TRENTHAM ENQUIRY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 2733, 31 July 1915, Page 2

TRENTHAM ENQUIRY.

DETAILS OF BRITISH HUTMENTS

EVIDENCE AS TO HOSPITAL TREATMENT.

(Pei Tress Association)

WELLINGTON, July 30. The Trentham Camp inquiry was continued to-day. Mr Gray, K.C., stated that the following telegram had been received from the Army Council in London by the Minister of Defence: — "Barrack hut. 60 feet average, 10 reet high, accommodating 30 men, timber framed and lined; outside painted corrugated iron or weatherboards, inside asbestos sheet or jointed, boarding; roof boarded and tar felted or corrugated iron; floor jointed boarding. Separate dining hut preferable, but not absolutely necessary." ' Charles Dorizac. temporary stair sergeant-major, stationed at the Upper Hutt Convalescent Home, stated that ho had charge of the place. He received measles patients in. the final stages of recovery. He had to send three men back to Trentham racecourse, two of whom had completely recovered. He had all the assistance lie wanted, and he had no difficulties to contend with: In connection with the sick parades, in the first'instance he received the men after they were mustered by the corporals. They were attended "to by the medical officers and two clerks. There was no record of prescriptions kept apart from the originals sent/to the dispenser. After the Second Reinforcements the dispensary was in a separate tent. There was an "ample supply'.,of drugs. There were always four or five dispensers available in tlie. ranks. If a man was not fit to walk to the sick parade he was reported by the orderly.corporal, and a stretcher party was sent for him. For the isolation camp there was one policeman. If a man wanted to get out he would do so despite 20 • policemen. Some must have broken camp and got to the Trentham , Hotel, as he found whisky in the ward. One man who was a contact.showed the effects of drink. Mr Justice Hosking (sotto voce): Perhaps the whisky saved him. j Witness said that he knew of no ] confusion arising at the sick parade j tent, as suggested by Captain Yeates. The only chance of any confusion occurring "would bo, in the case of Captain ! Yeates, who would not write his pre- I scrmtions, but dictated them to the I [clerk. ! * Asked as to the. examination of I patien,ts' throats, witness explained that ordinary throat brushes were used. They were dipped in lysol and washed afterwards. Dr. Martin: Did yon see the same throat brushes used twice ? We had to, because we hn.d 30 or ' 140 side throats a day to attend to, and [we had about a dozen brushes. _ j What strength was the lysol mix- I ture ? ." " ! A to'asnoonful to about half a pint of water. The thront brushes were rinsed with cold water before and after being in the lysol. That is what you saw done ? That was done. ; That was the procedure ? j Yes. That was done under the eye of the doctor ? , i Yes. ' ' ; Mr Justice Hosking read the evidence given by Dr. Yeates as to the brushes being dipped in hot water. Witness: There was always boiling water'in the' : dispensary, and it might have been done.

Corporal Bigman, now of Rangiotu Camp, stated that lie was a couple of months at. Trentham, from April 28. In the firs^ instance he was in a tent, which he preferred. When he went into n hut he was in a corner, out of the draught. He was sick twice. There was a. complaint made about overcrowding, there not being enough hut accommodation. On one occasion there was only one. doctor for sick parade, and the men wore kept waiting in the rain.

Edwin Arthur Bartlett stated that he was sent from Trentham to the Wellington Hospital on .January 26. He was given leave of absence for throe weeks, but after two weeks, through the- representations of a doctor, at Hawera-, he got nn extra week. On returning to resume duty he was referred to the medical board, and on 'examination by Dr. Fyffo he was found to.be ruptured, and was discharged without any means to carry him on. He had 'since boen living on the charity of friends. He considered that he was discharged from hospital too soon, and that caused the/ rupture. When he went to camp he' was as fit as anyone. His trade was that of a carpenter.

Charles Smith, mailroom clerk at Christchurch, brought under the notice of the Commission, a complaint concerning his brother Ernest Smith, who went into camp with the Seventh Reinforcements on June 12. He .wrote to witness on June '20, complaining of a slight cold. On July 3 a friend called at his mother's residence and informed her that his brother was in the Wellington Hospital with a, bad attack of influenza. On July f> ho wired for information about his brother and he got a telogram signed by Dr. Barclay: "Loft hospital yesterday." On July 7 ho roceived this telegram: "Private E. Smith dangerously ill, Trentham Racecourso Hospital, sudden attack." AfHerwards two other telegrams were reJceived, stating that the condition of his brother was serious, and the relations were advised to come at once. His brother died on tho .same day as his peoplo arrived. 'Ho could not discover exactly what his brother died of) _ One doctor told him it was malignant measles and another pneumonia. It certainly looked as if. his brother had been discharged from the Wellington Hospital prematurely. Mr, Justice' Hosking said that some further inquiry would bo made into the case. ' -*

Witness added that his mother had noticed that when his brother was dying at Trentham he had only a dress jacket on, without any underclothing. He was in a'room. sft. by 10ft., and another* trooper very ill, was in the same apartment. Private Gordon G. Pearson, formerly of Carterton, was called by the Commission. He stated that he cam© down to camp on May 29 with the Trentham Regiment, but was transferred to tho Sixth Reinforcements. After being about six weeks in camp, he was taken ill. One of the medical officers wroto out a slip to admit him to the camp hospital. He was put in one of the looseboxes, and in tho evening was .shifted to the kiosk, where he remained from the Wednesday to the Saturday morning. On the latter occasion ho complained to the doctor of not being well, and tlio doctor told the orderly

that witness was to bo carried out. Ho was taken to a place with four bunks in it. His temperature was up to 103 while he was lying in the kiosk. That evening his noso started to bleed and he could not stop it. The orderly tried to stop it, and that was the last that witness remembered till he "came to" in the Wellington Hospital on July 4. He was transferred to the Kaiwarra, Hospital from which ho was discharged j on July 16. Whilo at jKaiwarra ho was visited" by Mr J. T. Ml Hornsby, M.P., who came to him with reference to the anxiety of witness's parents at not hearing about his condition. Ho was unable to write to his people tip to this time, because ho had no money with him when he was taken to the hospital and could not buy materials or a stamp. Several other soldiers gave evidence regarding the methods of treating sick men. Mr D. C. Bates submitted a report on thermal conditions in and about the hutments. Mi- P. 0. Morgan, Director of the Geological Survey, also reported on the state of the ground. To-morrow the Commission will take ovideneo at the Trentham Camp.