WORK & HEART DISEASE

Grey River Argus, 26 April 1945, Page 7

WORK & HEART DISEASE

PREVIOUS DECISIONS REVERSED MR JUSTICE O’REGAN’S RULING. WELLINGTON April 17. A complete reversal of previous decisions in New Zealand in cases where it is alleged that excessive effort at work has caused heart disease, has been made in a judgment of the Compensation Court delivered by Mr. Justice O’Rogan. Hitherto it was held that, where incapacity or death was due to coronary thrombosis, compensation was not payable, and in lectures to University students it was maintained that coronary thrombosis bore no relation to effort. The judgment referred extensively to an article in the “American Journal” of last June, which supports the view of the present case taken by Dr. C. R. Burns and Dr. O. Morbyn 'Williams, of Wellington. The judgment also quoted two recent cases in the Commonwealth High Court, in which plaintiff recovered damages, but these were cases where a post-mortem examination had been held. plaintiff was Walter Joseph Charlton, Johnsonville, and the defendant his employer, the Makara County Council. He suffered an attack after using a crosscut saw in an awkward position on March 3, 1944. His Honour said there were many questions in connection with which medical knowledge was in a progressive or- developmental stage, and it would appear that the Court was now concerned with one of them. An article in the “American Heart Journal” might fairly be taken as the latest word on the subject under discussion. The four authors, one of whom was a consulting cardiologist to the American Navy, argued that acute coronary disease should be divided into coronary occlusion and coronary insufficiency. Coronary occlusion was produced by a coronary, artery, and effort played no part in causing it. Coronary insufficiency, on the other hand, was usually precipitated by some factor which increased the work of the heart or reduced the coronary blood flow. The views they expressed, said the authors, had been firmly established both in Germany and the United States. They maintained that coronary insufficiency might be precipitated by effort or emotion, and that coronary occlusion and coronary, insufficiency might be determined by diagnosis. "Such an article, appearing in a journal of such standing, canno. be ignored,” said His Honour. “The article is clear and convincing, and U is quite evident that it breaks ne ground, in that I find no reference the view set forth in the several te. ‘ books I have consulted. Some ci may maintain that that fact derogates from the value oftp, ticle, but argument so c ° nvl "£ the four authors, one of • t L. least is a consultant cardiol " no the American Navy, must < 1 we little weight Particulaidj I c] bear w mind^ hat l t ich professional a problem, on wmcn p , „ ° P Accordingl £SO3 12s 3d.