TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2532, 5 August 1915, Page 7

TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY

CRITIC CRITICISED

COLONEL VALESTINE ON DR. THACKER

LAMENTABLE: ALARM

* UNJUSTIFIED, UNFAIR, AND ■< UNREASONABLE'! ■

•' The Trentham' Camp Commission heard Surther evidenco yestorday.- The Commission' consists of Hia Honour Mr. Justice Hosking, Dr. A. A. Martin, and Mr. .i\V; I'crguson. . •'. -' V . vi Immediately, the Commission resumed, •His Honour said that he had noticed by a report in tlio Press that the completion . of, the .Trentham" hutmentswas proceeding. r The matter of * the hutments was one'which had been referred to the Comimission.- If it was a'fact that the authorities were proceeding 1 with' , the balance of the hutments, that would-appear 'to- indicate that tliero was no occasion for the Commission to comploto tho inquiry." If that was so,v the Commission should have been. informed earlier that •■it was :not! the intention to take . any inotice of the finding, of the Commission. 'His Honour remarked that tho SolicitorSeneral (Mr. Salmond) might bo able to ;inform the Commission officially om the subject." . ■■■ . { The Solicitor-General said that he had •no 'information on > the subject, except Xhat; had appeared in • tho newspapers. (However, heiwould make inquiries. He tho&ght hp could assure the" Commission that :it had'm no way been restricted, ; ; land- ' any alterations • it recbmmended [would, no- doubt> bejiven effect to., ' V Colonel Valintine, Director of Military Hospitals, was called to-give evidence. Ho Isaid that he was appointed .to his ; .pre-' 1 Bent military position on June 23, but from Juno sto June;'.'2B had acted. in (connection with tlie'- military in an unofficial capacity; '..-Oil; Junes^the'Minister of' Defence had directed him to visit ißerhampore,. and report on that hospi- . tab as soon as possible. Tho Ministergot -' tlio 'report that :: evening.' ■ Witness. found :' 87 patients at Berhampore. ,- In. each of : . two wards there were .ten ■ pationts. These two wards werebuilt' for four patients caoh, and were'actually fit for six pa- ■ ■ tients- each; There- were patients in . various sheds and buildings. In one marquee i there were sixteen patients; and in another nine. Ho. understood from the sergeant in charge they were supposed : to accommodate twelve. In a shod 21 feet 1 l>y 12 feet there: were -nine;. and in a :ishsd.B.\feiet by i'feet there wore two pa-' tients; in the coach house, 15 feet by 9 feet, three patients; in a-place 15 feet- , by 12 feet, seven pationts; and iin a bathroom, 6 feet by 10 feet, two patients. Mr. Salmond: Did you'consider the hos- ■' fjpital overcrowded? : . ; V'.. • . '. •. i Colonel Valintine: Yes. ■- Mr. Salmond: To what extentP

Colonel Valintine: I consider it Bhould 1 . Inot'accommodate -more than'forty or fifty •Hpaticnts.. I. His Honour: With, the marquees? ■ \ Colonel Valintine: Yes. .. '; .1 am : ; not saying, however, that, tinder the. same - .conditions I could have done any bet- • - .-Her. ■ ■ Colonol Valintine said that the condition of tho. wards, considering : the ■ muddy-state.of the, grounds arid.the niim- : iber; of men tramping in and out,. • was . 'good. In .'Toporting to the Minister ,hb : ffecoiumended that.'the'cdngestioin.at Ber- , Oiampore: should be relieved, as soon as :. (possible... Witness arranged with the' Wel- ■, ainglon Hospital to havo forty-four beds \ in the .yictoria waid_, and sixteen in -what" 'was known as the-tia ward set aside for 'military: purposes. In the course'.of the' .. next ■ few - days, •by 'the" use. of ; some', of. ■ ■ ■■ . these beds and the use of some residences : ; devoted to "the reception of the 'sick, the congestion was relieved. His Honour :* If this condition existed j5. with 87 _p£tients, what. must. . (have .bean the condition* of things thero when there were 104 on Juno 2? i Colonel Valintine: ; They would take some putting away. : i His Honour: It imißt have beon a oasa. fcf packing, at night.

