TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2523, 26 July 1915, Page 6

TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY

MILITARY HOSPITAL AFFAIRS i CONDEMNS BY A CAMP DOCTOR THE MEASLES EPIDEMIC SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. Oji Saturday morning tlio Treritliam Camp Commission prococdcd with its investigations into tho affairs of tho big military camp. Tho Commission consists of His Honour Mr. Justice Hosking, Dr. A. A. Martin, and Mr. W. Ferguson. Evidence waS given by Mr. David Robertson, of Lower Hutt, who is a teacher at l'otone .West School. . Mr. llobertson said that lie was one of a committee which in March last raised fluids for tho . benefit of tho medical side of Trent-ham Camp. Mr. Robertson" and others visited the camp 021 Sunday, March 7, and saw Dr. ITyffe, who said, when hospital matters woro mentioned: "Wc have not got a hospital." Mr. Skerrett: What did you see? Mr. Robertson: Dr. Fyffo said: "Como and have a look." He was most con'demnatory of tho action of tho authorities in tho equipping 0 f Trentliam Hospital. His Honour: What did he show.you? Mr. llobertson: He took us into an open marquee in which there were four beds. Mr. Skerrett:' Was there room for more? ■ , Mr. Robertson: No; there, was only room.for three; . , , Dr. Fyffo said: "I know not where to get supplies. ■ I have sent to Wellington, and can get nothing." Mr. Salmond: Supplies of what? Mr. Robertson: ,Of material. For instance, one man went out of his bed, and Dr. Fyffe could not get a change of sheeting. ... Ho drew our attention to tho mattresses, and there seemed to bo no stuffing in them. The men seemed to be lying on the bunk. Mr. Skerrett: They were not fit- for tho purpose for which they wero being used? - Mr. Robertson: No. Had the marquee a floor?—" No. It had a dust floor, and everywhere .there was dust, except in the- dentistry department, which had. a boarded floor. . . . There were a few packing cases in the dispensing ward, on which other articles were placed." No Provision, for Operations. ■ Did you sco any sign of provision for operations or anything of tho kind? — "No; there was not room." What did you do? —"I suggested to Dr. Fyffo that if he would tako the'responsibility I would hand him our £10 direct, and would write to the newspapers to create a stir in regard to the existing state of affairs." What did Dr. Fyffe do?—"Ho said lie would bo only too pleased'.to accept the. £10, and he gave a list of the tilings required." Aro you satisfied that at that timo this marqueo nas tho only hospital accommodation jn Trentliam Camp?— "Yes, along with two other bell touts." .Were tlioso other'tents for patients? —"Yes.!' Subsequently your committee, raised £13, and sent it to Dr.' Maguiro (Dr. Fyffe's successor) ?—"Yes." What did.lie. do with it?—"Ho spent it on a. hospital" couch, a chest of drawers, a lamp, and a heater." Mr. Salmond: Don't you know that at that timo serious cases wbro being sent to the Wellington Hospital? Mr. Robertson: I know that Dr. Fyffo said that if he, had had proper equipment many of tho cases would not have had to bo sent into Wellington Hospital. • Mr. Salmond: Tell us' just what your, complaint is?—"l am not here really as a complainant, but, having seen tho stato of affairs .in camp,. and written to the Press, I thought it my .duty to come her© and justify that action." His Honour: Your committee approved what you did? Mr. Robertson: Yes. Mr. Salmond; Do you suggest,that thero was any hardship suffered Ey the patients? ' Mr. Robertson: Not hardship exactly, but tho conditions could have been belter for .them. The camp had then been in existence for six months. • Reliance on Civil Hospitals a Fault. Mr. Gray suggested that Colonel Purdy should be allowed' to ask ths witness questions. Mr. Skerrett: That'is a most inconvenient procedure, and I submit it must cease. Colonel Purdy must restrain his impatience. Mr. Gray: But it will all be reported in the papers I ■ ; Mr. Skerrett: Wo can't, help that. _Mr. Gray then, in reply to His Honour, said that there "was a completo answer to Mr. Robertson's evidence. Dr. Do Latour then continued his evidence, commenced on Friday. Tho Commission informed him. that information had como to hand to the effect that the original camp was five acres in extent; with hutments, to a certain period, 23 acres; and the total area of the hutments camp would .be 31 acres. Dr. De Latour said 1 that one of tho great faults of our New Zealand system was reliance on the civil hospitals. Mr. Skerrett: Should provision for hospital accommodation liavj hcen.mndo at Trentliam, when, and to what extent? Dr. De Latour: Yes It should have been made from the very start, in proportion to the size of the camp, not only for the benefit of the men themselves, but for the training of doctors who hayo never been in a camp before, and for the training of orderlies. It could have been done here, as it is dona all over the world. His Honour: You mean to say that it is dono in England. Dr. De Latour: Yes; it is done thero successfully. What of the Segregated Men? His Honour: Can you say if it is done in Australia? Dr. Do Latour: I cannot.say, but I do not think so. Mr. Skerrett asked if the figures in the official returns justified the erection of a camp hospital. Dr. De"Latour: Certainly. Mr. Skerrett: Up to February _ there wero 20 cases sent to the Wellington Hospital. Should that have placed the artnorities on tho qui vive to provide a camp hospital?—"Yos, it should. It is not so much for sickness they should have looked out, but.for accidents. That is my experience of camps." 111 February 49 case.; of sickness were sent to the Wellington Hospital. Mr. Ferguson: That is, say, 50 out of ■1000 in one month. Mr. Skerrett: Then in March tliore wero 80 bases. Should the figures of November to March have attracted special significance by the military authorities ? Dr. Do Latour: Certainly. . Mr. Skerrett: A segregation camp was established, and in May it was given up as futile. What have you to say about that segregation camp? Dr. Do Latour: What I should like to ! know about that segregation camp is []}o]y they got- their food, their other re-

quirements, their letters, and tlieir com- ( municat.ions. His Honour: Ob, we have no evidence on that, Mr. Skcrrett: You suggest that tho Commission should inquire as to whether men in the main camp (tent mates) carried the food to their friends in tho segregation hospital? JL)r. Do Latour: Yes; and, in addition, if that was how tlie segregated men got their food, they must have got it cold and greasy. Asked what should have been dono when the measles epidemic occurred. Dr. De Latour said that tho action or tho military was equivalent to shutting the door after tlie cscape of the. horse. As soon as ever measles showed their presence the camp should have been shifted on to clean ground, and wholesale disinfection carried out. There was plenty of room at Trentham to obtain new ground, and apparently no need to go away from Trentham. Tho racecourse buildings wore unsuitable for tho accommodating of sick men. No Drying Tent. Dr. Martin: I understand there was no drying tout in-Trentham until about three weeks ago. Was that a right thing? Dr. Do Latour: A very wrong thing. What do you consider should have been -done? —"There sliould havo been a drying tent for every battalion sines the beginning of tho camp." Do you tlnnk that the complaints of tho men about being unablo to get their clothes dried are justified?—" Yes, perfectly justified." You are not satisfied with the medical arrangements at tho camp?—"l havo really 110 knowledge of them, so I rather avoided that aspect." What do you suggest should Lave been dono? —"Tho putting up of a field lios-, pita!. . v.. Had there been proper ar-' rangoments at the-,first there sliould never havo been (practically) any sickness at all. I havo never had much trouble in my, camps from sickness, and not a single death." His Honour: Can you understand how hutments erected' in this (the Trentham) way were approved? • Dr. Do Latour: No; I condemn them'. You consider this is a matter not so much for meclmnical approval as for the opinion of the military medical officers?—" Yes; it should havo been submitted to them."