SIR H. BIRKIN’S DEATH

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 August 1933, Page 5

SIR H. BIRKIN’S DEATH

“LIABLE TO SKIN INFECTION.’’ LONLON, June 24. That Sir Henry Bir in was “extraordinarily predisposed to skin infection’’ was stated by a medical witness at the inquest on the famous racing motorist, held at Pad lington yesterday. Doctors described he w, after superficial burns received when racing at Tripoli, Sir Henry bee .me infected by a virulent organism, and “gradually went downhill.” A \ erdict of accidental death was reco: ded.

Dr. Joseph Dudley Benjafield, the bacteriologist, and' a racing motorist friend of Sir Henry, said that on May 7 Sir Henry was racing a Maseratti car in the Tripoli Grand Prix. “While filling with oil he leaned across the car and burned both forearms on the exhaust pipe,” said Dr. Benjafield. “The burns were fairly superficial. I did not see him until his illness started, as I was not with him.”

The Deputy Coroner: Do you know if the burns were dre.ised in Tripoli? —I do not think any care was taken of them until some time afterwards. Monday, May 22, was the first day I saw him. He just said he had a temperature and thought he had malaria. His temperature was 102, and I noticed small dressings on his arms, and asked him what they were there for. That was the first I knew about the burns. They were almost healed. I put him into a nursing home and got further medical assistance.” Testifying that Sir Henry Birkin’s death was the result of the infection set up by the burns, Dr. Benjafield said that the blood poisoning was caused by a very virulent organism. Dr. Alec Landale Clark said that he saw Sir Henry three weeks after the accident. He had a wound on the right arm which was unhealthy, and he gradually went down-hill despite vigorous treatment.

“I had looked after hiqj since the previous October,” said Dr. Clark, “and he then came to me because of a carbuncle. He was extraordinarily predisposed to skin infection and had a low resistance to pus-forming organisms. I went into his past history and Sir Henry told me that he had seen Lord Dawson, and that his appendix was suspected. I got a report, and suggested to him that the appendix might be the underlying cause of his complaint. H| agreed. “But he had a great deal to do and it was very difficult for him to spare the time. He agreed, however, that his appendix shotuld be removed on January 28.

“In the middle of December he came with a tiny septic spot in his left hand, and that developed in twentyfour hours to a huge carbuncle. This was used to prove to him that he should have something done. “When January came, however, he was prevented from having his appendix out. From that time I did not see him until after the accident.” “It seems an irony of fate,” said the

coroner, “that a man who has taken bis life in his hands so many times on the motor track should have died in this way from what was really a minor accident. I am sorry that a man of his ability and bravery should have met his death in this way.” A LOST FORTUNE. The late Sir Henry Birkin was never able quite to catch up and correct the popular belief that he was a very rich man. 'When he came to the front as a racer he was sometimes described as “a millionaire racing motorist” (wrote “Peterborough” in the “Daily Telegraph”). ~ . c There was an original “Birkin fortune” amassed by the first baronet, Sir Richard Birkin, who founded at Nottingham an extremely successful business as a lace manufacturer in the prosperous days, half a century ago, of that industry. Sir Richard had several sons, and the eldest, the late Sir Stanley Birkin, and a younger brother, the late Col. Charles Birkin, continued as the principal partners in the undertaking after their father’s death. They carried it on through a series of disastrous years when the lace trade was at its worst, with the result that, though Sir Stanley had a large fortune, he died a poor man. That was how it came about that “Jim” Birkin very sensibly determined to turn his brilliant qualities as a racing motorist to professional uses and drove as the paid representative of certain automobile firms.