ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18675, 26 April 1926, Page 6

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

——♦ THE CORONER'S INQUEST. j Tho adjourned enquiry into tho death of Edgar Clarice, a Melbourne land agent, was held before the Coroner, Mr H. Y. Widdowsou, on Saturday. Dr. J. L. Will, orthopaedic surgeon at tho Ohristchnrch. Hospital, said that he saw Clarke at 9 a.m. on April 3rd. The patient was deeply shocked and had a cut on his wrist which appeared to have severed both arteries. His condition appeared to be too bad to justify an operation at that time.. At mid-day ho heard that tho deceased was greatly improved. At 5 p.m. ho. saw him again when he was much better and appeared to have recovered from shock. Witness decided that it would not be safe to leavo him long, as be might start bleeding again at any time. Witness did not consider Kim a very grave risk for an operation. A general anaesthetic was necessary for the operation to be performed. I>r. Baird administered tho anaesthetic. The patient appeared to bo taking the anaesthetic well as he reached tho third stage of anaesthesia. Witness prepared for tho operation and when be turned back found that the patient's heart had stopped beating, lu appeared to him that the heart had failed, and he at once jjerformed cardiac massago and artificial respiration, and applied restoratives, but all without avail. Tho wounds in the patient's wrist appeared to have been inflicted with a sharp instrument.- They could havo been self-inflicted. Constable Kockel said that ho was informed of an attempted suicide 011 tho river bank, and found the deceased lying on a scat with a deep gash on his left wrist. On searching round, after calling the ambulance, he found a razor rase. A blood-stained razor was found in deceased's pocket. There was an auctioneer's license issued in Melbourne amongst deceased's belongings. From an examination of his effects witness drew the conclusion that he was a councillor and lived at St. Kilda. The Coroner returned a verdict that death was through heart-failure duo to anaesthesia administered for the purpose of, and. preparatory to, a necessary operation to repair a severe injury done l>v the deceased in an attempt to commit suicide while mentally depressed, accelerated by myocarditis and severe haemorrhage.