57

H.—22a

What doctor attended you in the Hospital?— Well, you were conspicuous by your absence. Dr. Walsh attended me. Did Dr. Parkes never attend you when you were in bed?— Not to my knowledge. If he did he must have come when I was asleep. If Dr. Parkes said he attended you from the time you were operated upon until you left, would you say that he was saying what was not correct?— Certainly I would. Did you make any complaint to me about the food?— Certainly 1 did not. I left it to your discretion. Whilst I was in bed I had very little food, and I was that ravenous that I often ate food which I should not have eaten. And do you expect a man who gets three meals a day to be ravenous? Do you get better meals outside than in the Hospital? Witness: Better meals! Why, I would not eat such stuff if it were put before me. Dr. Collins: Then, why eat it in the Hospital?—l had nothing else. In answer to a further question, witness repeated his former statement as to the observation made by the manager of the Hospital regarding the question of giving evidence before the Commission. He naturally thought that he was being asked to give evidence in favour of the Hospital. His answer to the question was " Probably." Dr. Collins: What induced you to change your mind ?—Why, to tell tho truth. Mr. McVeagh: Did you suggest to the manager that you were going to give evidence in favour of the Hospital, or did he suggest that you should do so?—No, certainly not. Dr. Gore Gillon was examined as to the different operations for cases of stricture. Duke was now being treated by him. It was difficult, he said, to offer an opinion as to the correctness or otherwise of the operation performed by Dr. Collins without knowing the surgical state of the patient at the time he was operated upon. Dr. Collins: Why did you not, when you first knew you were to be called, come to me and get my statement of the case?—l thought t would hear it from you before I gave my evidence. All the evidence on one side is given before the other side opens its case. Do you not know the procedure of a Court of law?—l am not particularly well up in the law-courts. In the course of further cross-examination by Dr. Collins, the witness said that, after hearing the circumstances of the case, he could say that the operation performed by Dr. Collins might possibly have been justifiable and necessary. The Chairman made a statement to the effect that in intricate surgical cases in which there might be a great conflict of professional testimony (as seemed to be implied by the. cross-examination of Dr. Gore Giilon) the Commissioners would not consider themselves competent to give an opinion, and would probably say, " We can't decide where doctors disagree." Of course, the case of a palpable mistake was a different matter. Tn respect to Duke's case, the question was whether the operation was performed by Dr. Collins in accordance with the rules of the Hospital. That the Commissioners might judge. Mr. McVeagh : The question is whether the rules of the Hospital permit that, and, if so, whether it is a wise policy. Mr. Reed: This is probably a matter on which T shall have to address the Commissioners. Dr. Constance Helen Frost, bachelor of medicine and surgery (New Zealand University), stated that she was the honorary bacteriologist and pathologist on the honorary medical staff. She had given special attention to the study of bacteriology. She was for three years on the resident staff of the Adelaide Hospital, where she had charge of the bacteriological laboratory for about eighteen months. She had occupied a similar position at the Auckland Hospital for the past eighteen months. The Hospital was then poorly equipped, hut it had since been well equipped with the necessary instruments. She was engaged in the laboratory generally from about 9 till 11 a.m. Did Dr. Collins come into the laboratory often when you were there?— Not lately; but when I was first there he came very often, and he seemed very enthusiastic in regard to the work. He asked me how to make culture-media. I showed him how it was done. How long was Dr. Collins in the laboratory?— When he was making culture-media, which was for only a short period, I hardly ever went to the laboratory without his being there. Was the work he was doing necessary for any purposes in the Hospital?—No: it could not have been. Did his presence there affect you in any case?— Yes; it interfered with my work. After a time there seemed to be a tacit understanding between us, by which I had the laboratory to myself in the mornings and he had it in the afternoons. I suppose if the work was required for the Hospital it would be your duty" to do it?— That is my opinion. You w-ould not regard Dr. Collins as a skilled bacteriologist?—l do not suppose he would think that himself. In your opinion, is it desirable for one, who was practically an apprentice, to engage in bacteriological work at a hospital, bearing in mind that he is Senior Medical Officer at the Hospital?- It depends upon the cultures. Do you know what cultures Dr. Collins was engaged upon?— Well, he made some anthrax-cultures. Do you consider it a proper thing for the Senior Medical Officer of a hospital, having charge of surgical and medical cases, to be concerned in making anthrax-cultures? —I have never seen it done before.

B—H. 22a.