THE TRENTHAM ENQUIRY

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 3 August 1915, Page 8

THE TRENTHAM ENQUIRY

ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE

BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, Aug. 3. At the Trentham Enquiry, Dr James Scott McLaurin, Government Analyst, was examined as to a report he had furnished concerning an analysis he had made or samples of air obtained at Trentham camn from different huts on July 29th, and said: "Some of them were not good, but most of them were fairly good. Frederich Charles Gentry, supply officer, stated that he had asked the nurses to let him know what was to be returned from Berhampore. He told them through the telephone that they did not wish to carry away any books that might convey infection. The books ! were left at Berhampore. He heard nothing about temperature charts. Nothing was said about them. He acted on his own authority. When he ! heard that the hospital was to be j closed he told the nurses that everything to be taken away was to be thoroughly disinfected. He made no arrangements for the destruction of anything. The books he referred to were those the patients had been reading in the wards. Charts were not mentioned. Private Henry H. Bothamly, of the Sixth Reinforcements, stated that he I had com© forward in response to a subpoena. He joined two months ago. Three days after the tents were blown down he reported on sick parade and | went to the racecourse hospital. He had a high temperature and sore throat. After inoculation his temperature was 104. He walked back to the lines and some of the men helped him to carry his things to the hospital. He was asked whether he was fit to walk, and he replied '-Quite fit." He did not like hospital in a loose-box with three others. He and another were -lying on the ground. They had a waterproof sheeting and mattress. Once, on joaking a request to an orderly, he was told to go to a hot place, and on another occasion he could not get the door shut as the orderlies were going on parade. He was afterwards at the kiosk, where the orderlies did not seem to know^ "much about the game." Up to the time of his discharge there were no female nurses at the kiosk. A letter was read from Dustin and Co., canteen proprietors, denying that there had been any shortage of soap id the camp. Major O'Sullivan gave evidence as to getting instructions to have Berhampore hospital prepared for patients. He gave no instructions when the place was closed. He supplied no temperature charts. He believed gome were obtained from the Wellington Hospital. Mr Ferguson: If the nurses say that they rang up your department and received instructions to burn them, who would be the right officer to give the instructions?—l got no such message. It is not likely <my of our officers would give instructions to burn temperature charts or books. Mr Justice Hosking said he did not know who was responsible for Berhampore Hospital, but when the Commission visited the buildings that day all the doors were open. The Commission hoped to finish with the witnesses that had been arranged' for by Thursday, and then an opportunity would oe given to any members of the medical staff to speak if they desired to do so.