TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2521, 23 July 1915, Page 6

TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY

SICKNESS AND DEATHS

EVIDENCE OF COLONEL PURDY

MEN WITHOUT SOCKS

AFFAIRS AT BERHAMPORE HOSPITAL. The Trenthnm Camp Commission continued'its inquiry yesterday. Tho Commission comprises His Honour Mr. Justice Ilosking, Dr. A. A. Mai-tin, and Mr. W. Ferguson. Almost the wholo of'the sitting was taken up with the examination of Colonel Purdy, tho Director of Military Services.

Juriies Robert Purdy, Director of Medical Services, said that he was appointed acting-D.M.S. in 1909. In 1911, after the inception of tho Territorial schcino his appointment was confirmed. He was to retire in May, 1913, but the Commandant had power to extend the term a year, and did so. Then in May, 1914, General Sir lan Hamilton was -visiting here, and it was decided not to make a change just at that time, so an extension of one month was granted. Colonel Will was then chose,l as D.M.S., but, as be went away with the main .body of tho Expeditionary Force, witness was called up from the reserve and again made D.M.S. The D.M.S. received an honorarium of .£l5O per year. _ His appointment as D.M.S. cast on him ths responsibility for all medical detail—equipment, appointment O- doctors for all tho New Zealand Forces. Ho had had general supervision over all .hospital camps throughout the Dominion.

His Honour: In fact, you had to look after the health of the army? . Colonel Purdy: Yes; except the mkin body of the Expeditionary Force. That, was in charge of Colonel Will? — "Yes." ' .

Had you to do with every other camp and contingent fliat went away?—" Yes.' From August to October, then, you had little to do with things, as Colonol .Will had charge? "Yes; except the New Zear land, part of it." Colonel Pnrdy, continuing, said the first Trentham camp was that of .the Second Reinforcements which was set up in October. He was notified that'about 2000 men would be put into the camp, and lie said that he would need six doctors. These he obtained—Drs. M'Killop, Simpson, Sinclair, Widdowson, Harvey, and Abbott. 'i'hoy were all excellent practitioners. He .mentioned that there were only six doctors on the waiting list when he required the half dozen mentioned. Dr. Martin said that in England, when war broko out, an appeal was made for doctors. He asked if anything of the kind had. been done here.

' Not Over Soak Pits. Colonel Purdy replied that he had communicated with the editor of the "New Zealand Medical Journal" on the subject, and tho editor had put in a very nico little paragraph, after which there had been no shortage of doctor volunteers. He appointed Captain M'Killop administrative medical officer at the camp, because that officer had done good work in Samoa, was on the Imperial Special Reserve, 1 had seven years' training, was well up in all the details of camp sanitary life, and had recently been iu Aldershot before coming to' New Zealand. The other doctors wcro all excellent men, and had proved themeolves since going to tho front. ,

His Honour: What was the state of the camp at that time?

Colonel Pnrdy: The camp was laid out, but had not been occupied, as previously thero had been local camps. . . . He was tho medical Officer to the New Zealand Rifle Association since its inception, and knew the place .well, having had the sanitation arrangements for tho riflo meetings to look to. ,

His Honour: Had you a practically free area thenP -

Colonel Purdy: Yes. All tho usual precautions were taken as laid down by authorities. Trentham , Camp was laid down on the lines of the model camp, which lie designed at Tauherenikau somo time : ago,, and Tauherenikau was according to military regulations. Trentham Camp was laid out on the very latest and up-to-date methods. He pointed out certain alterations ho wanted made, and they were made. The. men were then in tents and the horses were a considerable distance away across the road. The camp was then laid out to receive 2000 men.

His Honour: Were the tents'a sufficient distance apart?

Colonel Purdy: Yes; everything was done when I got there, but everything was according to regulations—according to the.manual.

Curiously enough, Colonel Purdy added, the manual said nothing of the distance tents should be apart, but it stipulated 500 tents to the acre. . According to Im-perial-regulations there could be 15 men in a tent, but in New Zealand they, only put eight men in a tent. His Honour: Is that regulation of 15 men in a tent for camps which are to last some time?

Colonel Purdy: Yes, for standing camps. Did the tent space area extend over any area where soak-pits had been ?— "No."

Did the hutments ?—"No. - excepting the first line of hutments, the buildings were on . virgin ground." He had been told that the first line of hutments was on ground occupied a considerable time previously by tents. .

"Look Out for Entcric." Answering a question by His Honour, Colonel Purdy said that the health of the camp had been remarkably good. In eight months there had been.'only two deaths, which he thought showed a lesser death-rute than in any other camp in .tho world: it was "a marvellous record." There had been practically no serious disease. There was not a single death in the Second Reinforcements camp. From October, when the camp commenced, till June 10 there were seven deaths.

