FOOT CAUGHT IN STIRRUP

Evening Star, Issue 18020, 14 July 1922, Page 7

FOOT CAUGHT IN STIRRUP

DEATH AFTER ELEVEN MONTHS,

Mr J. R. Bartholomew held an inquest yesterday afternoon in regard to the ciroimstauces under which Samuel Clarkson died in the Dunedin Hospital on Wednesday. Mr J. S. Sinclair represented tho relatives of the deceased. Dr Colvin, assistant medical officer at tho Dunedin Hospital, said that tho deceased was admitted on January 18, 1922. Ho was suffering from a mat united fracture of the -right femur, which had been sustained some time previously. An operation was performed by Dr White on January 20, and the patient made a good recovery. He was discharged on May_ 1, the condition of the leg being much improved. He was still unable to get about without crutches. An X-ray examination disclosed dislocation of the right pelvis bone. Ho was readmitted to the hospital on June 22, and was operated upon on Juno 30, an attempt being made to fix the right pelvis bone so- that it could bear weight. The patient kept well until Jnly 8. when he was found to be suffering from tetanus. He was given treatment, but showed no sign of improvement, and died on Wednesday, July 12. The cause of death was heart failure due to tetanus. The deformity to the right pelvis bone was quite consistent with the presumed cause—losing his seat on a horse ho was riding and being dragged fifty yards. To Mr Sinclair: Deceased was not operated on at the Dunstan Hospital. The history of the case had been received from tho deceased himself, not from tho Bimetal authorities. Had’ an X-ray examination of the deceased been made on admittance they would! probably have_ discovered that deceased had a deformity _of tho right pelvis bone. Their attention had been directed in tho first place to the injury to tho right femur. Witness had no reason to think otherwise than that tho second injury was in existence when the patient was admitted to the Dunedin Hospital. Edwin R. Green, Inspector of tho Mines Department for Otago- and Southland, said that the deceased was manager of the Lauderdale coal mins, near Becks. _ On August 21, 1921. witness received notification that deceased met with an accident on the previous day while dismounting from his horse at the mine, his foot having caught in the stirrup. He next received notification from Clarkson himself, from the Dunstan Hospital, out the nature of his injuries and describing how he met with them, The horse either kicked or tramped-on- him. Before the accident the deceased was an active man for his age, and was always at his work. The Coroner said his verdict was that death was caused by heart failure, due to tetanus, following on a necessary operation for an injury to the right -pelvis bone.