91

H.—l

1887. Was one of them Mrs. E 's case? — Yes. In my book, at page 191, it is reported in full. 1888. The Chairman.] I see that in 1887 there were eleven cases, and no deaths'?— Possibly that was the year. 1889. Mr. Chapman.] There seems to have been several deaths in 1888 ?—I do not know anything about that. When the doctor took that list in his hand he simply said that there were no deaths in" this year ; and I took it that he referred to the year in which I had known these two " shaves " had occurred, and did not seek to confirm his statement, or otherwise. 1890. How many beds in the Hospital are you entitled to for your cases ? —Nine. 1891. It was in 1886, I think, that you applied for the appointment which you now hold—on your return from England ?—I applied before that; but I gob it definitely confirmed on the 24th May, 1886 [letter of 12th January, 1886, handed to witness]. That bears out what I said about having applied for the appointment before. 1892. Then each year the practice is to apply for the appointment to be renewed?— Yes. It is practically a fresh appointment each year. 1893. Which has to be renewed from year to year? —Yes. 1894. You seem to have fixed on 1887 as the year in which you had no deaths. Do you remember the case of Mary 0 , admitted Bth November, 1887, died the 25th December. The date of operation is not given ?—I remember that case perfectly well. She had an abscess in the peritoneum, following confinement, which I opened and drained. She obtained temporary relief, but eventually died. 1895. So that there was apparently a death in 1887 ?—Very likely. There may have been others, for all I know. 1896. Look at this [handing book to witness] . Possibly that will bring you a little close,]1 to the date : "Dr. Hislop quoted from the returns of deaths in the Hospital for 1888, to show that under the ordinary diseases of the reproductive system seventy-one cases were treated, but there was not one death." " Dr. Batchelor: That is perfectly correct. You must remember that our cases are few. Among my own cases I never had death ; but'l have had two ' shaves.' One was the case in which the woman had bronchitis. She did not die, but she came very near it. The oilier case was when the woman could not sleep at nights, owing to the noise in the passage. She nearly had an attack of mania. Although there had been no cases of death, the risks I say are greatly increased" ? —I think that we must have made a mistake. I took Dr. Hislop at his word, and thought his quotation to be correct. Re-examined. 1897. Mr. Solomon.] There are a few questions I should like to ask you in order to clear up some points that have been referred to in the course of your cross-examination. In the first place, Mr. Chapman has asked you about twenty times whether you can find any official record of complaints by the staff against the sanitary condition of the Hospital; and I think you have answered him about an equal number of times. I ask you was there any division of opinion amongst the members of the staff that the sanitary condition of the Hospital was unsatisfactory ?—Not so far as I am aware ; we all looked on it as unsatisfactory. 1898. You heard what Dr. Eoberts said on the subject yesterday. Do you agree with him ?— I do. 1899. He says that during the whole period that he was house surgeon, up to 1887, he on very many occasions complained of the stuffiness of the wards and of their draughtiness. Does that coincide with your experience?—lt does very closely. 1900. As to the new operating-theatre, you also thought that to be a necessity?— Yes. 1901. And reform of the nursing system? —Yes. I have always been very strong about that. 1902. You thought it was a very important matter on the score of sanitation?— Yes; I did then, and think so still. They are both very important, and both are essential. 1903. The difficulty, so far as the Trustees are concerned, has been one of finance?— That has been the whole difficulty; at least, they have always given us to understand so. 1904. Therefore, you have thought there was no use in asking too much. Is it the fact that the Trustees recognise the necessity for a lot of the reforms you ask for to-day ?—I believe they do, and I believe also that they would have made them if they could have depended on support from the public. 1905. Is it a question of want of funds, or a question of what is necessary?—l should think it is a question of want of funds. 1906. You have also been asked various questions suggesting that you find fault with the Trustees for the state of affairs which exists at the Hospital at the present time. Do you find fault with the Trustees ? —I have every reason to be grateful to the Trustees as individuals, they have always met me, as far as they possibly could ; and I am sure that during the last eighteen months —since I gave that address—they have given an enormous amount of time to hospital matters, far more than the public are aware of. I have known the Trustees to sometimes spend four or five hours a day discussing hospital matters. 1907. Your complaint rather is that the Hospital is unsatisfactory, than that the Trustees ought to be blamed because the institution is in an unsatisfactory state? —Yes. 1 do not think that the Trustees are at all to be blamed. 1908. All that you complain of then is that the Hospital is unsatisfactory?— Yes. Any blame that has been thrown x>n the Trustees has been drawn out of me in the course of crossexamination. I was obliged to answer the questions asked me by Mr. Chapman. Mr. Chapman : Do I understand my friend to say that there is no complaint against the management ?