DEATH UNDER ANAESTHETIC.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 12 March 1928, Page 8

DEATH UNDER ANAESTHETIC.

A CHRISTCHURCH FATALITY

[BY TELEGBAPH—PBEBB ASSOCIATION j CHRISTCHURCH, March 9. The inquest- into the death of Richaid Edward Joughin, aged 41, who collapsed under anaesthetic at the Christchurch hospital early on Thursday morning, was continued to-day. Joughin was cycling home late on Wednesday evening when the. forks of his bicycle broke and he fell on his face on the roadway. He ' walked -a quarter of a mile to his home, but was taken to the hospital bleeding profusely .from, liis nose, whicli was broken. . , . , James Wath Davidson, assistant meetical officer, said he saw Joughin at 12.15 a.m. His injuries were a badly ■broken nose with a largo 1 lacerated wound. The patient was in good condition to stand immediate surgical intervention. Administration of the anaes thetic was begun at 12.40 a.m. The patient took it well at first and the operation had proceeded for 20 minutes when respiration ceased. The operation was stopped, artificial respiration commenced and stimulants administered, but .the heart failed ton or fifteen minutes later. There was no sign of injury within the head and the patient showed no signs of such shock as would make an operation dangerous. An operation was needed urgently os the patient was bleeding profusely and the bleeding could not be stopped without an operation. The operation was limited to opening the wound for the purpose of tying the blood vessels and stitching the wound. Gervan MacMillan, medical student, who administered the anaesthetic, said he was qualified for .this duty. There was no apparent reason for the stoppage of respiration in this case. As the post mortem was not completed the inquest was again adjourned.