: '.Commandeering' of sthe Racecourse Buildings. (; '.Colonel' Valintine stated that: Berhamjpore iwaß not ta'e kind of place he wouldi like to send patients to; it was somewhat euhless/.rather' cheerless,.- hadia bad approach; aiid there were difficulties in. the . (Way of ';administration.'.However, ha .would have done exactly as. the Director of Medical Services had done in. using ißerhainpore when the rush came, because ■of' the fact -that Berlmmporo was immediately, available, ■ and: other ■ buildings Iwould lake'(say) a week to put. in order. . On July 13 witness - closed ,Berhampore .because he had by then attained , more .■satisfactory buildings. Before 'his - mili,tao - appointment, he, as an officer of the {Public Health Department, had several .interviews' with .the. Minister, of Defence; ■ (who had shown extreme anxiety to relievo •Berhamporel . .- . I -Mr. Salmond: When did 'you first, visit JTrentham Camp? ■ j' Colonel Valintine: In., an. v unofficial licapacity on Juno 13. . I -At anyone's request Minister's." What.were his instructions?—'"No defi- . aiite He just said ho would like me to visit the camp,, and let hiin know .how - things were ' getting :• on'." ■ V :'.v 1 Witness said that in the marquees he ' "'found more patients "than" he would-put there, except ; under, pressure. '. Themarquees -certainly struck, him" as being overcrowded. ■ lie asked the doctors' there •if they : were satisfied - with conditions, 'and they said "No." , Ho asked the docHtorsVif'ithejr' thought' it would' Be" "better - io get the patients into more permanent ■jhousing, and-thov said, "Yes." j Mr. SalmondWhat 'did you 1 do, then ? ' Colonel Valintino: Wo inspected, the 'Racecourse .buildings,' and before I left, 340 patients were housed., . .; .. ; -.<•. Dr. Martin:. You had power, then, on jtliat date? | Colonel Valintino: No; I had no power. ' Mr. Salmond: Had you the authority, (of the Racing Club' to take the buildings? • '■ ■ Colonel Valintine: No; except that un- • officially I had, a few days before, mentioned it to tho president of -the Eating -Club, as I. saw that the military authorities were in a quandary. /. His Honour:. I don't think it matters ,whether he had the power or not.. He. commandeered them. He took this action ' about moving tjiem, and the q'ues-. tionis whether or not it was '~a right Btep,.' ,'. ' ;' • ■ '•■• ' Colonel •Valintine added. that - in that ©no afternoon all tho men were removed : (in - closed motor-cars) to the Racecourse buildings.,' Tho weather that day was ■ 'exceptionally bad. ' . . - ': Asked about the orderlies. Colonel ValSntine said that in his - short' military - "career he had -not been, able to fathom ' the-mystery, of orderlies. - There 6eemed to be some, regular orderlies,, . then • there were fatigtie parties, who came one day and disappeared the next. ■ Mr. Ferguson: Did these fatigue parties . become contacts? '. .Colonel Valintine: They might become Mr. Ferguson:.. Were they treated as contabts? ... ~ .. Colonel Valintine: After tho discovery of cerebro-spinal meningitis they were. Mr. Ferguson: Not before? -Colonel Valintine: No. - : . Mr. Salmond: Who did you report to :0n ■ Trentham Camp?-. ... ■ ' y Colonel Valin'tine: I sent-a copy of my report to the General Officer Commanding, a copy to the Minister of Defence, and'a copy to my own Minister. , His Honour: Your action was condoned ;,by'the military? .. . . ' ' "Colonel Valintiue: Yes. " ■ . Mr. "Salmond ■. Might I go further and • Say it was'approved?. - | Colonel Valintine:. Yes.

