OPERATION REFUSED

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 February 1942, Page 8

OPERATION REFUSED

GAOL FOR RESERVIST

CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 23

Charges of refusing to undergo remedial. treatment to fit them for service in the armed forces, were preferred against four reservists in the Magistrate’s Court, before Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M. The accused were: Frederick Gearschowski, Wallace Peter Ireland, Alan Robert McKenzie and George Edward Rumble. Ireland pleaded not guilty and the charge against him was adjourned. Gearschowski pleaded guilty. After he told the Magistrate that ne was now prepared to have the necessary operation performed on him, he was convicted and was remanded. McKenzie pleaded not guilty. After the hearing of evidence, he said he would report to a specialist at tn Christchurch Public Hospital. His case was adjourned.. Rumble pleaded not guilty. Tne police said he had been graded IA. Remedial treatment for his varicose veins was necessary before the reservist would be fit for service. Rumble refused to undergo an operation. Rumble’s counsel said that Rurnjble’s two brothers also suffered from the same complaint. In order to try to effect a cure the brothers had undergone operations, and injections. Instead of their being cured, their veins were in a worse condition, and one brother was now almost a cripple. The accused suffered no pain, and had no bad health. He was quite prepared to serve in the Army either overseas or in New Zealand in his present condition. The S.M. sentenced Rumble to two months’ imprisonment. He said the accused would have to be treated as a defaulter.

The police said that McKenzie also needed remedial treatmem tor varicose veins, but he had refused to arrive at the hospital after arrangements had been made for him. He gave as his excuse that his back, which had given him trouble for about ten years, was causing him pain. Dr. L. B. Stringer said that he examined McKenzie when he would not attend hospital. In his opinion, McKenzie’s only disability, apart from the complaints of backache, were varicose veins.

McKenzie’s counsel: It is true that the treatment of varicose veins is a matter of some divergence of opinion in the medical profession? Dr. Stringer: Yes. That may be so. But I understand that, before treatment is given, all cases are examined by a specialist at the Christchuch Public Hospital. Dr. Stringer said that there were undoubtedly a number of failures, ana he had heard of patients dying because of the operation. Counsel said at this stage that McKenzie said that ne was prepared to undergo examination by the specialist so long as he also received treatment lor his back.

The S.M. said he would adjourn the ease till March 9, “to see what happens.”

DEFAULTERS SENTENCED

CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 23

Seven men, who had been called for service with the armed forces, and who had already served sentences of imprisonment for three months for jailing to obey orders, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court, charged with either refusing to submit io medical examination or refusing to draw uniforms.

In each case the accused was sentenced to imprisonment for two months, and thereafter to be detained in a defaulters’ camp. The accused charged with refusing to attend medical examinations were: Ronald Wallace Black, Richard Joseph Kelly, Eric Crawford Marshall and Alexander Wilson.

George Edison Collett, Thomas Patrick Connelly, and David Carl Arthur Marr, were charged with failing to draw uniforms when ordered to do so by a superior officer.