REOPENED INQUEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 217, 13 September 1930, Page 12

REOPENED INQUEST.

DEATH UNDER ANAESTHETIC.

"MISADVENTURE," SAYS

SURGEON.

DOES NOT BLAME NURSE;

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH; Friday.

Further evidence was given by Dr. T. A. Mac Gibbon this afternoon at the reopened inquest into.the death,of!Miss : Violet Monica Salmond, late headmistress •. of the Craighead Diocesan School, Timaru. At the previous pro-ceedings-the following verdict had r been returned: "That death wae caused by alkaloidal poisoning, due to -cocaine, jWhich: was'-injected by mistake, instead of neo-cocaine, round.the tonsils;of.Miss Salmond before an operation, for. the removal of the tonsils. Jso blame is attachable to the operating surgeons."'

This morning the coroner, Mr. H. A. Young, S.M., after explaining how the first inquest came to be held immediately after death and with no representatives of the Press present, said that later he became satisfied that the public mind was agitated over the matter.and that it was advisable that.confidence in the, submission \W local anaesthetics should as. far; as possible be maintained. "I therefore got in touch with the witnesses and their solicitors," continued Mr. Young, "and all agreed that I would be doing a public eecvice in'holdin* a further inquiry." . - ° ■ • Continuing hie evidence, Dr. Mac Gibbon/ who performed the operation, eaid he could have himself filled the. syringe, but both his hands were occupied wfth the operation and it was an ordinary procedure for the surgeon to leave that | duty to the nurse; who-was always competent to do it. ■'■■'."•'•

•Witness described the operation,- caying that 6oon after it started the patient got restless, and -while/he was trviic'to soothe her, he. noticed.-that her* mouth was twitching. He asked-the nurse what she put an the syringe,, and. replied adrenalin and copajne.. .. He/.tbjew the instruments aeide and told Dr. Crawahaw

that artificial respiration . must Tm adopted. The ueual remedies for cocaine poisoning were followed.

In such cases the.. patient usually recovered in two hours. They were with Miss Salmondfor three hours andahali The-error "made-by.the .-nurse was certainly not. due ■to flack of care on • her ■part. She was: a, good nurse. He did ,nbt;blame>the nuree, at. all.. It was pure misadventure..." . . .

Evidence was given by.Drs. CrawshaTT, Saiidfiton. and Gu'thrie, all of whom agreed with Dr. Mac Gibbon's procedure in allowing-the nurse to fill.the eyringe. Refjaining from. naming t the drug, was the. usual.and correct practice. , The coroner thanked counsel for their able .co-operation in a public service. The. points raised, were , of; a delicate nature .and required detached thought. Hβ would perhaps express an : opinion at a later date. . . •

TOBACCO INDUSTRY.

PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY.

VISIT TO'NAPIER.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Friday.

; Mr. G. C. Black {United, Motueka), chairman of the Tobacco Industry. Committee, announced to-day that a subcommittee, consisting of. himself, Mr. W. E. Barnard (Labour, Napier), and another, would' visit Napier over the week-end'to inspect, the factory of the National Tobacco Company.