TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2522, 24 July 1915, Page 6

TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY

A SOLDIER'S DEATH

HOW PRIVATE BADGER DIED

WAS THE CAMP CONGESTED I

DOCTOR SAYS UNDUE CROWDING CONDUCED TO SICKNESS,

The Royal Commission which is inquir ing into Trentham Camp affairs, contin ned its, proceedings yesterday. The Com mission comprises His Honour Mr. Jus tice Hosking, Dr. A. A. Martin, and Mr W. Ferguson.

Colonel Purdy, Director of Military Services, gave'further evidence in the course of which he said that the Trentham Regiment ' and the Seventh Reinforcements brought a very virulent form of measles into camp. Some of the cases were taken to Berhainpore Hospital, but that was after June.B, and consequently ho knew nothing about the matter.

Ronald Smith Badger, indent agent,' Christchurch, said that his brother, Archibald Lionel Smith Badger, joined the military forces in April last. He was constitutionally a sound man, and was well when ho left Christchurch for Trentham Camp. Mr. Skerrett: When did he die? Mr. Badger: On July i. Out at camp?—"Tes."

When did ho go to sick parade?— "Tuesday, June 22 and on June 23." Have you any comment on the. sick parade?—" According to the evidence of friends whom lie saw in town on the Monday* night (June 21), he was so bad that he should have been in bed then." Where was he removed- to?—" The Tea Kiosk on the racecourse.-" What was his temporature?—"lol.4." Dr. Martin: When was that taken? /Mr. Badger:-Tho day he was admitted. I believe. Mr. Badger read a copy of a letter written by his brother in which it was said that tho men who went into the ward first had the best of it, as tliey had beds, while Private Badger and others, who followed, had to sleep on mattresses on the. floor. The letter added that the patients could not shnvc there, and could only wash if tliey were able to get up and have one., ■ Witness had been informed that "the men had not been washed. His informant was Private Roy Glen-, of tho Sixth Reinforcements. _ Mr. Skerrett: Have you any information as to whether thero were nurses or orderlies attending the patients in the kiosk? Invalids Out in the Cold. Mr. Badger: I understand there were only inexperienoed:' orderlies .up to Juno 27. Three nurses arrived on that date. . . . On Juno 25 my brother, with others, was ordered out of bed to walk to the Jockey Club rooms, in the cold, some few chains away; and on tho 26th they were ordered out of bed there to walk hack in the cold to the Tea Kiosk. About the beds?—" Well, with men who were never washed,- and were in a high state of perspiration, the .beds became damp." Asked what the. invalids were given to eat,-Mr. Badger said that'for breakfast they got porridge and tea, and half-cook-ed ground rice for dinner and tea. While their temperature was high they were given two aspirin tablets with each meal to keep their temperature down. Mr. Skerrett: Your informant is Pte. Roy. Glen? , Mr. Badger: Yes; he was in an adjoining bed.Mr. Skerrett: Do you know anything of the medical, attention P.Witness said that he understood the doctor just .passed by, and even serious cases like his brother's were treated that way. , Mr, Skerrett: What doctors? Mr. Badger: The only doctors I heard mentioned were Dr. Purdy and Dr. Ferguson. My brother:was under Dr. Ferguson. ■ Colonel Purdy- (from the body of the room): Thero is somo mistake.. I was never in camp 6iuco Juno 14 till yesterday. Mr. Skerrett: It doesn't matter. Colonel Purdy: It does matter. Mr. - Skerrett said that even if somo particulars were not quite right the evidence was important as to the general insufficiency of the medical attention. Reverting, to the statement that aspirin tablets had,< been given the men, Mr. Badger said that an experienced nurse had told him that aspirin tablets had a depressing . effect on the heart's action, ami that six should not be given in one day. A leading Christchurch doctor had given him sim.ilar information. Tho first news lie got of his brother's illness was from Ptc. Glen on' July 1. No official information had been received then. He telgraphed to Wellington for information, but before-a reply came an official telegram was received saying that Pte. Badger was dangerously ill. His brother died on Sunday, July 4, and had been unconscious from the preceding Tuesday or Wednesday. His mother arrived at Trentham on the Friday. Pte. Glen Had told witness that-he had got out of bed in the ward, and found an accumulation of undelivered letters lying about, and had grabbed them and handed them to their addressees.

