho dootor in chargo of tho regiment. He was certain, though,.that he was not'told that Pearson was seriously ill, or he would have seen him and ordered his immediate lemovat to the Cambridge Hospital. The amazing feature of all this is tho statement that young Pearson remained in his tent throughout two days without attention. Such a thing seems almost incredible, and is scoutcd by Colo'nel SteadIrian, the officer in charge of tho regiment to, which Pearson belonged, as bejond tho region of possibility. Coloucl Sleadman says ho had no personal knowledge of the case in camp, and only hoard of PcaTson being ill wlion the matter\was mentioned to him by Captain Wood on the way from Auckland, the latter stating that ho had arranged for Pearson to 1» given a saloon bortli on the steamer instead of remaining with the other men on deck. Colonel Steadman further sajv the Biedioar officer attached to tho regiment ,was' continually in, the linos, an;! very httentivo to duty, nnd it is unreasonable to suppose that ii Pearson's sickness had been reported to litm it would not have received immediate attention. Tho facts; are apparently that Pearson was entrained at Cambridge' ill with pneumonia, and bleeding at the nose. He travelled to Auckland in an open truck, [was provided with the comfort of a berth, on the way from Auckland to Wlianga" rei, and reached Hikurangi in a very bad ptate, and is now desperately ill. The "Advocate" says it is not without authority iu stating that some of the arrangements at Cambridge were in eotno respects the worst conceivable. For two days after the men ; froln the north arrived there' was no medicine chest in the camp, and right through thero was not ov'en a basin for holding hot water or any proper facilities for heating water if such ftrere required for medical purposes.