Provision Against Another Possible Epidemic. .Colonel Valintine said that ;a member V the firm of Levin . aind, ,Co„ overhearing "a certain conversation, had offered him the use of;their Kaiwarra wool store. Be : had accepted the offer, the Minister !had approved his action, and the Health Department had equipped -tho store at the - expense of the Defence Department. If pressure' of sickness arose again he jdouM find accommodation as follows:—

Kaiwarra, 250; Mr. Izard'6 house, 50; Trentham Racecourse, 550; golf house. 50; Wellington Hospital, 60; Palmcrston North, 40;. Grey town, Hospital, -10; Otaki Hospital, 10; Masterton • Hospital, 5; Tauhonnikau Eacecourse, 35; Awapuni Racecourse, 50; Mrs. Elder s,. at Waikanae, 20; Mr. W. H. Field's residence, 18: One way and another thcro were 1100 beds available no_w. Dr. Martin, questioned if this would not. entail overcrowding. : Colonel Valintino said that : that would be to meet an emergency, and would not be the number, of 'beds lie would use in some-of the places under ideal condi : tions. _ "■ . Dr. Martin.: Wo are after ideal conditions, . •. The whole trouble is to prevent, overcrowding by looking ahead. Colonel Valintino then gave the following table of Ibeds to be retained' for tho treatment of military 6ick:—Trentham Racecourse, ISO beds;' Kaiwarra, 100; Mr.' Izard's, 50; Victoria Ward of Wellington Hospital,- GO; Oriental Bay Kiosk, 100; Palmerston-iSorth Hospital, 40; Greytown Hospital, 40; Masterton Hospital, 5 ; 'I'auKerinikau Eacecourse, 30; total, 575. "With extraordinary and. sudden pressure, the accommodation - could be expanded to ■ 1100.- - " . ; His Honour: Can you tell me the greatest "number of men under treatment at any one time? Colonel Valintine: On' July. 10, 872 patients out of a force of 7000 were under treatment, in the-various military Ihospitals in the neighbourhood of Wellington. ' .-;. ' . •' '_' " ... . ' In reply 'to'. Dr." Martin .the 'witness stated that the 575' did not include those and so; on, and that tibo total number of beds in use in New Zealand then was 1035. Dr. Martin: Well .then,. if that occurred again- tho present arrangements would not'meet it. , ; Tho witness did not think it was neces'sary to establish an infectious diseases hospital as recommended by the Medical Committee. . When ho 1 visited Trentham Racecourse on Juno 24 he found some serious cases there. : The orderlies were unskilled in- nursing,- and he reckoned; it necessary to bring in trained nurses as soon as, possible, not' only that the . sick needed attention by orderlies working under skilled'direction. but because the orderlies would afterwards tend the wounded at" the front, and, therefore, required training.' Nurses','. consequently, were procured without delay. The order-, lies, jby the way, worked like men,'and stuck to their posts 'well. As to allegations, that there was confusion there, ,he remarked that. well-established hospitals would have had their equanimity disturb-. ,Ed if they-lad had 180 patients dumped down at their doors in one night.

A Politician on the-Horizon. ' "Then," continued Colonel Valintine, "on the morniiig of June. 28 there loom-, ed large on - the horizon-a politician— His Honour: Well, never mind that;,' • Mr. : Salmond:-A doctor. . : Colonel' Valintine: 1 May I not refeir to -that at all .

Mr.. Salmond: Did he add to the confusion? '■ ('"• ' ' ■.-• Colonel Valintine:' Certainly.

Colonel Valintiiie said that when Dr. Thacker visited . the ..racecourse, things were, through .force of . circumstances, at their worst, and; considering that Dr.' Thacker must, have had some experience, of hospitals and must have had ■ some knowledge of, emergencies, his criticism was mot justified, reasonable, or fair. In fact, as a result of Dr-Thackers alarming Toports, iritriess had,to.leave his.position at camp - and come into Wellington and answer, questions. Dr..Thacker caused a degree of such -unnecessary alarm 'as. to spread a lot-of i dismay and 1 anxiety' in ' many, a quiet home in tho Dominion.' • .His Honour:. Did it have any effect on tlie patients? . .

