H.—7a

10

blankets, so I asked him where they were. I opened the bed and pulled the blankets out, and they were all right, and I said there was nothing on the blankets; but he said it was in the blankets. I told him the blankets were perfectly clean, and that he was not to worry about it, and,he went to sleep comfortably then." From my inspection of the Hospital I should think it very unlikely to have happened. The patient made no complaint either to the Medical Officers or the head attendant. Attendants have nothing to gain by allowing dirty blankets to be used, as there are ample laundry facilities in the Hospital. Complaint (3): That the bedclothes were not adequate for a cold night. — The patient never asked for more bedclothes, or they would have been given him. Complaint (4) ." That the blankets were not washed, during the six months he was detained,. —The blankets are washed once a year, or as often as any are soiled. Complaint (5): That sufficient towels were not provided in the lavatory. — To a clean patient the insufficient supply of towels in the lavatory would be a real grievance. In the lavatory where the patient had to wash there were eight or nine roller-towels for the use of between sixty and seventy patients. As all the patients are not equally clean, and all have to wash within a few minutes, it is evident that the supply of towels would not be sufficient. Complaint (6): Had difficulty in getting milk when ill with dysentery. — This again rests solely on the patient's statement. From the whole of the evidence it is evident that milk is not stinted in the Hospital. Complaint (7 ): That the classification of patients is not sufficient. —I shall refer later to the classification of patients. Complaint (8): That Dr. Gow spoke fiercely, and said, " Oh, you are out of your mind." —Dr. Gow denies having spoken fiercely to the patient and saying, " Oh, you are out of your mind." Complaint (9): Urinal too close to dining-room in F ward, and stench from it came into the ward at meal-times. —I saw the urinal referred to by the patient. It is at least 45 ft. from the door of the corridor where the patients had meals. There is plenty of cross-ventilation in the passage, but it is possible if the wind was blowing from the south-west or south-east, and the door into the corridor was open, that the smell from the urinal might penetrate into the corridor. This is one of the many defects in the construction of the building. Complaint (10): That the food supplied was not fit to eat most of the time. —That most of the time the food was not fit to eat is merely the patient's opinion. In other cases inquired into it was stated that the food was ample and wholesome, and no fault was found with it. Co7nplaint (11): That he was locked up in a closet by Attendant Groskie. —The attendant stated that it was possible for a patient to get locked into the closets, but not into any particular closet, as they had no doors. He said if the patient was locked in it was not done intentionally. Any value that might be attached to Mr. Gourlay's evidence is greatly discounted by the fact that he states he saw two of the attendants brutally ill-treat a patient named Brian or Bryant; yet when Mr. Gourlay left the Hospital he wrote to one of the two attendants, asking him to take a brother of Mr. Gourlay's out to work. If this attendant had ill-treated a patient in the manner described by Mr. Gourlay, it is hardly credible that he would have asked that particular attendant to look after his brother. V. Daniel Herlihy. The complaint was — (1.) That he was hit over the head with a bunch of keys by the attendants, and generally made a source of amusement. This patient is a very old inmate of the Hospital, and is stated by all who have given evidence to be a general favourite not only of the other patients, but of the attendants. All the attendants repudiate the idea that the patient could have been ill-treated in the manner alleged by Mr. Gourlay.