THE OXFORD COMMISSION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XIX, Issue 187, 24 August 1883, Page 2

THE OXFORD COMMISSION.

( Thk following is the evidence of the doctor of the Oxford, given before the ; Commission at Wellington : —

' Jervas Miles Wasse, medical officer on board the Oxford, joined the vessel at Plymouth, taking charge of the immigrants at the depot. The depot is not a Government institution ; it belongs to a man named Hill, who does the work by contract. All who started on the second voyage appeared to be quite free from infection. It was quite possible that some of the passengers may have brought on board some soiled linen that had been used by fever patients ; the whole embarkation at the end was done m such a hurry. The depot was m a very dirty condition when witness first went into it, with the exception of the single women's quarters. Some of the single men brought vermin into the depot, and witness ordered them sulphur baths. An improvement was effected m the place before the Agent-General paid his visit. Mary Ann Naylor had typhoid on board. She had slept with a little girl that had been attaoked with fever at Plymouth, and who might possibly have brought some infected linen on board. The water wai a little rusty at times. On one occasion the ivator was more rusty than at others, and a fresh issue was then made. The quality of the stores wai very satisfactory ; but there was not sufficient soup and condensed eggs for the children. Believing there was a short supply of these articles, measures were taken to husband it, especially m view of a possible protracted voyage. Sour bread had been often showed to witness, who spoke to the baker about it, resulting m an improvement m tha quality. The flour was good, but the baker was not very expert. The other stores were all good. There weie no proper scrubbing brushes on the ship at all ; improvised brushes were used instead. The utmost measures were taken to prevent infection. There were eight cases of typhoid on the voyage and two deaths. In some cases the diseaso was very severe, and some very mild. Witness had a, great deal of difficulty with the single women. The matron, though willing, was incapable. Witness had come to the conclusion that the typhoid on the second voyage had been brought on board at Plymouth ; it might possibly have remained on board from the very commencement. Some of the places at which a number of passengers lodged while at Plymouth were very dirty. The single women were supposed to be under surveillance while there, but it was only supposition. The surveillance was supposed to be exercised by the landladies. The girls, m fact, lived indiscriminately all over the town. There had very recently been an epidemic of typhoid fever at Stonehouse, a part of Plymouth. This wa» about a fortnight previously. Witness, as a nilo, went throe times a day to inspect the immigrants' quarters on board. He was uover abla to fumigate below ; there wero always two or three people who could not be removed up on deck on account of sea-sickuess and so forth. He never noticed any offeusive smell when the ship was pumped. His time was constantly occupied throughout the voyage. The same kind of bread was supplied to all classes on the ship. The 'tween deok wa3 generally dry and clean. The captain assisted witness m every possible way.