Unconscious When His Mother Arrived. ' Mr. Salmond remarked that witness had given a Christchurch Pressman an interview, in which, he spoke of "cruel, criminal negligence." Ho asked if the expression applied to the matter of notification of illness or to the medical attention.

Mr. Badger: Both. : Mr. Salmoml referred tto other Press publications, and tlio witness said' that lie had not gono back on his original statements, but hail supplemented his original statements with observations intended to dispel any impression that in his last days his brother was 1 not well cared for by the nurses. The few, nurses had done their best.

Mr. Badger said, also, that when his mother arrived at tho camp his brother was -unconscious, and that he remained practically so up to the time of his death',' although he sometimes indicated that he could understand what was said. Telegrams written and handed out by another soldier, and accompanied by the money, were not sent out by tho orderlies. To Mr. Gray: Somo time'subsequent-to his admission his brother, was provided: with a bed. ' '

Sergeant Magnus Badger, of the Field Ambulance, not a relative of tho previous witness, gave evidence. He. stated that on June 29 lie spoke to tho Into-Archibald Badger in the sick. ward. Dr. Ferguson must liavo visited Badger's bedside at least seven, or eight times from tho Tuesday to the Thursday. Witness had given the man all the attention, he possibly could. Respecting the delivery of correspondence, tho difficulties were great. There were as many as 120 men admitted in a day, and as many as CO discharged, and it would bo an impossibility for a man to keep a record of all the names. A letter addressed to a man's platoon would be sent (say) to the Kiosk ward. Tho orderly would go round the beds calling tlio names, but tho men might bo asleep, and tho men alongside might not know them.' Tho orderly would pass on, and finally someone would say, "Oh, that man's gone to Kai-vnrra." Tho letter would go to Kaiwarra, md, tho man not being there, it would be sent back to the platoon, to start on its rcund again. Ho wished to point out that Privato Badger's was a case of sudden collapsc. Dr. Ferguson was at tho time visiting tho ward twice daily. Dr. Harrison was visiting there, and ho had noticed other doctors, including Dr. Morris. The Boots the Men Wore. Dr. Martin: I tako it from what you have «\id that a man with a temperature of 9!) degrees would bo allowed up to wash himself? Sergeant Badger: Yes. Sergeant Badger declared: I am prepared to say that tlio statement that tho men.were unwashed is absolutely unlrue. Jlr. Skerrett: How can you say that? You/ were not there. Sergeant Badger: t am only speaking of since Juno 28. He added that every opportunity was givea patients to write rind receive letters and telegrams. He had uwbi!. seen Dune attentive doctors, J&ml

Drs. Ferguson and Harrison, who attended tlio patients. To. Dr. Martin: On Juno 29 they could not have told at night which were the high temperature men and which were not.

Dr. Martin: llow many nurses were there ?

Sergeant Badger: Six. How many patients?—"l should say 119 or 150."

