OPERATIONS ON A SHIP

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21085, 9 February 1934, Page 16

OPERATIONS ON A SHIP

NURSE'S EXPERIENCES WORKING UNDER DIFFICULTIES Three major -operations were performed at >ea by Dr. J. E. Mason, ship's on the Royal Mail liner Monov/al during one voyage between Autidand and Vancouver. Ihe patients 'ceing nursed by Miss J. E. McLean, v.ho is at present- staying with her c'ster Mrs J. B. Turnbull, South Cresent road. Spreydon. Nurse Mcl.ean was travelling to Vancouver to nurse her brother at the time other v ise no trained nurse would have Leen available. _ Describing her experiences on the vovaee to a representative of ine Press" yesterday, Nurse McX rf a n p a high tribute to the work of the doctor and his two stewards during a verv trying period. The number of operations caused a shortage of appliances. and the third operation was performed under difficulties. However. the patients all made good recoveries, though she was satisfied that ihey could not have.lived without the operations. On the fifth day out from Auckland Nurse McLean, who had been suffering from pea .iickness, went to bed at l(Tp.m. About an hour later she was awakened and told that the captain wished to see her. "I wondered what I could have done," she said, "and asked if it would not do in the morning. The steward said the captain wanted me because he understood I was a nurse and a passenger was seriously ill. so I dressed and went to the captain, who took me to the surL'ery." An Appendicitis Patient Dr. Mason explained that the chief ■wireiess operator, Mr E. H. Heather, of .» uckland, was suffering from appendicitis. with symptoms of peritonitis. He had been ill for several days, without reporting sick, and his illness was :,o far advanced that an early operation was absolutely essential. The doctor asked Nurse McLean if she would assiM. and. as she promptly to do so. the patient was placed in her charge. Further enquiries were made r.mongst the passengers, and Dr. O. j. Yule, a dentist on his way to England for a post-graduate course, was enlisted to administer the anaesthetic. Early in the morning Nurse McLean Let to work to sterilise the instruments. and was considerably worried because there were no appliances in Ihe surgery for that purpose. The took was persuaded to allow her the use of the galley. "It was dreadfully Lot." she said "and I did not feel very well. The sea was still rough and it :.ccmed miles down in the bottom of the ship.'' Everything was in readiness by 9 a.m. and the ship was reduced to half speed for 20 minutes while the operation was performed. Everything went favourably, and by the time the vessel reached Honolulu three days later the patient was out of danger. Shortly after the Monowai had left Honolulu for Vancouver, a Mr Boltwood, of Melbourne, 71 years of age, called on the ship's surgeon for examination. Nurse McLean was attending to her first patient at the time and remarked to the doctor that she hoped it was r>ot another case of appendicitis. a? their supply of bandages and all the best of the catgut had bejn used on the wireless operator. The Second Operation The doctor told her that the patient was suffering from appendicitis, but he would consult with Dr. Duggan, who had come on board at Honolulu, before deciding to operate. Dr. Duggan advised an operation, as he considered the patient's age was against his chances of finishing the voyage without one. The problem of supplying sterilised dressings had to be faced by Nurse McLean, who managed to arrange for steam sterilisation in one of the ovens in the galley, followed by drying in r.nother oven. The operation was performed at 5 p.m., Dr. Duggan administering the anesthetic. After the operation Dr. Mason lay down for a sleep and Nurse McLean was watching over the patient, who had not regained consciousness, when a steward appeared on the scene with his hands clasped over his middle. "Don't tell me that you have appendicitis, or anything worse than a lummy ache," Nurse McLean said, when he appeared before her. "He told me this morning that I had," the steward replied, indicating the doctor's room. Difficult Conditions Nurse McLean reported the matter to the doctor and he said that they would have to prepare for another operation. More dressings had to be prepared, and the doctor and nurse were faced with the problem of supplying a substitute for catgut. In addition the supply of ether was exhausted, and the only ansesthetic available was a bottle of chloroform, which is liable to cause lung trouble if used in its pure state. However, Ihe chloroform was used and artificial silk did duty for stitches. The patient suffered to a certain extent with his chest later, and had to be admitted to hospital at Vancouver, but eventually made a good recovery. "The American papers published all sorts of things about it," Nurse McLean said. "Some of them said we had torn up sheets for bandages and used violin strings for stitching. Violin strings might have done all right if we had thought of them, but we didn't. There were sterile supplies for an emergency operation, but three major operations on one voyage must be a record."