H.—3lb.

30

[A. ALLEN.

Angelina Allen, on her oath, saith. 1 am the wife of George Allen, mill-hand, of Union Street, Auckland. I was admitted to .St. Helens Hospital on the 22nd November, 1911, for my first confinement. The Matron asked me for my application fee of £1 in full. She did not tell me that I could pay it by instalments. The b..by was born the next day. On this occasion I was satisfied with my treatment. I was torn dm ing confinement. I was attended during confinement by the Matron and two nurses. I did not see a doctor at all during that time. I was discharged on the fourteenth day. The baby was fragile at birth, and it died at the General Hospital, where I took it when it was four months old. It suffered from gastritis. I was admitted to the Hospital for my second confinement on the 31st October, 1912. The Matron confined me. I was quite satisfied with the confinement. I did not get on quite so well. I was transferred from one room to another on the eighth day. The following day I took a chill, and 'my breasts were sore. I was nursing the baby this time. It was healthy when born. I did not understand that I was suffering from abscess of the breast. Fomentations were applied to my breast. I asked the nurse every time what she thought it was, and she said that I had just caught a slight chill. I nursed the baby for three weeks. There were two other patients with me in the second room. Both had bad breasts. I was not satisfied with the baby's condition when I was discharged from St. Helens. I was discharged on the fifteenth day. When I took the baby away it had diarrhoea, and her buttocks were almost raw. The motions were green. I was not seen by a doctor at all during this confinement. The green motions continued after we left St. Helens. A rash which at that time had been confined to the buttocks and legs spread all over the body. After two or three days 1 took the child back to St. Helens for the Matron to see and advise me. The Matron told me to take the child to a chemist. I did so —to Mr. Eccles, Hobson Street. He gave me some medicine. After a few days I took it to Dr. Owen. He prescribed for it. As it got no better, I called in Dr. Porter. That was two days after I saw Dr. Owen. He advised me to take it to the General Hospital. I took it there the same night. It was there five weeks when it died. [Mrs. Nicol draws attention to Rule No. 21 of the Rules for the Management of State Maternity Hospitals. Mr. Mays draws attention to Rule No. 13.] To the Commissioner.] I did not suggest to the Matron that my infant might remain in the home for treatment. I did not know that I could leave the child in the home if it were considered necessary. There is no copy of the Act or rules posted in any of the wards that I know of. This was my second child. My first child died in the General Hospital. This was a delicate child when I left the home. It remained with me for three months, when it was taken to the General Hospital. It was once in that time attended by Dr. Brockway. He advised me to take it to the General Hospital. I took it there at once. It remained there five weeks, when it died. I was seventeen years of age when I was married. Before my marriage I had no experience whatever of the care and treatment of children. I knew how they should be fed. I knew of the different kinds of food an infant should get. I fed the first child at the breast till it was two months old. After that it was fed on barley-water and milk till it went to the Hospital —that was about a month. The child was pretty well wasted by the time it was taken to the Hospital. As to the second child, it was fed at the breast till I left the Hospital and afterwards till it was three weeks old. At that time it went to the Hospital. Till then it got nothing but the breast. I knew nothing of the Plunket nurses. I got no advice from any one but the doctors and chemist. (Cross-examination deferred till 10 a.m. to-morrow. (See post, p. 36). Examination-in-chief continued.] I was torn during the first confinement. The Matron put in some stitches—one, two, or three. [Mrs. Nicol announces that this is the only witness she intends to call on this complaint.] [Mr. Mays says he will now call evidence touching the charges relating to Mrs. Marsh and Mrs. Porch.] Maeion Bowry, on her oath, saith. I am a boardinghouse-keeper carrying on business in Grey Street, Auckland. I remember Mrs. Laetitia Marsh staying with me for some weeks in 1910. She used to complain of the stairs and of palpitation. She used either that word or some word such as " suffocation." She was close to confinement. Examined by Mrs. Nicol.] My house is situated at the end of a flight of steps downwards ; I do not know the number. It would be about fifteen. When Mrs. Marsh was at my place the steps were not so level as they are now. Mrs. Marsh seldom went out. I do not remember writing a letter to Mrs. Marsh's relatives saying that she went out of my house to St. Helens cheerfully, waving her hand as she went. I do not even remember writing a post-card. There was no scarlet-fever in my house while she was there. There was no person in my house ill when she was there. Apart from her pregnancy, I do not remember anything to raise any suspicions in me as to her health. I expected that she would pass through her confinement without serious trouble. There are stairs in my house leading from the bedroom to the kitchen. Mrs. Marsh used to go up and down these. Tracy Russell Ing-lis, on his oath, saith. I am a duly-qualified and registered medical practitioner carrying on practice in Auckland. I am also Medical Officer to St. Helens Hospital, and have been such from the foundation of the Hospital. I was appointed by telegram from Mr. Seddon. I was asked if I would accept it, and I did so. As to the time, it was a little before Mr. Seddon's death. I have not got the correspondence relating to my appointment. I did not bother to keep it. It may be amongst my papers at home. It may be destroyed. I was appointed as from the 1st June, 1906. I was the first Medical Officer appointed. To start with, the honorarium was £50 per year. This was increased afterwards —I cannot say when —to £100. The original agreement with Mr. Seddon was that the honorarium should