OPERATION ECHO.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 206, 1 September 1936, Page 5

OPERATION ECHO.

WOMAN SUES DOCTOR. NURSE'S ALLEGED ERROR. SUM OF £700 CLAIMED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, this day. A claim by I9*bel Daisy Ingram for £700 as damages against Dr.' Henry Walden Fitzgerald was heard by Mr. Justice Kennedy in the Supreme Court at Dunedin. It was contended that the doctor, being in 'charge of an operating theatre, was responsible for an alleged mistake of a sister in painting plaintiff with iodised phenol, an injurious liquid, instead of with iodine, prior to an operation. Mr. E. J. Anderson appeared for plaintiff and Mr. C. L. Calvert for de fendant. Mr. Anderson said plaintiff went into Prospect House, a private hospital, on October 28, 1932, and the next morning she underwent an operation there. The doctors in attendance were defendant, who was plaintiff's medical adviser and surgeon in charge of the theatre, an assistant surgeon, Dr. Gerald Fitzgerald, and an anaesthetist, Dr. James Fitzgerald. Also in the operating theatre were three sisters, Sisters Wicks, O'Meara and Lcckie. A double operation was coinmenecd, said counsel, but when the second part was about to be started it was discovered that the patient had been painted with iodised phenol, instead of with iodine. lodised phenol was a substance having a drastic effect on the human frame. It contained a high percentage of carbolic acid. Very prompt and active steps were taken to neutralise the effects, continued counsel, but it was not possible to proceed with the second operation. For five weeks plaintiff received treatment for (burning, and then she had the second part of the operation. It had been anticipated that she would be in hospital for a fortnight, but she was there for nearly six weeks. For six months after she went home she®was partially invalid, and to-day she was highly neurasthenic. Defendant in evidence detailed the measures taken to remedy the effects of the iodised phenol. He said the danger of carbolic poisoning was over in about 30 hours, and the danger from burning a few days later. He did nt expect any permanent disability from poisoning. (Proceeding.)