H.—3lb.

26

[l. hunt.

patient on my first visit she was entirely covered with the blankets. I noticed that her stomach was distended. Her stomach was so big that I asked her if she had got her binders off. She said they were off. I did not examine her there myself. Re-examined by Mr. Skelton.] As she lay in bed 1 saw that there was something radically wrong, and that her stomach was very much distended. Walter Scott Brockway, on his oath, saith. I am a duly-qualified and registered medical practitioner, practising in Auckland. I knew the late Mrs. Chamberlain. I knew her about three months before her death. I had opportunities of seeing her right up to shortly before she entered St. Helens. On one occasion I prescribed for her for a slight bladder-complaint. That was connected with her state of pregnancy. Apart from that she never made any complaint to me. I should say she was a strong able-bodied woman. She did not complain of nor did I notice any cough or cold about her. On the 19th June last I was called in to attend to her mother, Mrs. Underwood. She was suffering from a varicose ulcer of the leg. I gave her a rest treatment, consisting mainly of elevating the leg and curretting the ulcer. I gave her also a blood-mixture. The wound was not as large as a shilling. The patient made good progress. The wound was completely healed in about three weeks. There was only a mild amount of pus, and that was not of a virulent character. I do not remember when I paid my last visit to Mrs.. Underwood, but I think it was after Mrs. Chamberlain had gone to the Hospital. The wound had been completely healed before that. Mrs. Underwood was capable of doing the very little dressing required to her leg. 1 remember Mr. Chamberlain consulting me with regard to his wife and her want of progress at the Hospital. As a result, I rang up Dr. Inglis. I mentioned to him that Mr. Chamberlain was there, and lie did not seem satisfied with any report lie could get from the Hospital as to his wife's condition, and that he wished me to go up and see her and give him my opinion as as to her condition. I asked Dr. Inglis what were the rules governing the working of the Hospital. He said there was no provision for patients calling in outside attendants, and that the only provision for calling in outside attendance was for the resident surgeon to call in outside surgeons when he deemed it necessary, and that as far as Mrs. Chamberlain's condition "was concerned he said that Mr. Chamberlain had been to his consulting-room on. I think he said, the night previous, and he had explained to him the existence of a tubercular condition as an explanation of the patient's condition at the time. T think that is all the conversation I had with Dr. Inglis on the subject of Mrs. Chamberlain's condition. I understood from what Dr. Inglis told me that I would not be allowed to see Mrs. Chamberlain. I took it as a refusal to allow me to see her. When I prescribed for Mrs. Chamberlain before she went into the home my medicine had the required effect. My observation of Mrs. Chamberlain was then a superficial one. I saw nothing in her to lead me to suspect that there was anything wrong with her or likely to lead to future trouble. I examined her urine before prescribing. There was nothing unusual about it. There was a slight trace of albumen, but on a second examination there was none. I made it clear to Chamberlain that 1. could not see his wife owing to the regulations. Dr. Inglis did not say anything to me about the British Medical Association. Chamberlain kept me posted as well as he could from time to time as to his wife's condition. [Objected to by Mr. Mays.] He said that the only way I could get to see her was to bring her home. He said he was informed at the home that he could bring her home, but he must assume the responsibility of doing so. I advised him that it was foolhardy to do so and that she had better be left there. No further attempt was made by me to see her.] Cross-examined by Mr. Mays.] Where there is pus there necessarily is sepsis to a degree, the degree depending on the virulency .and the character of the pus. The ulcer had pus in it. I do not think it was the pus that would cause septicaemia in a pregnant woman. The pus was septic. I admit that a tubercular condition of the che«t may be more or less dormant or latent for some time without showing any manifest signs. I admit that childbirth, and specially the. birth of a first child, may cause an aggravation of that condition and its development. That forms a very serious problem of medicine to-day. Ido not know as a fact that Mrs. Chamberlain dressed the ulcer on her mother's leg. I (lid not see her do so. No one told me that Mrs. Chamberlain, dressed the leg. It. would be possible and likely from Mrs. Underwood's condition that she would dress the wound herself. At the times T was there Mrs. Chamberlain was never in the room. The wound was quite accessible to Mrs. Underwood for dressing by her. I did not approach Dr. Inglis witli the view in my mind of consulting with him professionally. I thought he would not do so. That is because he is a member of the British Medical Association and lam not, and members will not, as a rule, consult with those who are not. He did not give it to me as a reason. I did not seek a consultation with Dr. Inglis because it was in my mind that he would not consult with me, as I am not a member of the British Medical Association. I did not, to him, suggest a consultation. I thought it was useless, and dicl not want to put myself or him in an embarrassing position. I have been refused a consultation on one occasion on the ground that I was not a member of the British Medical Association, and I thought it was a general rule, and for that reason T did not care to suggest a consultation with Dr. Inglis. T was anxious to relieve Chamberlain's anxiety by any legitimate means I could. I have never been faced with the position of disagreeing with or not having confidence in the consultant. T never suggested that I should go on merely a friendly basis. I should consider that a most unprofessional thing to do. My impression now is that Dr. Inglis told me the case was tubercular. I do not think he told me anything else. I would not be sure whether or not Dr. Inglis told me then that Dr. Goldstein had examined Mrs. Chamberlain's lungs. Our* conversation did not exceed five minutes. I was of opinion that Chamberlain's best course was to leave his wife in the institution. I had only hearsay as to the woman's condition, and I could give no opinion in any way as to Dr. Tnglis's ability to deal with it, I did, at some time later than the telephone