' Colonel Valintine: Of course. ' Colonel .Valintine said that he thought tho men " realised that all. that mortal men could do was being done for them. Tire men's behaviour was simply magnificent. The serious/cases got adequate attention, and he could swear that no ; man was cold and no nlan ivas hungry, as he went round tho beds every night. At the ■very...beginning■ the>cooking was not' satisfactory, but there was no grumbling, and the. worst fed were the medical men and the ! nursed.- Surely, .'if there": was. really that confusion- which'' Dr/; Thacker' suggested, aiid ho" desired to adopt a humanitarian attitude, he would have taken off his coat and liolped the doctors, instead of spr6ading:alarming reports.. Witness regretted -that ! a medical officer of his had said , that the men received -as good treatment as they could have got in' any hospital in the Dominion. That was an exaggeration, but it would !have been correct : to say that the men .got..'as good treatment as was possible in the circumstances. The doctors worked , splendidly! For two days there was, some confusion. Mr. Salmond: Am I to take it that Dr. Thacker did not: cttmmunicate to you, or any .of your officers,' any suggestions 'or criticisms?

i Colonel Valintine: He did not. 'Colonel; Valintine went on to say that vrhen- he took, ovS'r ■ he rearranged; the medical staff, and arranged with Dr. Morice to go into, camp as principal medical officer, and to remain in camp permanently.- He -had- decided on permanent medical and : nursing; staffs iin order to securecontinuity of serviced His Honour: Can, you tell me why men on sick parade were compelled to stand for an hour or more in'the rain? Colonel Valintine stated 'that'.it was a fact that that, kind of thing: occurred, but one;of his, first actions-was in the direction of guarding against it, - Satisfied Disease is Meningitis, . .Dr. Martin: -When was tho first diagnosis of-cerebro-spinal meningitis? - Colonel Valintino: July 12. .Who made', it?—"Piofessor Champtaloup and Mr. 'Hurley, Government bacteriologist." • It has been suggested outside that there has been no case of cerebro-spinal meningitis. That is wrong?—" Yes. I am quito satisfied." v And you are satisfied the cases undertreatment at/.Trentham now as cerebrospinal meningitis are really cerebro-spinal meningitis .— 'Yes; I have every faith in Professor Champtaloup and Mr. Hurloy." -How many cases haye thero been since that first diagnosis?—" Twenty-four or twenty-five.". How many deaths?—" Five/ . I-really think six." •

■ Colonel Valintino" said, that , early in July Dre, Ferguson and.Harrison.expressed concern at the sickness in camp, and on July 8 they again reported that they were very much ■ concerned about the yu'idence of the . disease, and that they thought it was typhus. ' . Witness' called m Dr. Hector, who agreed with the other doctors that the disease .was typhus: After hearing that, witness left for Wellington immediately, and reported .the 1 circumstances, to the Minister, and strongly advised him to break up the .camp. . There a. meeting held that night of heads of Departments concerned in the movement. of; large bodies of troops, and the first trains left for Tauherinikau and .\V aikanae at 10. o'clock. next morning. In the mCantime witness had telegraphed to Professor Champtaloup asking him to come to Wellington, ,ajid as a result tho conclusion was arrived at that the disease was cerebro-spinal meningitis. Dr. Martin: We have heard a lot about camel's.' Would you allow any manwlfo had had cerebro-spinal meningitis to go to the front? .. . Colonel Valintine: Certainly not; and I should not'think any man who has had it. would be in a "condition to do hard work. '

Dr. Martin; As to tho contacts, tho Health Department has that in-hand? ColanerValintine: Yes. . .. . We have carriers isolated - at' Christchurch, Dunedin, Dannevirke,' and Trentham.' " Colonel Valintine 6aid that the Medical Committee whioli had mode suggestions as to the Camp Hospital kid overlooked the. fact'that' not until July 10 was it decidcil to make it a permanent hospital. Mr. Ferguson said that the public would like to be assured as to whether the men embarking for the front were to be supplied with fresh blankets, kite, and clothes, so: that there would bo no risk of. carrying infection away.. Colonel Valintine said that it might be taken that-, fresh blankets and kits would 1 be given to all the men, and fresh uniforms to those who had been in direct contact with the sick, and that all tho uniforms would be: thoroughly sterilised.- ■ Mr. Salmond: Is it not a fact that Dr. Batchelor has said that he doubts that the diseaso is cerebrospinal meningitis?Colonel Valintine: Yes. : Mr.' Salmond asked if it was not possible that a mistake liad been made, and that the -trouble".. was really malignant influenza? 1 . Colonel Valintine said that he had'much' respect for Dr. Batchelor's opinion, but that he considered the; disease .to bo cerebrospinal meningitis. Dr. Miutip: Theie is absolutely nft.

