TETANUS GERMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 285, 2 December 1925, Page 10

TETANUS GERMS.

ON ELLERSLIE RACECOURSE. COMMENT AT INQUEST. DEATH OF JOCKEY WALLS. Comment upon the prevalence of tetanus germs in the Ellerslie racecourse was made this morning at the inquest into the death >of the jockey, : Samuel Walls, aged 25,. who died after . an accident during the meeting on November 7. ...... Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., presided, and Mr. J. F. W. Dickson represented the mother of deceased. John Lambess, a trainer and owner of the horse Rafferty, said that the deceased was riding the-animal in the Hunters' Steeplechase at Ellerslie on November 7. Witness, who was on the trainers' stand, saw the accident at the second fence, when his horse was interfered with. It jumped the fence, but the jockey came off. He was picked up and taken immediately to the casualty room, where he was attended by a doctor. Deceased had a cut over the left eye. ' Asked by witness what had happened, Walls said' that he had the outside position in tho race, but at the second fence a horse called Hypothesis ran the fence clown. Rafferty "had to make a very clever jump to clear the fence, and Walls lost his balance. t Two stitches were put in deceased's wound by a doctor. He seemed quite recovered, and rode again on the following Monday. Mr. Dicksoii: Was tbe doctor who sewed the wound a visitor?—l don't know. The club has two honorary, surgeons. Was the eye sewn up there and then?— Yes, while I was there. Is not the Ellerslie course a dangerous one on account of tetanus germs?— Yes. Tn fact, it is famous for its tetanus? — Yes; several horses have died of tetanus following on wounds. To the coroner Mr. Dickson said that, as a matter of fact, deceased's wound should not have been sewn up when it was. It should have been properly svrinsed on account of the danger of tetanus. At the opening of the inquest Dr. Robert Gordon R. Lusk stated that deceased was admitted, to the hospital at about 8.30 on November 13. He was stiff-Tin"- from tetanus. Over the lett eve he had a small healed wound, in which there, had. been stitches. Deceased died at 2.50 a.m. on Monday, November 10 Tlie cause of death was primary scalp wound-ind secondary tetanus and heart failure. Tho coroner found in accordance with this evidence, adding the words, ' following on injuries received on November i-