.His Honour : It is not altogether a matter of deaths. What sort of trouble had you from sickness? '• Colonel Purdy: Very little. ' Are you considering measles?—" Yes." ' When.did measles first break out?— "There was measles in the Main Body. The measles wero brought to Trentham from the.Addington Camp by a man in the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. He was reported sick on November 13, 1314, and his case was diagnosed as measles on tho following day." How can you say it came from Aldington?—"Wcli, we went into it." His Honour: Then.we can only say tho medical men thought it was Addinpton measles. • . • Wo want to find out if it was Addington or Trentham measles. Colonel l'urdv said the man was sent to AVellington Hospital on November 14, and tin- men in his tent were isolated. - His Honour: How many cases of mca=les had von in November? • Colonel Purdy: Twelve. We have hero a report from Dr. Pyfle, who says there. were thirty in Wellington Hospital.—"They could not all have been measles eases-;" • His Honour: Dr. F.vffc reports thirty eases in November, thirty-seven in December, nnd fifty-two in January, a totul of 119 in three months, a largo proportion of which, lie says, were measles eases. Colonel Purdy gave his record of measles cases as follows: —November, 12; December, 12; January, 20; February, 15; March, 48; April, 8G; May. 200; .Tune (up to about tho 20t'h), 250. July lie did not know about.

Colonel Puifly proceeded to say that lie had lain it down at tlie outset that the men should be inoculated in camp for typhoid: it had been intended to inoculate them on the transport. Some time in November (about the lltli or 15th) there were half-a-dozen men whoso cases were diagnosed as gastric influenza, and when they were sent to the hospital a note was forwarded advising the hospital to look out for enteric. The rumour then jot round that. Ivplioid was in camp, aad a paragraph appeared in tlie Press. Then tin; Health Department seat ail inspector round, who wished to know why the suspicions regarding enteric toad sot ljesejuitifled. Witness, saift

that 6uch suspicions would be notified in the future.

Dr. Martin: Then there were six eases of suspected enteric which were Jiot notified to the Health Department? Colonel Purdy: No, two.

How Many Berhampore Patients Died?

His Honour asked what was done respecting measles, and Colonel' Purdy, said that contacts were put in segregation tents which were pitched far from the general camp, up near the hills. Each fresh batch of troops, he added, brought in fresh cases of measles until in April thero were 8G cases. Wellington Hospital originally said they could let tlie camp have 50 beds, but in April suddenly said that they would have to reduce it by half, and could not take any more measles cases, as they were cleaning out a ward. That caused the use of Hie Berhampore Hospital, which took place from April 15, when there were twelve patients. Witness was the medical officer in charge of tlio Berhampore Hospital, mhich hospital proved in every way satisfactory. ■ .NJot a single pneumonia ease resulted there.. Everything went well there until there occurred an inrush of patients, culminating on May 31 with a greatly congested hospital containing 200 men. Still, the men could not, or course, be turned away, and marquees were erected to accommodate them. On Juno 6 thero were only 29 patients there.

His Honour: Certain complaints were, rightly or wrongly, made respecting Berhampore. What charges came to your notice ?

Colonel Purdy: That it was overcrowded.

That is one charge.—' one."

-"That is the only

Was not fcliero some complaint that two men had died on their removal there, or after?—" There could not have been,' as no man died there/'

Do you know two men named Fordham and Pollard?—"No, sir; never heard of them. . . . The earliest death, was on June 11." i And you. had ceased then to be in cliargo?— les. The men in Berhampore were not really ill." He arranged to go over there two or ffiireo times a week, and to have it reported if their temperature went up at all. He ceased to luivo charge of Berhampore in tlie first week in June. Ho had trained nurses and ambulance orderlies there the greatest number of men in Berhampore Hospital was 104. The place could comiortably accommodate about 40. Four marquees were put up, and with the hospital there was then accommodation for about 104, and about 80 of the men had practically nothing wrong with them. On June 2 witness went to Dunedin and left Major Elliott in charge of Berhamporo if he was called."

His Honour: \V-ho was to call him?. Colonel Purdy: The nurses. Colonel Purdy said that when ho returned from Dunedin on June 6 he paid a visit to Berhampore, and found that the number of patients had decreased from 104 to 58.

His Honour: Is it proper from a medical point of view to lave up to 104 men in hospital and no medical officer there, except for a visit every two or three days?

Colonel Purdy reiterated that 80 of the men were not ill; realty sick men were Bent to Wellington Hospital. His Honour You thought it quite all right to go to Dunedin, and leave them to Mr. Yallup (an ambulance sergeant) and the nurses?

Colonel Purdy: Yes, with Major Elliott to call in. '

Men With Phthisis Passed for Army.

Witness said that no one died in Wellington Hospital from Berhampore till June 10. That man was sent there from Berhampore on June 5 as it was suspected he was developing pneumonia. Another died on June 11, and on June 1G a third mail died of acute phthisis: Dr. Martin: Acute phthisis! Colonel Purdy: Yes. Then he was admitted to the army with ■ tuberculosis?—" Probably. There wero several cases of incipient phthisis in men who had been passed." Mr. Ferguson asked if the medical examination, therefore; was not 6trict.

