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statement is in the form in which I read it before the medical staff. Of course, it would be absurd to say that I had never seen a ease of septicaemia, because we all do so occasionally. What I mean to say is that, after a comparatively simple operation, I have never seen anything in my practice approaching what I saw in the Hospital. I think it right to make this explanation, else it is likely to be misunderstood. The same remark applies to cases of ovariotomy. I never had a death from that cause in private practice. 45. I will not trouble you about that just now. I ask you after you referred to these facts in your memorandum to the Trustees, have you ever been asked by them to give any explanation or further evidence on the subject?—l have not. It is quite impossible that they could have received any information, because the only available information was to be obtained from my note-book, which has never been out of my possession, and was never asked for by them. 46. I think there is a little misunderstanding here. I should like to know whether the receipt of your memorandum was acknowledged by the Trustees, and whether they took any action on it ? —They never asked for any further information on the subject. I will not say that the Trustees did not take any steps in consequence of it. 47. Mr. Solomon.] I will put it in this way : They never came to you for further information on the subject, did they ?—No ; not at all. 48. They could not have got any further information on the subject from any other source could they ?—I think myself they were misled by information which they did receive. 49. You have not answered my question. Could they have got any reliable information from any other source ? —They could not have obtained any reliable information from any other source. 50. Next in the order of date is the report of the medical staff: do you remember that ?— Yes, I remember that perfectly well. 51. Did you agree with those resolutions ? —Yes. I thought myself that they were not strong enough, but we wanted unanimity. 52. That report was unanimous, was it not?—Y'es, it was. 53. The Chairman.] The whole of the staff being present ? —Yes. On matters of detail there were some differences, but on the main contentions we were unanimous. 54. Mr. Solomon.] The next thing I want to see is a letter sent by you to Mr. Miller or to the Trustees about Mrs. T ? 55. The Chairman.] Was that letter addressed to the Trustees? —It was addressed to Mr. Miller, as Chairman of the Trustees. 56. Mr. Solomon.] But subsequently you had a conversation on the subject with Mr. Miller, had you not?—l had. 57. And on the 27th May you wrote him this further letter, did you not?—l did. [Ex. ix.] 58. Was it at Mr. Miller's request that you sent that letter?— No. It was not. I at first thought of calling for an inquest in that case; but on second thought I considered it better to avoid scandal, if it could possibly be done. 59. Let us go back to the report of the medical staff on the sanitary condition of the Hospital, and which pointed out certain matters that required amendment. By the way, can you give us the exact date of that report ?—The 29th May, 1889. 60. The Chairman.] Was this before the letter which has just been read ? —Yes, just a year. 61. Mr. Solomon.] You say that the report which the medical staff made was addressed to the Trustees?— Yes. They sent it to the Trustees; at least, they left the matter in charge of Dr. Roberts, and I presume that he sent it to the Trustees. 62. Certain defects in the ventilation were referred to in that report, were they not ? —Yes. 63. Have any steps been taken by the Hospital Trustees since the date of that report to remedy the defects pointed out in that report?— What do you mean by any steps? 64. Well, I will put it in this way : Since May, 1889, which was the date on which the Report [Ex. hi.] was laid before the Trustees, have any sufficient steps been taken by the Hospital Trustees to remedy the defects pointed out in that report?—No, certainly not. There have been some steps taken—as, for instance, a reduction in the number of beds from seventeen to fifteen, and some ventilators were put into the waterclosets. That is all, so far as lam aware at all events, that has been done. 65. But you say that they have taken no sufficient steps since then, to remedy these defects?— They have not. 66. Now, as to the cases of Mrs. S , Mrs. T , and Mrs. P . You can turn to your notes to refresh your memory if yon wish to do so ? —Before I go into these cases I should like to make a statement. I believe that the Trustees were contemplating changes, but to what extent those changes were to be I, of course, had no idea. I do not think that the Trustees even knew themselves. I was aware of the effect that my letter about these three women's cases would have, but I could not have honestly withdrawn. But for these cases I should have allowed them to see what they would do. They were anxious themselves to do something, I knew. 67. At any rate, in the month of July in this year these three cases were brought by you under their notice ?—Yes. 68. And then you say you could not honestly delay any longer?— Yes; but I had other reasons as well. [Letter read by Mr. Solomon and handed in : Ex. ii.] 69. I should like to hear those reasons ?—I felt that while the Trustees might be willing themselves to do their best to improve the Hospital, I felt sure that as soon as they began to make improvements a certain class 'in the community would cry out that the doctors themselves were causing unnecessary alarm and had the Trustees under their thumbs ; then the Trustees would at once withdraw, and very little would be done. * I thought that perhaps another twelve months would elapse and that very little would be accomplished, I determined when this poor woman