TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 263, 31 July 1915, Page 3

TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY.

FUETHEE EVIDENCE.

To-day further evidence was given before the Trentham Camp Commission. P. Newman, assistant engineer of the Public Works Department, said the Government land at Trentham was 400 acres flat and 800 acres hilly. The greater part of the flat area could be used for only a small part, being swampy. There were approximately SO tents to the acre. He was informed by Captain McChristell that though the old latrines were within the tent area, no tents had actually been pitched on the site.

Dr. H. T. Thacker, M.P., said he was a surgeon-captain in the Eeserve of the' New Zealand Forces. He contended in the first place that the military authorities had before been warned by the possibility of an epidemic by an experience at Christchurch. The authorities knew that Trentham was likely to be muddy, as it was at the winter races. They knew also that there would be a shortage of tents and they would have to rely on hutments, but they did not get the material on the ground in the dry weather and. eventually they had to use damp timber. No provision was made for roading, whereas if the authorities had taken the matter in hand early they could have put down macadam Fog hung very heavily over Trentham. Had the authorities desired to avoid a great deal of the mud, they might have put in a railway siding to the camp. As far back as October and November the witness had troopers from Trentham calling on him at Christchurch suffering ' from septic throats. On June 28th, witness continued, 'he went to Trentham and met four 'stretcher -bearers, who said they had just carried an unconscious ,m: from a tent to the. kiosk. One' of the stretcher bearers himself should have been in hospital, his throat having been completely ulcerated. In the tea kiosk were about 220 men in their own clothes with one or two blanker. Some of their clothes were semi-damp. Two-thirds of them had sore throats.

His Honour: Did you examine them? —Yes.

Then you must have examined one hundred and fifty but you could tell from the way they spoke. Mr. Ferguson: How many did you examine? —About nine in different parts of the kiosk. Dr. Thacker continued thet everything was in a chaotie state. There were no pillowslips, sheets', lavatory accommodation, bed slipers ,or at water bottles. Witness looked -for the patient who had been • carried in, and found Dr. Ferguson shouting, "in a super-voice" to ask him if he had any pain, who he was, where he came from. Witness found that the man was semi-conscious, his brain partially narcotised-. He concluded that he had either typhoid, pneumonia, or cerebrospinal meningitis. The man died the next day. Swabs should have b r taken of the throat, and cultures obtained.

Mr. Ferguson: How do you know that was not done?—The answer giver-, to me in the House was that the men had colds and influenza. Cerebro-spinal

meningitis had been experienced in English camps, nad medical journats which Had come to this country had described' the symptoms; and the treatment. The military medical authorities should have been placed on their guard, and have watched for something more than influenza and sore throats.

Dr. Thacker said that he saw no signs of." proper feeding. There were three sister-nurses who had arrived the day before. Previously the nursing had been in the hands of the orderlies, who did their best but did not unthe work.

Mr. FeTugson: Could they have got a nursing staff together in the time? — Certainly. It, is not for me to say what they should have done; but I know what I would have done. What they wanted was not expert qualified nurses, But capable women such as they have now. The means of transport for men suffering from measles and incipient pneumonia were, witness added, fn open cars. His Honour: Do you consider that two doctors were sufficient!—No, it was iinpossibl'e. They needed three to five more doctors. Dr. Thacker said that in the Ameri-can-Spanish war men camped on marshy ground sleptin hammocks slung from the centre poles. He had suggested that that should have been done for the men at Trentham, and the Minister for Defence had replied, "I will send the men to the moon" or some other idiotic remark. His Honour: I cannot let that go in the evidence. Dr. Thacker: But it is important the pubvte should know it. His Honour: Well, I cannot let it go in the evidence. The newspapers can do as they please. - Dr. Thacker: Well, if the newspapers put it in, that is enough for me. His Honour: This is not the place t.o make statements to the papers. Dr. Thacker: No—l want to make it to you. His. Honour: Well, we cannot take notice of your comment on what a Minister says in the House. Your observation may be perfectly justified, but it is not a matter for us. We will continue the evidence. On Tuesday, June 29th, the witness visited the Victoria Ward, which was crowded with patients. There were three cases of septic pneumonia in the samo Ward as a convalescent measles case. Apparently the nursing staff was insufficient here also. He believed that at this time the honorary visiting staff were not doing anything with these cases, as they understood they were not wanted. Mr. Ferguson: How do you know that?—l was told by one of the visiting staff. Dr. Thacker described ' what he sawon his visit to Berhampqre. One of the principal inconveniences, he was told, was that water had to be carried up to the main building. Semi-sick men were put to attend on men • who . were laid up. Fordham and Polflard were lying on stretcher beds under cold windows with no arrangements for artificially warming the air. In pneumonia it was usual to have canopies erected oyer the patients, with facilities for

sending medicated steam round. Dr. Martin remarked that this was a matter of opinion. Other doctors did not do it.

Berhampore, witness continued, was a cold and Bleak place, not suitable for sick men. Kot far from the hospital there was beautiful new school, and had the authorities had initiative they would have • commandeered that building, put in eltectric wires and very soon have had" it comfortable, with radiators. There was also a fine school at the Hutt- which could have been used for measles. The authorities instead tried to-do with the minimum at at. the kiosk; Men who were getting up as convalescent were putting on boots which- bad been soaked through and not properly dry. Some of the nurses at Trentham had taken measles and septic throats —which pointed to the virulence* of the trouble. Sick men who had been at Trentham stated that the food was often very indifferently cooked. They seldom saw fresh vegetabls.

Dr. Thacker said there should have been from five to six hundred showerbaths in the camp, and if they could not be warm they should be tepid, so that the men could wash themselves. They had' no facilities for washing themselves; They could steal some hot water from the "dixie." It was all they could* do. The Defence authorities had sent to the front a large number of motor ambulancs, but there had not been one* in connection with the camp until the< present disturbance began. Witness expressed the opinion that the expenditure of an additional £SOOO or £IO,OOO would have made all the difference between a state almost of perfection and the muddle that has b«*n experienced in connection with the pimp. Two thousand pounds would have established a base hospital, the equipment of which was to have been given; by the ladies of "Wellington.