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Q-What I ask is this. One form of punishment is punishment cell with penal diet. Do you think that is sufficiently resorted to?
A-No, not often.
Q-Another form of punishment is deprivation of the evening meal. Is that sufficiently resorted to?
A--In certain cases yes, but not with all the prisoners.
Q-Is it resorted to often enough?
them. In
A-In the case of deprivation of the evening meal it has no effect upon them.
some it does, but not on all.
Q-Now we come to restraint in cross-irons of 10 lbs. or handcuffs.
A-It has been adopted lately.
Q-Is that often used?
A-Lately I believe, but not before.
Q-Do you recommend that that should be used more often?
A-I have no experience. I cannot say.
Q-Do you know on account of what offences floggings are most usually admi- nistered?
A-Yes.
Q-What?
A-Refusal to work on crank.
Q-Do you know why these people refuse to work?
A-Because the work is monotonous; it is painful work, arduous work.
Q-Suppose you have an opium smoker and the opium craving comes upon him, would he be justified in refusing to do hard labour?
A-That depends. If he looked like an opium smoker I would give him light labour if it was a very bad case.
Q-Suppose he is an opium smoker and suppose you have not found it out, and suppose a man alleges, as his reason for refusing to do hard labour, that he is an opium
smoker?
A-He is reported to the Medical Officer of the Gaol and he states why he did not work.
Q-Suppose a man who refused to work gave as his reason for not working that he was an opium smoker, would you consider that a valid reason for not doing his work?
A-No, prisoners have such an excuse every morning.
Q-Do abscesses usually form as the result of flogging?
A--No.
Q-How often have you encountered cases of blood poisoning after flogging?
A-I cannot say about blood poisoning, but often the abscess has taken a long time to heal up; it bursts out again.
Q-Do you remember any case of blood poisoning you have had to deal with as the result of flogging?
you-
A--The term blood poisoning-I do not like to say. Here is a case I might show