CASUALTIES.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15776, 18 December 1916, Page 11

CASUALTIES.

1 A FATAL MISTAKE. A most unfortunate occurrence took place at th e Christchurch HCapital yesterday afternoon, when J. McEwan, a seafaring man, believed to be single, and without relatives in the Dominion, died from an overdose of strychnine accidentally administered by one of the nurses. The mistake arose from the fact that there were two solutions of the drug kept in separate bottles, one a concentrated solution and one a dilute solution. The dose of the concentrated solution is about 25 minims and the dilute half an ounce, but owing to the veiy regrettable mistake the larger dose of the strong solution was administered, with the result that the patient died. (PRESa ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.^ AUCKLAND. December 17. A boy named Norman Sutherland died in the hospital to-day as the result ot injuries sustained through a fall from a tree. Deceased's parents reside at Onehunga. Two boys named James Horacc Irwin, aged thirteen, and Raymond Sainty, ao-ed thirteen, were drowned in a pond on the Campbell estate yesterday. Accompanied by a third boy named Cochrane, they were playing on the estate. Sainry and Cochrane, both of whom could swim, went for a bathe in n pond, and Irwin, who could not swim, went on to the pond on a wooden raft. Suddenly the raft collapsed and Irwin sank. Both Cochrane and Sainty made a brave attempt at rescue, but Saintv was seized by Irwin, and both went "to the bottom. Cochrane's attempts save both boys were unavail- j ing. aucT after diving for some time he went for help. 'When the bodies were recovered the deceased were found rlasped '" n each other's arms. At the inquest to-day the Coroner found that Irwin had been accidentally drowned, and that Sainty wns. drowned while heroically endeavouring to save Irwin. He also commended the action of Cochrane in attempting a rea^s-