Are you sure the six were all qualified nurses, that some were not probationers? —"All were qualified.'' Walter Reynolds, bootmaker, Constable Street, volunteered to give evidence based on his experience of the boots supplied to the men. He swore that if waxed kip liad been used in the boots it would have prevented the men's feet from getting damp. Belly leather should not have been used in the soles of the boots; shoulder leather should have been used. Mr Skerrett: The weight of this gentleman's observation is that shoulder leather was specified', and belly leather used. Mr. Gray: Can waxed kip be got in New Zealand now? Mr. Reynolds: I have not heaTd of any difficulty in getting it. Anyhow it could have been obtained at Dhie first. To Mr. Salmond: Many of the men had been deceived to think their boots were "sewn," whereas they were not. Mr. Skerrett thought ttiat Mr. Reynolds's evidence might suggest inquiry as to what expert advice the Defence Department got as to the clc«dcterr ana sizes of tho boots. the capacity of the leather to resist saturation, what tests were made, and what the extent and character of the inspection was. A Doctor on Trentham's Mortality. Dr. H. A. De Latour 6aid that he was connected with the New Zealand Military Forces from 1875 till 1911. Ho had been in charge of every camp held in the South Canterbury and Otago districts for thirty-three years. Ho had been principal medical officer of the Otago Military District for ten years. . Mr. Skerrett: Do you regard your qualifications as entitling you to give a responsible opinion on the methods which ought to be pursued in connection with the hygiene and .sanitation of military camps ? Dr. De Latour: Yes. Mr: Skerrett: Will you give us, then, your experience of Trentham Camp? Witness said ho had visited tihs camp from January till quite • recently. Mr. Skerrett: May we say then you have been taking a special interest in tho conditions of Trentham Camp? Dr. De Latour: Yes. What is the general experience of sickness and mortality in standing camps of recent years?—" The camps, and garrisons, and. the Anny service generally, have improved remarkably since 1907." Can you give some notion of the sickness and mortality which ought to be expected in an ordinary camp? Dr. De Latour said that in Egypt (an unhealthy station) in 1906, 103.72 per 1000 were constantly non-effective through sickness. Within two years the rate was reduced to 16.2! per 1000: The mortality rates in Egypt were 25.10 and 4.21 respectively in. the same years. In Bermuda, a healthy station, the sick rate was reduced from 22.32 to 9.52, and the death rate from 4.65 to 0.82. Similar facts applied to India and other stations. Mr. Skerrett: Can you give an idea of the sickness and mortality which should be expected in. an improved, modem camp ? Dr. De Latour replied, that figures-pub-lished in. the House of Commons iB February showed that amongst tb6 troops fighting-at the front thdre we*e no cases of dysentery, and that died from pneumonia in the first six months. Dr. Martin: None were reported, you mean! Dr. De Latour: Well, they published tho deaths .from typhoid, scarlet fever, and measles, so I presume they would have reported deaths from pneumonia and dysentery. Dr. Martin: That is wrong. There were deaths. I'cgarding the health reports from tho English camps Dr. De Latour said that no deaths from dysentery and pneumonia were at that timo reported. Also, that there were 62 eases of ccrebro spinal meningitis with '26 deaths. Dr. Martin repeated that the figures mentioned by Dr. De Latour were imperfect, and had since-been corrected, Mr. Skerrett: Do you know anything of any reason why the same satisfactory results should not he obtained here as in England? Dr. De Latour: Only the want of training medical men. But with proper organisation we should have got as satisfactory' results hero as in. Englandr—"Yes. This is a more healthy country than : England, and less populated." "Should Not Have-Been an Epidemic."

Assuming it were desirable to establish a camp at Trentham, was there anything to prevent a hygienic camp being held there?—" No.'. . . They would have to bo mindful of a clay subsoil, .which was likely to cause trouble." Was there anything to lead ydu to expect an epidemic, under normal conditions —"There should not havo been, an epidemic." Can. you give an idea of tho mortality one might expect there?—"lt should not have been as high as that of the civil population." Why?—" Because the inhabitants of tho camp were all young, healthy, picked men." v

