DEATH OF CHILD

Northern Advocate, 27 June 1935, Page 2

DEATH OF CHILD

BEYOND HUMAN AID INQUIRY INTO CASE. J FINDING OF BOARD. ISpecial to “Northern Advocate ”1 AUCKLAND, This Day. The opinion that the correct medical treatment had been given to the boy, Desmond Wallace Morrissey, who died in the Auckland Hospital on May 28 while undergoing an operation while he (Was suffering from influenzal meningitis, was expressed by the Auckland Hospital Board at the conclusion of the special meeting, held yesterday afternoon, at the request of the boy’s father, Mr William Morrissey. Inchided in the motion which was passed* to this effect was a resolution of sympathy with Mr and Mrs Morrissey in the death of the child, which was shotwh by the medical evidence to have been unavoidable. iri reply to members of the board, MiKMorrissey said that he felt that if Dr.,; Stride had called to see the boy the first day it would have helped. ■fhe Rev. W. C. Wood said the inquiry seemed to have limited itself as to (Whether the boy’s death had been accelerate by an accident, as the coroner had stated. Dr, Stride might not! or might have been right, but he wafr not present at the crucial period at *the hospital. Mrs M. Dreaver said the question waS, had/the child received the best possible attention in the hospital. It seemed that he had. Drt' E. B. Gunson asked whether the board couldkbbmment on the coroner’s finding. 1 * Dr. Walter Gilmour, who made the post mortem examination, said the pus had blocked the outlet for fluid in t thd:;.brai.n, which meant ..that a very advanced stage of meningitis had been reached. He had never heard of a similar case of influenzal meningitis recovering. The puncture might have accelerate death, but the meningitis

was so -advanced that death would ■.have followed !at. any time, and he * wotildJppit say ’the puncture, accelerated the boy’s death. Dr. Gilmour explained how the

puncture had occurred. “Death was v undoubtedly due to meningitis,” he r concluded. “This puncture may or not have accelerated it, but death whs not far off.” The Last Resort. To Mr Wood, Dr. Gilmour said what \ Dr, McGiir had done was-a last resort. ’ The operation was.sound medical procedure, and-/ was performed with medicah skill. ‘T did not find any puncture. I did ; find a quantity of blood, and I could only qssume 'that is where it came, frctn,” he said. Dr. Gilmour said it would not take long by making a test to say it was a case of meningitis, but it would not be till the following day that a definite;'decision that it was influenzal meningitis could fee made. There had been no delay at the hospital.* Dr. McGill, who stated that he had ••been a resident officer at the hospital for a. year, and a half, said, that the child 'had been admitted at noon. He had at once examined the boy, who appeared to be suffering from meningitis. After "detailing the other steps he had taken, including a consultation with Dr. Sweet, Dr. McGill said that while the boy was under the anaesthetic his breathing. became worse-/and finally stopped. The heart continued to beat for another 10 minV utes, but in spite of all efforts respiration could be restored. To the chairman, Mr W. Wallace, ' Dr. McGill Said he had performed the ’ , cpefatioh previously, while he had dene seven similar operations in the last few years. In the cirucmstances he could have done no other than he had done. ■ Questioned by Dr. E. B. GunsOn, Dr. McGill said he did not know where the coroner obtained the impression that death had been accelerated by the puncture.

Dr. Sweet declared that the inquiry had only- arisen because the child had died under the anaesthetic. He was in such a serious ' condition that he must have died, which would have been naturally and would not normally have led to an inquest. However, it had been deemed advisable to give the iboy an anaesthetic, as he was restless. Comment Not Justified. - Mr W. G. Mulholland said that after hearing all the medical evidence he was of definite opinion .that the corbner had no right to make the comment he had expressed in his verdict' ' Mr Wood, then moved the resolution passed by the board, which was seconded "by Mr Mulholland. Mr Wallace said the evidence was very conclusive that everything was was; humanly possible was done for the child. Dr. McGill had not lost a moment in giving the child attention. It might be stated that the medical residents at the hospital were .all qualified practitioners, men who could practice anywhere.

“We all express deep sympathy with the parents in the loss of their child, but unfortunately nothing could be done to save his life. The operation procedure was the correct one,” added the chairman.

Dr. Sweet said that when he learned the result of the laboratory test he ordered certain treatment to be carried out by Dr. McGill. He had every confidence in Dr. McGill, and was quite sure his instruction would be carried out. To his knowledge, no influenzal meningitis patient had ever recovered. Father’s Anxiety. Dr. Stride said he remembered Mr Morrissey calling on him twice on May 28, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and he prescribed medicine, thinking it might be a case of influenza. On the following day, when the father rang up at about 11.30, he (Dr. Stride) called and examined the boy. He could nothing wrong with the child beyond that he had a pain in the head, but when the mother mentioned that the child had cut a foot a day or two previously > and mentioned tetanus he decided to have the child admitted to hcspital, and on the. certificate of admission put down “Query, tetanus.” Mr Morrissey: “When I asked you to come and see my boy the day before. you said you had been out on the previous day to see two or three . relief workers and you didn’t think it necessary to call and see my boy?”— “I don’t remember that!” “Next, day I rang you up. You didnH seem too keen on coming then, but you eventually did so You ex-

amined the boy and thought there was no necessity to have him admitted to hcspital?”—“Yes.” Mr Bishop (a member of the board): “You never had any idea it was a case of meningitis?” Dr. Stride: “No. I thought it was a case of influenza. After what his mother told me I thought it might be tetanus. I then had the child sent to hcspital.” Mrs Dreaver: “Did the father mention meningitis to you?”—“I think he did.” (Proceeding).