Hospital Searches For Pigs To Aid Greymouth Patient

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 August 1947, Page 8

Hospital Searches For Pigs To Aid Greymouth Patient

A search for a pig, certain parts of which were required in an effort to save the life of a man on whom all c/ther treatments had failed, was undertaken, by the staff of the Grey Hospital this week.

This seemingly simple task, however, developed into a difficult problem, for at this time of the year no pigs are killed and the hospital at one stage contemplated the purchase of a beast to be slaughtered. Explaining the need for the pig, the sui’geon-superintendent at the Grey Hospital, Dr S. Barclay, stated this morning that a new treatment was being tried oh ‘a seriously ill patient, to whom every other known treatment had been 'applied without success. The treatment consisted of feeding to the patient the raw lining of the small intestine of a pig. The lining after being scraped off like tripe was chopped up fine and fed raw to the patient through a stomach tube. “This is a new line of treatment for this disease and is little more than experimental, though it is considered in America to be promising,” said Dr Barclay. He added that the condition of the patient was improving, for the time being, but he was but he was not able to say yet that the treatment had saved this man's life. ... When 'it was first decided to use this treatment in an effort to save the patient, the hospital authorities had little idea of the difficulties that would be-encountered. Every butcher in the Grey district was communicated with, but hone had a pig which could be slaughtered to meet the .hospital’s request. Working in conjunction with the manager of the local abattoirs, Mr D. S. Biri’nie, the hospital authorities eventually managed to obtain a beast which was killed and the treatment commenced. More animals were required, however, and the search led to Hokitika and even to Christchurch, whence the present upply is coming. It is understood that one pig a day.is required for the treatment.