21

H.—l

one for a fallow ward. The result has been that the other wards have been kept very full of late, and that has aggravated the overcrowding. 254. Take No. 7 ward, while we are on this point. During that last fatal week under the old regime of the Hospital, how many beds were there in that ward ?—There were sixteen. 255. The Chairman.] At what date was that ?—22nd July. 256. Mr. Solomon.] I suppose the size of the wards is practically the same ?—I think all the wards are nearly the same size. 257. How many of the beds were occupied ?—I asked the nurse afterwards—l did not know at the time—and she told me that fifteen beds were occupied at the time it occurred; but whether that is correct or not I do not know, because I did not take any particular notice of the beds. 258. Mr. Chapman.] What was the name of that nurse?—Waymouth. I noticed myself on that particular occasion that the ward was full, but I would not be prepared to say whether fourteen or fifteen beds were occupied. 259. The Chairman.] You state that you are keeping the wards more crowded than usual just now, so as to have two wards for special cases. By that do I understand that these two wards are at the disposal of the medical staff to make alterations in the disposition of the patients ?—We have nothing to do with that, so far as I know. 260. Mr. Solomon.] We will next take the drainage, the position of the waterclosets and bathrooms. The waterclosets are at the end of the wards, are they not? —Yes. 261. And open directly into the wards ?—Yes. 262. There is a double-door arrangement, is there not ?—Yes. 263. That is to say, you go through the ward, open a door, and there's the place ?—You go through the lavatory first. 264. The Chairman.] The doors open in opposite ways—do they not ?—the one into the ward, the other into the watercloset ? —I think that that is the arrangement. 265. Mr. Solomon.] Is it a proper system of watercloset that the doors should open directly into the wards in that way ?—Certainly not, in my opinion. 266. Can you find any modern authority on the subject who sanctions it ? —I have looked up all the authorities, but nobody sanctions it; certainly all the authorities I have seen condemn it. The closets should he separated from the wards by a lobby with cross-ventilation. 267. By that you mean that the waterclosets should open into a corridor ?—Yes. 268. Where do the drains from these closets go—inside or outside the building?—lnside. 269. Where should they go ?—Outside. 270. In your opinion, is a system of double doors a safe way to ventilate a watercloset ?—I should rather doubt if it does any good at all. 271. The Chairman.] How are the waterclosets ventilated just now ? —There is a window on one side, and a ventilator near the top. 272. Mr. Solomon.] When you visited the ward on one occasion did you find the two sets of doors closed?—ln the two surgical wards I found both the outside doors open. 273. Had they been fastened back ?—Yes. 274. On this particular occasion there was only one door ?—Only one really. 275. And how was the watercloset for odour ? —lt was not pleasant; very unpleasant, I should say. 276. In the other two wards I understand that you found both the doors closed?— Yes. 277. Did you notice an ingenious contrivance to fasten the door?— Yes ; there was a little peg to keep it back. 278. The Chairman.] What was the object of keeping this door back?— For the convenience of cripples : it let them pass in and out without difficulty. 279. Mr. Solomon.] Is there a medical objection to these closet-drains being taken inside the building?— Yes; there is a very strong medical objection to it. There is always a danger of the drains going wrong, and there would be some difficulty in trapping them. In consequence of that there is a danger of sewer-gas escaping into the ward. I should think that that is a very great danger. 280. That is not healthy, is it ?—Decidedly unhealthy. 281. Is that the reason why the authorities are universally agreed that watercloset drainage should be carried outside ? —That is one reason, and I suppose it is the special reason of the foul air escaping into the ward. No one would like a watercloset opening off his bedroom. 282. The Chairman.] Do you know where the slops are taken to? —I do not. I have never seen anybody taking the slops out; therefore I presume that they are emptied down the watercloset. I cannot answer as to that, as I never inquired about it. 283. Mr. Solomon.] And the bathrooms are merely portions of the ward walled off? 284. The Chairman.] Screened off, are they not?— Yes. 285. Mr. Solomon.] How high are the screens?—7ft., I think, but I am not quite sure. 286. It is a fixed wooden screen, is it not ? —Yes. 287. Being screened off in that way, it follows that there is nothing to prevent the steam spreading from above the bathroom screen into the ward ?—No. 288. They have hot baths ? —Yes, but I do not know how often. 289. Is that a proper state of things?— No. 290. That would induce a humid condition of the atmosphere, would it not ?—Yes. 291. As to the objection to that, does it lessen or increase or affect the quantity of pure air which the patients get to breathe ?—lt certainly decreases the quantity of pure air. 292. I suppose that is especially objectionable, coupled with the general want of ventilation? — Yes, it is. 293. The Chairman.] You have not told us how the bathrooms should be arranged ?—They