DEATHS IN'CAMP

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2504, 3 July 1915, Page 6

DEATHS IN'CAMP

' " AND THE MEASLES OUTBREAK RATE UNDER ONE PER THOUSAND ~.... . ;;;; / f f ■ A SOLDIER'S STORY J •>. — . :k COMPLAINT AGAINST MEDICAt v. DEPARTMENT . 'A' Dominion representative was officially informed last evening that since the establishment of Trentham camp the total .number of deaths was eighteen up to yesterday morning. Twelve of these -have died of pneumonia following on measles. One man was killed by a train, one died of acute mania,- one of peritonitis, one of bleeding from the nose, one of an internal complaint, and one of pneumonia following on. alcoholic poisoning. The rate'is; stated to be less than one per thousand. . ' In tho House of Representatives on Thursday discussion arose on . a letter published in'' Auckland, and signed "A Trentham Soldier." , The i. soldier : in question called at The Dominion office last; evening, and- made'the following reply to the Defence Minister's state- 1 ment:— "In his preliminary reply to my letter Mr. Allen ridiculed the idea that there should be anything like 600 cases -in the Wellington hospitals; He confidently asserted tliat there" would : not be room for more than-a quarter of-that number. 'By the official figures; as published in '.Tjie Dominion • of yesterday f , there are 603 cases iii the Wellington institutions. I would point out that this does not include nearly all tho men absent from Trentham on account of sickness. Under, the present' , system, immediately tho infectious stage is over, men are granted eight to ten' days'-' sick leave,"and'are allowed to proceed to their 'homes, during, tho convalescent period. Mr. Allen, in'this instance, at, any rate, has proved himself { grossly ignorant of tlie facts. "Until thi'ee days ago (the 'date of my letter) the sick paraded and had absolutely no shelter whatever!' ; Even, now, with the newly-erected marquees, there is not standing room on many occasions for one-half, of tlie sick prior to their medical inspection. Mr. Allen cannot seriously ask. the public, of New Zealand, to; believe that the i sick. soldiers really prefer to stand for two' and three hours exposed to - the cold ;and rain. ; . ' ■ ' . • ■ 1 : : "I still stand to my statement,that on one day last week at the afternoon inspection there was. no doctor in attendance. '' - ■ : "The statement that Jin every tent hut sick men are lying 1 is truo in substance and in' fact. As .every man in the camp knows, -there are'.three sets of duties for the physically-infirm :' (a) i Light duties; (b) medicinal duties; (3) excused from duty. > It is to tl.io last-named class I'referred. ..'I ;. still riiaintairi that, these men should meet with, much better: treatment than ,they. at .present receive. - ■ ' > ' . .'Vr would respectfully ask-Mr:'Allen how men who sleep eight in a,tent can dry their> wet: clothes when they are not allowed to hang anything., at'all on the tent-poles, •.;. "Hero at aiiy ';rato wo have an admission from Mr. Allen... Although as early as last February ample, funds were ■ subscribed the people of this country we aro still without any- permanent hospital whatsoever. .'. 'The contractor,' Mr. Allen 1 says, ~'is now behind-hand riritli his contract, and "is paying.a daily forfeit.'. . This,is very, poor' satisfaction for the large number' of "me'ii spending' the, wiiiter in camp. •'■' " '!'■ - 1: "My letter and this reply to Mr. Allen's aftswer 'is nothing more than'aplea for., better treatment for the'' sick at camp.. . With the .rest, of the camp organisation and-management any nor-' mal-minded soldier cpuld-havo no complaint. ■- All soldiers at- Trentham regard Colonel Potter and his staff withfeelings of profoundest' respect. . But our complaint against; the Medical Department ■ has too long been .unheeded for fiirlher delay." ' ; : , THE.MEDICAL SERVICE - IIIPfiOMG DAILY . INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS. " ■■■"" Yesterday, the Prime" Minister- went to the hospital at Berliampore, and the Minister of Defence, and' tho Minister of' Public Health went to .Trentham. Today. Miv,Ma£sey. goes to Trentham. It, is stated that .now; things at the camp are very much, better than they were," and that daily the position is improving.' The'-Parliamentary .Committee which is to, investigate .cannot, be set up until ..the' Houso meet's on.'.: Tuesday, but it now; seems probable that the Committee will have few, recommendations' to [make as to further improvement,' but may. perhaps have , something ,to say about who was to blame for the unsatisfactory state of. things prevailing a-few days ago. . "Doing Everything Posslble."Referring. to tho epidemic in conversation with a reporter last night the. I'rimo Minister stated that the Government and especially the Departments of Defence and public-Health wero doing everything possible to' cope with the difficulty that had arisen. There were ten doctors .in' camp already,, and four more were expected. to-day,' and there was a good statf of nurses, at each of tho buildings which were being used for , hospital purposes. The public could be that neither pains nor expense would be spared to provide for the comfort, of the men/ The long continued ,-spell,-.of wet weather which liad been experienced, with ' consequent' dis.comfortj was 1 undoubtedly 'the cause 'of the trouUe. ', Now that the-weatlier seemed" to have changed for the" bettor the doctors 'cxpcctcd ,an ''improvement"' in ,tlio health of tho .liien. One 'curious : fact ; was that there seemed to bo more (sickness in the, buildings which had 'been erected Mini in the -tents. At first the men wero unwilling .to report themselves as unwell,': aiuf-tliis- accentuated the trouble, but they,now saw the wisdom of obtaining medical advice without delay. Dr. .Valintme and tho other doctors wero doing splendid -work, and they possessed the full'confidence of the soldiers.; Complaints Examined. r ' The Defence Minister '(the Hon, 'J." Allon) was interviewed after, his return from the camp. ' Besides .tho matters referred to by Mr. .Massoy/ho spoko;of several complaints- raised in the House on Thursday. Among ; these'was ono. that somo:6f the men had not been supplied with' 1 two pairs- of boots. . Ho' I stated that, of the -7000 men now at 'camp §000 hnd.been given'.an extra pair of boots. This did not mean, however, that -1000 'men. had only one pair -of boots, because' a man took his.own boots; into cainp witli him, and. wore his own boots when he neoded a change. The Government wero trying to' supply all with extra boots, and would , do so as, soon as possible, -but to, obtain: these, boots was no easy matter... ,So far as ho knew all the big manufacturers -wire, working for tho Government now. He I would'inquire'into'tliis at once, "| Ho lind heard no " (iomplulnts about

going to mako provision for drying, wot clothing. They would put up a marquee with braziers inside as a drying place, and if this was a success several would be put up. They had taken a, big room in the racecourse buildings for this purpose, but tho difficulty about this: building was to convey the clothes there and bring them back; without getting them mixed. This difficulty about wet clothes hacl never croppe'd 'up until the continual wot weather camo on.' Some of tho men had complained to him also that the huts wero draughty. . This would have been put right long ago, but there had been so much to do at Trentham. Tho carpenters had been putting in all their time in erecting more huts, and no more carpenters could be got. But the men themselves could get over this difficulty, as some of them had done, -if they had any initiative.

Mr..Allen said that roads were now completed almost all over the camp; and men could- go.about the camp nearly everywhere without leaving the roads. The ground off the roads was, of course, wet and muddy. !As the. huts went up the surface drainage was being provided for, and it was very; satisfactory. : The deep drainage had been finished some time ago. Tho schemes for water supply, drainage, and sanitation generally had-: been devifced by the best experts available, and these arrangements were, thoroughly efficient. '. . . " ■