SCREW IN LUNG

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1946, Page 6

SCREW IN LUNG

SUCCESSFUL OPERATION ON YOUNG BOY

A SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Dec. 3. A operation for the removal of a screw from the lung of a small boy was performed in the Auckland hospital yesterday. Behind the operation is a story pf scientific achievement because the instruments used were made in Auckland. A fortnight ago a screw lodged in the lung of Danny Warden, aged four, of 25 '’Maxwell road, Grey Lynn, Auckland. He was taken to hospital, where an X-ray film showed the screw well down in the lung. Yesterday’s operation was performed by a surgeon of the hospital’s visiting stqff and to-day the boy is sitting up in bed, making good progress. The instrument used was made by Mr E. Bilkey, head splint-maker at the Auckland hospital. The vitally important end-piece by which the foreign body Was grasped was manufactured by the Auckland Industrial Development Laboratories,, which were set up a year ago by the Department of Scientific and Inf.astrial Research. The screw was removed by the insertion of the instrument (which was of thin metal) in the lung by way of the mouth, the'screw being gripped by the end piece of the instrument which was then withdrawn.