57

H.—l

operating ?—Where it has been a line question whether I should operate or not, the feeling as to the state of the Hospital would weigh with me, and that feeling has been growing on me, until Mrs. Snowden's case, which decided me never to perform another Emmet's operation in the Hospital until its hygienic conditions were made good. 1145. The Chairman.'] You say that that feeling has been growing on you?—-Yes, for years. 1146. Mr. Chapman.] When did you decide against performing the more serious operations on account of the unhealthy state of the Hospital ?—I never so decided. I have never decided against serious operations—that is, in cases of urgency. Operations are of two classes—necessity or urgency and expediency. The first-mentioned you are bound to do. You are bound to operate under certain conditions ; but there are many cases of expediency in which it is a question whether you should operate. I do not think it is worth while asking me any more questions on this subject. It is perfect nonsense to do so. 1147. I want to know definitely when it was that you pronounced that the Hospital was so unsatisfactory that you would not operate in it? —I never said anything of the kind. 1148. When did you come to that conclusion in your own mind?— Almost from my first connection with the Hospital I thought its condition was unsatisfactory. 1149. In 1883 would you apply the term " very unsatisfactory " to it?—l would not like to give an answer. 1150. That seems to have been the turning-point ?—-I do not think so. The thing has been gradually growing on me. 1151. You have already given us the case of the old soldier ?—I did not give you any date. 1152. Were these cases of knee-joint, which you have mentioned, among the cases that weighed with you in determining that the Hospital was unsatisfactory? —I think that they must certainly have done so. 1153. Used you ever to complain that the Hospital was insanitary ?—Yes. And I heard Dr. Goughtrey say after he had left the Hospital—he was there about eight months—that it was a beastly place. Why, he abused the place up hill and down dale. 1154. When was that ?—Soon after he was appointed. 1155. Can you give us the date of that ? —No. But I never heard anybody abuse the place like Dr. Coughtrey did. 1156. When are you speaking of?— When Dr. Goughtrey left the medical staff before. 1 spoke to him several times about rejoining the staff, and he said that he would have nothing to do with the Hospital, that it was a beastly place. I never heard a man abuse the place like Dr. Coughtrey did then. 1157. Of course, you used not to call the Hospital a beastly place?—Oh yes, I did. 1158. Just before we adjourned for lunch I was asking what the date was when Dr. Goughtrey ceased to be a member of the Hospital staff?—He was there only one year, only in 1878, and the last meeting he attended was in August, 1878. Dr. Coughtrey moved a resolution then, and about that time he left the Hospital, and, as far as I know, never came back till quite recently. When I spoke to him on the subject of rejoining once or twice he said he was so disgusted with the Hospital that he would not go on with it, and would have nothing more to do with it. 1159. You have referred to cases in 1883 ?—-Special cases, are they ? 1160. There were two or three special cases in 1883 —those knee cases ?—I have forgotten the exact dates, but if you will refer to the cases you will find them out. William M is one in 1883. 1161. And there is another ?—Yes, Charles G in 1882. 1162. Now, you were convinced at that date that the Hospital was in an insanitary condition, and not a fit place to perform serious operations in ? —I cannot say I could have gone that length. I knew the Hospital was in an insanitary condition, and it always weighed with me in my operations. Serious operations we were bound to perform whether the Hospital was in a sanitary state or not. 1163. But you have not answered my question—l prefer my former expression, it is a better way to put it?— Well, I may say that operations are divided into two classes. Those of necessity we are bound to perform, but those of expediency we can think over. Various factors weigh. Cases of necessity we always do. 1164. And when did you come to think it was improper to perform operations of expediency ? —My final conclusion has been formed on the last case—that of Mrs. S , last month—and I have never performed any since then. That case made up my mind not to perform any operation for expediency there again. 1165. It was from her case you concluded that. But when, then, did you consider the Hospital an unfit place for operations of that kind ?—How is it possible for a man to answer a question like that ? Every case must be taken on its merits. Medicine, as my counsel told you on the first day, is not an exact science, and you have to act on each individual case as it occurs. 1166. You have said it was unfit for performing operations of expediency?—l say that every case you must weigh on its merits ; you cannot go on any individual case. 1167. But Mrs. S 'a was a case of expediency ?—Yes, decidedly it was. 1168. And a case that did not call for operation that day, that week, or that month ?—Certainly ; I agree with you. 1169. And, even supposing an operation was required, could you have deferred it for three or even six months ?—Yes, I might. 1170. Do you consider that a woman suffering as she was would some day require an operation ?—Well, this disease is apt to lead to secondary trouble. If there is disease of the cervix it will lead to all sorts of complications. 1171. And are these cases curable without operation?— Certainly not curable. B—H. 1.