G.—No. 3

14

REPORT OE COMMISSIONERS UPON MATTERS

that experienced doctors take great care during the first fortnight of the voyage, and that they arrange their duties according to experience. There is generally a fear of measles in outward-going ships. There was no reason for my relieving the doctor, except his inexperience of his duties, and his sickness. Complaints were made to me by the passengers, about a fortnight after we left, on. account of the negligence of the doctor; this complaint was made verbally to me by the interpreter on behalf of the foreign emigrants. The Scotch emigrants complained to me direct. I spoke to the doctor, and accompanied him on his visits, and I found a good many sick suffering from bronchitis and dysentery. I had not previously been aware of sickness, with the exception of colds. The doctor was aware of the sickness on board. I frequently accompanied the doctor after this, and I considered he did not understand how to treat them, having forgotten apparently the medicine or treatment of the previous day, and forgot those people he had treated, and did not even know their sexes on several occasions. I found the doctor was subject to epileptic fits; he told me so himself. Three weeks after we left, the Scotch passengers complained of the doctor, that their children were sick, and that the doctor refused to attend to them ; they also spoke disparagingly of the doctor, as to his capabilities. The first death occurred on the 28th, after complaints were made as to the doctor. Carl Neilson, the. child who died on this date, was supposed to be suffering from sea-sickness, and the parents therefore did not call upon the doctor. The neglect on the part of the people could not have occurred were they property inspected by the doctor. The child died from diarrhoea. I pointed out to the doctor that the disease of measles was spreading, and used every endeavour to prevent its spread. This was before the first case of death. I urged upon the doctor the necessity of his paying better attention to the people on account of the spread of the disease, but he did not do so, and did not seem to share my anxiety. I found the passengers after the death occurred obey my orders as to cleanliness strictly. Maria Olson was in a berth near the ship's side, but after her falling sick I removed her under the main hatch. I had previously removed the stores from the main hatch into the hospital, tho hospital being on the lower deck, and not properly ventilated. I think the rough sketch of the ship (marked B) now shown to me, is a correct one, and shows the position of the hospital. The ventilation I never thought sufficient, and therefore increased it by opening the whole of the main hatch ; a very small portion, about two feet square, in one corner, having been passed as sufficient by the Inspector in London, against my objections urged at the time. Ido not consider she would have been so safe in the hospital as in the place where I removed her. I took all precautions to prevent the spread of the disease on my own account, without consulting the doctor, and the doctor acquiesced. On Monday, 15th January, the passengers came aft (the whole of the emigrants), and wished to see me, and made complaint to me of the conduct of the doctor, as they and their children were suffering, and he refused to attend on them, and also stated that they would not have his services again, and mentioned several instances of neglect. I called the doctor, and the cabin passengers were present on the occasion. I explained to the emigrants that Dr. Leigh was a qualified surgeon, and, being appointed surgeon of the ship, they would run a great risk by declining his services, and I could not attend to them. They declared if left in his hands the half of them would die, and they would be thankful for anything I could do for them. I wanted them to put their complaints in writing. The documents marked C and D, and Dl, are those received by me at that time. Document marked E, I received after my arrival in Wellington, but it was made at the time and reduced to writing after arrival in Wellington. After this I attended on the sick myself, and obtained the assistance of one of the cabin passengers, Mr. Badland. Erom time to time I requested the doctor to make up medicines from the chest. I had the key and also supplied medicines myself. I had to insist on the doctor assisting me with the medicines. I did not consider the doctor relieved from his duties by the action taken by the passengers. I appointed my cabin cook to prepare food for the sick, and after my taking charge of them they had no food cooked at the emigrants' galley. The medical comforts, under the extraordinary consumption, although on the proper scale, were done before we were half-way on the voyage. The medical comforts were under my control, and all requisitions for them were at once complied with. I supplied my own private stores to the sick, and set them apart entirely for their use. On no occasion were the emigrants in want of an ample supply of necessaries during the whole voyage. AYe gave tip nearly all our cabin extras for their use, and I attended twice every day at the galley to see as to their food. During the latter part of the voyage, about the 10th of February, I was ill for about ten days, and had no personal knowledge of what was taking place amongst the immigrants ; but I believe the doctor attended during my illness to his duties, and saw to the emigrants. There was much sickness at that time affecting the crew as well as emigrants, principally the infectious disease, also dysentery and diarrhoea among the children. After my recovery I visited the lower deck and found two of the emigrants very ill, and feared they were dying. I asked the interpreter what had been done for them during my illness, and he informed me the doctor had only given one of them a gargle, and this was all he had done, I went on deck and spoke rather hotly to the doctor, and told him it was cruel on his part to undertake to look after them and not to do it. One of these men died within a few days afterwards. I did all I could for them. It is the man who died on March 3rd I refer to. On my recovery I again took charge of the emigrants. After the 15th January I entirely attended on the sick with the exception of the period of my illness, and all the duties of the doctor consisted only of making up such medicines as I required. During this period the doctor attended only on my crew, not on the passengers. He used, I believe, to visit the lower deck when he liked, but lam not aware of his having attended any of the emigrants, except Wellington and his wife. Mrs. Burness broke her arm during the voyage ; it was at the time I was ill, but I was able to be about in the cabin, and came out purposely on this account, and provided the doctor with splints, there being none among the medical stores. The doctor set her arm. I was informed that the arm had afterwards been rebroken and reset by the doctor. I went and saw the woman eight days after the accident, and inspected the arm. I found it swollen and not united. I reset the arm, and informed the doctor that I had done so. When I reset the arm I was assisted by the carpenter. [The witness described the mode in which he reset the arm, by placing the palm of his hand fiat on the table with the arm to the side, showing the manner by which the forearm was strapped down to a board, the hand being pronate.]