Colonel Purdy, said he could' not say that. 1 . .

Mr.- Salmond asked if in addition ■ to the cases named Pte. Oliver, who had been orderly officer at Berhampore, had not died in Wellington Hospital. Colonel Purdy answered in the negative, and said that Pte. Oliver had not reported,his condition, owing to his anxiety to get away with a contingent whose departure was imminent. Ho had collapsed on the transport, and afterwards died in the Wellington Hospital.

Mr. Salmond: Didn't you know that Pte. Oliver was ono of the .Berhamporo orderlies?

Colonel Purdy: No. Was he one of them?

"Mr., Salmond: Unless there were two orderlies named Oliver who died.

The wifaiess added that up to June 20 there had occurre'd 059 measles cases, 2G5 of which had been reported in a space of 20 days. Dr. Martin: You say you were to be rung up if a case was considered serious. Colonel Purdy : Yes.

Was there a telephone in the building? —"No, not at first." He added that a telephone in a house 300 yards'away was used.

Tlieh. if an orderly, or a nurse, considered a case serious an orderly would go to a house 300 yards away and .ring you up?—" Yes.", Where were you P—"At the Hutt." And if you wanted to ring them up, how would .you have done'it? —Colonel Purdy replied that he could not have got into telephonic communication with Berhampore, but it had not become necessary, and no ill-'consequences had followed. .He said, also, that he was under the impression that a telephone for the building had ,been applied for, but it had not been granted immediately, and he suspectcd that the Adjutant-General had struck it off the requisition list. Dr Martin: Do you consider it a Tight thing for a hospital containing infectious cases not to be visited daily by a medical officer? Colonel Purdy: I didn't consider it necessary for measles.

Health Department Turned Down by D.M.S. Colonel Purdy stated that early, in April lie'had asked Dr. Pinch, the District Health Officer, to,provide them with a place' for measles cases. The Health Department had not done anything at the time, and later Dr. Frenrfey.- had told him that the Department had early desired, to open Berhampore for infectious cases,but the D.M-S.had turned them, down. . His Honour: That was you? Colonel Purdy: No, Colonel Will, Dr. Martin remarked that serious cases Ihnd come from Berhampore. ■ Colonel Purdy disputed thi3, and Dr. Martin replied that a case at the moment uitder notice had proved fatal owing to meningitis.. To Mr, 1 Salmond: Colonel Valintine's appointment as Director of Military Hospitals took from witness the responsibility for the hospitals and tho sick men; also, witness now had no responsibility for the sanitation at Trentham Camp. Colonel Valintine's advent, deited from June 6, and his functions gradually increased till they reached their present scope. AVitness retired correspondingly. To' Mr. Skerrett: Major Elliott did not undertake the charge of Beiiiwmporo Hospital, but merely undertook to visit, it if lie was called.

Coming, to tho period nt which the Third Reinforcements were in camp, Colonel Purdy said that ho had realised the importance of having a good administrative medical officer in charge of the camp, and ho asked for Major Holmes to be sent buck from Samoa for that purpose. Major Holmes was wirelessed for, and took supreme local control of the medical side of the camp on December 10, and continued in charge until he left for the front witli them. Major Holmes never had less than five medical men with him. Witness hero mentioned that MajorJl'Killop had introduced latest Aldcrsliot methods into the camp, and one of the Aldsrshot ideas was' to regularly spray the tents with formalin. A great deal had been made of the fact that the touts liad not been struck and pitched again in other placcs, and it might surprise tho Commission lo know that to change the ground would be against the latest British regulations, whicib said that after sivceping and airing, the tents must be replaced on their former sites. The idea was thai in moving them they would probably move them to ground which had been tramped over, and. perhaps, infected. Dr. Fyfl'u, of Wellington, was under Major Holmes in the Third Reinforcements camp,, but owing to the wonderful administrative ability 'Ikj had ahowu .JiSl EM. lieid baok aud. eivofi ghargo oj

the Fourth. In Dr. Fyft'e's time there were about -WOO men in camp. Every now batch of men brought a certain amount of sickness in with it. In April there were nearly 500 men in the segregation camp. Early in May the contacts woro increasing to such an extent that a conference of medical men decided that the segregation camp was doing no good, and should be given up. Re believed that some of the men broko bounds from the segregation camp, and went out on the hills. They were subjected to military punishment for this. 'Up to the end of May nothing, but measles gave them trouble. His administrative position at Trcntliam ended oil June 13. Major M'Guire was the doctor in charge of the Fifth Reinforcements in camp, Major M'Ara followed, and afterwards Dr. Morris, of GreymouKh>, was appointed permanent medical officer at the camp. .The Commission resumes at 10 a.m. today, when Colonel Purdy will again appear.