Havo you any idea, of the ' average population, of the camp?—" About 3000." What precautions should be taken in laying out such a camp?—"Tho principal medical officer should be required to report on the suitability of the camp, and tho report should certainly be in writing. The inspection should include water, drainage, and sanitation, and (if tho doctor was at all doubtful) a bacteriological examination. The camp would then lie laid out by tho military officer. The medical officer was not an. executive officer, but an advisory officer." What comments have you to make on the general plan of the encampment?— "i quite expected to see a very fine camp opened out, 'and extended, and in. good working order." What.did .you find?—"l found it close/ cramped, and confined." You are. speaking of January —"Yes. The tents were far too close to one another. Tho tent-pegs were overlapping' ono another (as it were), or were very close together." Colonel Purdy has said that tho spacing did not matter,and was not referred to in the regulations.' What do you say to that? Di\ Le Latour replied that the manual of the Royal Army Medical Training says that the' intervals should always be sufficient to Tender the removal'of'tents to a new site .possible.- '• His Honour: Then each tent would need two tent spaces. Dr. .De Latour said that the biggest number of men allowed to an acre for an infantry battalion was 330, and for an infantry brigade 262. The more men the more they must be spaced. ■ Mr. Skerrett: Do I understand' from you now that in January there were camped at Trentham ovir 600 men to tho acre ? Dr. De Latour: Yes; they were at the rata of over G4O men to the acre. Dr. De Latour produced photographs which he stated showed that his men had been removed to a si to which had previously been occupied by latrines. Mr. Skerrett: Thero was ample room for a proper and efficient camp at Trentham? Dr. De Latour: Yes, providing it was not limduly compressed. That has been tho whole trouble there—the compression. His Honour: Is there room for a camp of 7000 men? "Think of a Town of 7000 Undrained, Unpaved!" Dr. De Latour: Yes, if the camp is well spaced and constantly changed. The site must bo constantly changed. It is tho making a soldiertown of it that has been the trouble. Just let me emphasise that. Seven thousand is tho population of Petone, and fancy tho whole population of Petone suddenly put to livo on that one little area, undrained, and unpaved. Jlr. Skerrett: Wo havo been told that the modern idoa was not to change tho sites of camps. Dr. Do Latour: I do not agree that that is the modern idea. Is it right or wrong not to shift the camp site? The military cuthorities at Trentham havo regarded it as unnecessary to shift tho site during tho existenco of the camp.—"lt is wrong." ..

Tell, us why?—'"Because the ground on which the men aro becomes poisoned by ema.nntio.is from their breaths and their bodies." Do your regard it an important that .tho...tenia. camp. should Jiava been

shifted from timo to time?—" Most important." , , Has the failure to shift them conduced to tlio sickness?—"Yos, in my opinion. . . You might as well ask tlio men to sleep in the same dirlv sheets all tho year round." , , , Dr. De Latour said that the ground at Trentham Camp ought to have -been examined bacteriologically, Jjeeausc tlio site had been occupied for irany years previously, and polluted. , • His Honour: Would not the fresh air liavo disinfected it? Dr. De Latour: Not necessarily I should protect myself by having an examination of the soil mado m several placos. Colonel Purdy (interrupting): May I point out to save time that the. sito was not previously occupied by a, ciimp. Dr. Do Latour: Not rifle camps?

Colonel Purdy: No. His Honour: If that is correct, this discussion is valueless. Can you swear on your oath, Colonel Purdy, that that ground was never occupied by a camp? Colonel Purdy: There were never more than 500 men in a rifle camp, and. they wero whero tho Y.M.C.A. building is now.

Dr. Do Latour: Then, that just establishes what I say. The ground has been used before.

His Honour: It Appears to be a debatable point. • We will proceed. Mr. Salmond: Did your son tell you that some of the men in Trentham were living in tents pitched on tho sito of tho old latrines? Dr. De Latour: Yos; and ho said there was a lot of sickness. . . . Permanent marks should indicate the sites of abandoned latrines. Mr. Skerrett: Whose .duty was that Dr. De Latour: Tho Commandant's. Mr. Skerrett: Colonel Purdy has said that four of land was used for a camp of 3000 men. Do you consider that area sufficient?—"No; not for a permanent camp. And I think tho area was smaller than that." As to tho hutments, Dr. De Latour said that he had written on March 3- to the Minister of Defence and to the Prime Minister, also, condemning the original scheme of hutments as impossible, absurd, and impracticable from a health point of view. It was, added the wifaiess to the Commission, a curious coincidence that after certain troops in the English camps went into hutments they lost 28 through cerebro spinal meningitis, and after the men hero were put into hutments that disease broke out. "I pointed that out in March," lie said. Bunks should have been provided in the huts. Sleeping on the floor was objected to by authorities because the blankets bccomo contaminated by the dirt brought in by the men's boots and by the dirt on the floor. The huts wero draughty and uncomfortable. The huts should have been en cseheloii. They were; instead, built on the block system, which was obsolete, and bad, and condemned, and against authority. The Commission will resume at 10 o'clock this morning.