doubt about. it. Dr. Champtaloup has found, tho organism, and that is final. Tliie is • raising a doubt in tho mind .of tho public.- Tho diagnosis i 6 absolutely without question. ' If it is thought that it is not cerebrospinal meningitis, and thoy are not treated for it, these men. will die, for there is only ono.treatment'for it. His Honour: Howover, tho Health Department regards it as cerebrospinal meningitis? Colonel Valintine: Yes. ', Board of Doctors Inspects the Camp. Colonel Valintine added that on July 13 a board was set up to consider whether or not Trentham Camp should be reoccupied. That board consisted of Professor Champtaloup,' Mr. Hurley (Government Bacteriologist), Dr. Harrison, Dr. Hector, Dr. Truby King (who arrived too late), and Colonel Valintine (as president). t ' Mr. Salmond: Was that board's investigation not limited to the question of infection? ' ' ■ Colonel Valintine: No. It was to decide whether or iiot it was .advisable for Trentham to continue to be used'as a military camp. . . ■ Mr. Salmond: Were you to examine it from all points of view, or merely as to infection ? -: . Colonel Valintine.- Generally. Mr. Salmond: Has that board reported? Colonel Valintine: Yes. That board arose :'.as a result of a communication from the General Officer Commanding saying it. icas, necessary to. know at onco if the camp was to bo reoccupicd. The Minister set'up tho board at onco. His Honour: If that is so, what object is there in ever making any investigation ? -Wo are . asked to decide - whether tie camp is suitably , situated; equipped, etc. I never heard of this board till, cow. Mr. Salmond said that he liad heard of. the board before, but understood that it'was a board of doctors who Ihnd to report on the aspect of infection of certain troops. . Colonel Valintine: That is so. I lave conveyed- a wrong impression. Mr. • Fergusson: You ■ rushed , away tho camp because- you thought, there was typhus there, and when you found there was no typhus you were sent to see if it was safe to. 6end troops back?' Colonel. Valintine': Yes: His Honour asked Colonel Valintine if he could justify li'hat appeared to be a departure from , military regulations in tie construction of -the. Trentham huts. .

Colonel Valintine said that he was'not an expert in-the matter, but had he been in . New Zealand -at thq time tlie. huts were' planned he would' have placed implicit faith in Dr. Frengley, who had never yet 'failed him, and whb -better combined science and common sense than any man he knew, and had planned some of the consumptive: shelters, which were sucli a credit to the Dominion.

v Trooper Linder, of Auckland, who went into Trentham Camp on. May l v and remained there till Tuesday of thjs week, .when he severed his connection with the forces through having a bad knee, stated in the-course of his evidenco that'ho preferred' tents to huts. The tents were warm, and the huts draughty. When ho was in hospital, somo of tho men's temperatures got mixed up; tlie orderly was half asleep, and said that lie had been on duty-for thirteen or fourteen hours.

Frances Mabel Warren, who was , a temporary nurse at the Wellington Hospital in June and July, deposed that she remembered fc'lio oaso of the lato Privato Colley, who died in Wellington Hospital on June 10, at 10:15 p.m. 'His Honour told Miss .Warren that, a nurse at Berhampore had stated , that Private Colley was' dispatched from Berhampore to Wellington Hospital at be-' tween 6 o'clock and ? o'clock on the evening June. 10.. His/Honour wished to know the- hour: at' which. Private Colley arrived at the .Wellington Hospital. Witness:said.'9 o'clock. His Honour: What'time did you eo on duty, that night? '. C. ■ . ' Witness: Eight o'clock. • _His Honour: Then it must have been after 8 o clock, if you received him. /Witness .said she did receivo the patient.' . ' . Captain Robert Stout said that there ivas .no truth in the' assertion that there were days without a medical officer' beins', in;'attendance at sick parade. The Commission -will resume-at 1015 this morning. . .